Looking for the best multicultural and diverse Valentine’s Day books for kids?
Roses are red, violets are blue, here are some children’s book recommendations I’ve picked out for you! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to start spreading love. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to let those around you know you care and give a gift that is remembered.
Check out the books I’ve rounded up below and let me know in the comments which ones resonate with you and your little readers.
One Good Night 'Til Valentine's Day
The day is almost here! It's only "one more goodnight" until Valentine's Day. As a child goes to sleep, they can't wait for all the fun that comes with celebrating their favorite holiday with their loved ones. They know the next day will be filled with the best Valentine's decorations, treats, and gifts!
Love Is All Around
A little girl observes the ways that love is shown and shared throughout her day. From Sister’s kisses when she wakes to eating breakfast with her family and playing with friends at school, love is all around.
Together: A First Conversation about Love
Developed by experts in the fields of early childhood and activism against injustice, this topic-driven board book offers clear, concrete language and beautiful imagery that young children can grasp and adults can leverage for further discussion.
In My Heart
This is what a mother tells her child as she leaves for work each day. This lovely board book perfectly captures the sentiment that many women feel about being a working mom. The lyrical text takes us through a mother’s day away, showing us that although she’s working hard, her child is always on her mind and always in her heart.
Amor de Colores
Following the success of Singing - Cantando de colores, Amor de colores will introduce your little ones to all the colorful ways we see love in the world around us. Children will adore this heartwarming read that teaches them the colors of the rainbow and more.
Sweet, Sweet Baby!
This beautiful board book by Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author and illustrator Javaka Steptoe (Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat) celebrates the joy, hope, and pride that a new baby brings.
My Heart Beats
A beautiful photographic board book featuring babies from all over the world and the sounds their hearts make as they beat with love.
No matter what language we speak, no matter where we live in the world, our hearts beat with the same rhythm. We may hear and say the sounds differently―doki doki in Japanese, tu tump tu tump in Italian, dugeun dugeun in Korean, dhak dhak in Urdu, boum boum in French and thump thump in English―but when our hearts beat, all the sounds mean the same thing: you are alive and you are loved.
Count to Love!
This joyful celebration of roly-poly, perfectly huggable, oh-so lovable little ones that is just-right for the whole family, for Valentine's Day and all throughout the year! So get ready to count to love... because once you start, you just won't stop!
Leo Loves Mommy
Perfect for Mother's Day or every day, this sweet companion to Leo Loves Daddy and spin-off of the best-selling Lola Reads series is sure to delight. Leo and Mommy love to build forts, do yoga, and make splashy art together. At the end of the day, Mommy's hugs are the comfiest.
Leo Loves Daddy
Perfect for Father's Day or every day, this sweet companion to Leo Loves Mommy and spin-off of the best-selling Lola Reads series celebrates the love between young children and their dads. Leo and Daddy love to make pancakes for breakfast, dance to the beat, and go to the park together. When it's time to sleep, Daddy's hugs are the snuggliest.
Kiss by Kiss / Ocêhtowina
Ten kisses from your sweet baby might not be enough to get you through this adorable book, so you'll just have to read it over and over!
My Heart Fills with Happiness
The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness?
Besos for Baby: A Little Book of Kisses
Everyone has kisses for Baby, from Mami and Papi to perro and gato. Using simple Spanish words, this charming read-aloud proves that love is the same in every language! Parents won't be able to resist giving baby muchos besos as they share this bilingual read aloud, filled with bold, graphic illustrations, with their little bébé!
My Baby Loves Valentine's Day
Celebrate all the lovely things Baby discovers about Valentine's Day!
This board book, the perfect gift for a new baby, features rhythmic poetry from Jabari Asim and adorable art from Tara Nicole Whitaker.
Homemade Love
A mother calls her Girlpie-a sweet treat, homemade with love. And when Girlpie makes a mistake, the love of her mother and father lets her pick up the pieces and make everything right again.
Little You
With its delightful contemporary illustrations, Little You is perfect to be shared, read or sung to all the little people in your life―and the new little ones on the way!
10 Kisses Before Bedtime
Follow several families as they prepare for bedtime. Once the child in each family cleans up toys, takes a bubble bath, brushes teeth, and listens to a story before bedtime, hugs are exchanged to celebrate the love that is shared. And once the little ones are tucked in bed, there's only one thing left--a bedtime kiss!
Me and My Mama
With simple, charming text, and colorful illustrations, Me and My Mama is the perfect way to for kids to reflect on the special role their Mama plays in their life and explore the many ways love can be shown!
Swaddled with Love
Swaddling a baby is a labor of love for every new parent. With a gentle, loving text and a cover that folds and tucks just like a swaddle, this interactive board book captures those magical moments as baby drifts off to sleep, swaddled in softness, and is the perfect gift for new parents or new big siblings.
Brown Sugar Baby
This lyrical first book in the Brown Sugar Baby series is a celebration of the powerful love and protective, comforting instincts of a mother for her child. Its soothing rhythm and tender rhymes are highlighted by whimsical and charming illustrations that are perfect for storytime.
Catch a Kiss
Izzie just loves when her mama blows her kisses to catch. Smooch kisses, zig-zag kisses, and even triple decker kisses! But even though she runs and leaps for it, Izzie misses a kiss! Her heart sinks as she watches it zip higher and higher into the sky. When Mama lets Izzie in on a sweet secret she realizes that her mama's love will always come to find her, no matter what! This silly and tender story is a universal one of a parent's love.
I Love Us: A Book about Family
I Love Us! is all about the little ways families show they care: breakfasts made, play times shared, hurts soothed, and good times celebrated. With a mirror surprise and fill-in family tree, this special book makes a wonderful gift for children and the people who love them on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day--every day!
One Love
Adapted from one of Bob Marley's most beloved songs, One Love brings the joyful spirit and unforgettable lyrics of his music to life for a new generation. Readers will delight in dancing to the beat and feeling the positive groove of change when one girl enlists her community to help transform her neighborhood for the better.
Happy Hair
From a cute crop to pom-pom puffs, adorable illustrations of girls with gorgeous braids, blowouts, and bantus grace each page, side by side with a positive message that will make girls cheer. It's a great read-aloud to promote self-esteem for girls of all ages, building and growing the foundation of self-love (and hair love!) and letting every girl know You are made beautiful!
My Hair Is Beautiful
A celebration of natural hair, from afros to cornrows and everything in between, My Hair is Beautiful is a joyful board book with a powerful message of self-love.
Love Makes a Family
Love is baking a special cake. Love is lending a helping hand. Love is reading one more book. In this exuberant board book, many different families are shown in happy activity, from an early-morning wake-up to a kiss before bed. Whether a child has two moms, two dads, one parent, or one of each, this simple preschool read-aloud demonstrates that what's most important in each family's life is the love the family members share.
I Love All of Me
With charming illustrations and a sweet, bouncy text that begs to be read aloud, this padded board book is a joyous reminder to little ones to love their whole selves -- just as they are.A glorious celebration of self-esteem that's full of humor, love, and heart.
Love You Head to Toe
Pairing creative rhyming similes with cut-paper collage art, Love You Head to Toe is an adorable book that compares newborn babies to baby animals on every page. Bright, playful illustrations show a different baby and a different species of animal, both engaged in similar behavior: babies stretch their limbs like sea stars, splash in the water like ducklings, toddle around like bear cubs, and fill their chubby cheeks like chipmunks.
I Love My Hair!
A modern classic, this whimsical story has been celebrating the beauty of African-American hair for 20 years! In this imaginative, evocative story, a girl named Keyana discovers the beauty and magic of her special hair, encouraging black children to be proud of their heritage and enhancing self-confidence.
Hair Love ABCs
An alphabet board book inspired by the bestselling HAIR LOVE with new spot illustrations and text from the original award-winning author and illustrator duo--and perfect for baby gift baskets.
A is for Afro, N is for Natural, and W is for Waves. Letter by letter, follow Zuri and her father in their joy-filled journey through the kinks and curls of Black hair.
How We Say I Love You
So many families express their love in all they do for one another, every day. Here is a book that wraps you in a hug and invites your family to share their own special ways of showing love.
You Come from Greatness
A young boy learns that he is walking in the footsteps of greatness through a vibrant, lyrical retelling of Black history--both a love letter to Black children and an anthem empowering them to know their God-given worth.
I Love You More Than
I Love You More Than ... by Taye Diggs, illustrated by Shane W. Evans, is perfect for families who are separated, whatever the circumstances. Its message of love underscores the bond between parent and child in ways that little ones will understand.
I Love You Because I Love You
What are all the big and small reasons why we love the people we do? And what does it look like when we voice it out loud?
To be read aloud by one or even two people, this affirming prose demonstrates that love is a dialogue. Love is complex. Love is utterly simple.
This is what love looks like.
Under the Love Umbrella
A beautiful tale celebrating the invisible, protective, omnipresent love between parents and children. No matter what challenges children may face, they can always rely on the love umbrella above them.
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners
A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother’s, her grandmother's, and her little sister's. They have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future.
I Absolutely, Positively Love My Spots
A young girl with vitiligo celebrates her skin in this joyful picture book. This lyrical celebration of self-esteem, perseverance, and loving the skin you're in will inspire all children to appreciate their spots or what makes them different.
Hold Them Close: A Love Letter to Black Children
As affirming as it is touching and warm, Hold Them Close encourages young children to hold close their joy, the words of their ancestors and elders, as well as their power to change the world. A perfect book for shared story time, this book will inspire young people to march forth with pride, glow, and happiness.
I Am Love
I Am Love asks readers to look inward when they feel afraid, angry, hurt, or sad. When a storm is brewing inside us and the skies grow dark, the transformative power of love lets the light back in. Includes heart-opening yoga poses and a guided meditation.
What Is Given from the Heart
Misery loves company, Mama says to James Otis. It's been a rough couple of months for them, but Mama says as long as they have their health and strength, they're blessed. One Sunday before Valentine's Day, Reverend Dennis makes an announcement during the service-- the Temples have lost everything in a fire, and the church is collecting anything that might be useful to them. James thinks hard about what he can add to the Temple's love box, but what does he have worth giving?
My Heart
My heart is a window. My heart is a slide. My heart can be closed...or opened up wide. Some days your heart is a puddle or a fence to keep the world out. But some days it is wide open to the love that surrounds you. With lyrical text and breathtaking art, My Heart empowers all readers to listen to the guide within in this ode to love and self-acceptance.
Lovely Day
Bill Withers's "Lovely Day" is famous for bringing listeners joy. This gorgeous picture book adapted from the song's timeless lyrics follows the story of a brother and sister who always find a way to make each other smile, no matter the challenges the day may bring. From discovering new ways to play when the playground is closed, to laughing out loud as they run through the rain, these siblings can count on each other to find the joy in any situation. Because when you're with the ones you love, every day is a lovely day!
Big
The first picture book written and illustrated by award-winning and creator Vashti Harrison traces a child’s journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal. With spare text and exquisite illustrations, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a tender portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time.
Love in the Library
Set in an incarceration camp where the United States cruelly detained Japanese Americans during WWII and based on true events, this moving love story finds hope in heartbreak.
Love Is Powerful
Inspired by a girl who participated in the January 2017 Women's March in New York City, Heather Dean Brewer's simple and uplifting story, delightfully illustrated by LeUyen Pham, is a reminder of what young people can do to promote change and equality at a time when our country is divided by politics, race, gender, and religion.
I Am Golden
This joyful and lyrical picture book from New York Times bestselling author Eva Chen and illustrator Sophie Diao is a moving ode to the immigrant experience, as well as a manifesto of self-love for Chinese American children.
Hair Love
Zuri's hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her -- and her hair -- happy. Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair -- and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.
I Am Every Good Thing
The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He's got big plans, and no doubt he'll see them through--as he's creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. And other times he's afraid, because he's so often misunderstood and called what he is not.
I Am Perfectly Designed
In this empowering ode to modern families, a boy and his father take a joyful walk through the city, discovering all the ways in which they are perfectly designed for each other.
With tenderness and wit, this story captures the magic of building strong childhood memories.
Sugar Pie Lullaby
Shoo-be-do-wop along with your little one as you introduce them to the legendary music of the Motown era. Heartfelt text and whimsical illustrations will touch the hearts of sentimental parents and grandparents and will ensure little ones enjoy a jazzy drift off to dreamland. Sugar Pie Lullaby also includes delightful facts so that kids and caregivers can learn more about Motown legends together!
Love Made Me More
When a boy's grandmother shows him how to fold an origami crane, the boy and crane become instant friends. They sail around the room and play, but the crane also watches over the boy and comforts him in a time of loss. The crane is always on the boy's nightstand--it's the last thing he sees each night and the first thing he sees each morning. Over time, the boy grows older, and the crane becomes dusty. But even when the boy becomes a young man, the crane plays a part in the most important moments of his life. And one day, just like his grandmother before him, the man shows his own son how to fold origami as the crane looks on.
Love Grows Everywhere
Through gentle, rhyming text and vibrant illustrations, feel the love in a close-knit family who grow plants and sell them in their local market, and discover the types of love that exist in the many homes of their diverse community. There are kisses from Dad, songs with Grandma, charity from neighbours and playtime with friends. There's old love, new love and everything in between!
Brown: The Many Shades of Love
Mama’s brown is chocolate, clear, dark, and sweet. Daddy’s brown is autumn leaf, or like a field of wheat. Granny’s brown is like honey, and Papa’s like caramel. In this loving and lovely ode to the color brown, a boy describes the many beautiful hues of his family, including his own—gingerbread.
Smooch!
A culturally diverse children's book showcasing diverse family structures and characters through bright, colorful artwork, Smooch! engages young readers through familiar circumstances and humor and caregivers through touching sentiment. A poetic ode to the love that connects us, Smooch! is perfect for showcasing the permanent bond of love in a fun way, for children dealing with any kind of separation anxiety, or for children who are missing someone.
So Much!
Mom and baby are home alone when--DING DONG!--Auntie and then Uncle and Nannie and Gran-Gran and the cousins come to visit. And they all want to hug and kiss and squeeze and eat the baby right up--because everybody loves the baby SO MUCH!
How Do I Love Thee?
Whether in soft sunlight or rain-drizzled night or winter's frost-etched breath, three children share the love and joy of friendship while exploring the wonders of nature.
Love
What is love? Can you only express it in fancy meals, greeting cards, and heart-shaped chocolates? Kids will find love everywhere in this delightful book. It can be found in everyday moments such as baking cookies with grandma, notes from Mom in your lunchbox, or a family singing together on a car trip, and it isn't always what you expect!
Love
Everyone loves everyone in Tess’s house, but when Tess has to leave for school for the very first time, she is worried that her family’s love might not stretch that far. Mom explains that love is like a string, it connects people together even when they are far away. At school Tess notices that all the children have strings! Some are new, some are old, some stretch a long way, and some even stretch right up into the sky. But what happens when a string breaks?
Love Is
This beautifully illustrated book tells the moving story of a little girl and a duckling who both grow to understand what it means to care for each other as they learn that love is as much about letting go as it is about holding on.
Full, Full, Full of Love
For the youngest member of an exuberant extended family, Sunday dinner at Grannie’s can be full indeed — full of hugs and kisses, full of tasty dishes, full to the brim with happy faces, and full, full, full of love.
A Pinch of Love
In this beautiful story told in rhyming verse, a boy and his grandmother, are preparing for a big neighborhood bake-off. See the loving (and sticky!) moments of their tender relationship, along with the many other warm bonds that exist within their community.
I Am Loved
Hand-selected by Newbery honoree Ashley Bryan, he has, with his masterful flourish of color, shape, and movement, added a visual layering that drums the most impartant message of all to young, old, parent, child, grandparent, and friend alike: You are loved. You are loved. You are loved. As a bonus, one page is mirrored, so children reading the book can see exactly who is loved—themselves!
Like the Moon Loves the Sky
With vibrant illustrations and prose inspired by the Quran, this charming picture book is a heartfelt and universal celebration of a parent's unconditional love.
I Love You Like Yellow
Love comes in many forms. It can feel tart as lemonade, or sweet as sugar cookies. Slow as a lazy morning, or fast as a relay race. Love is there through it all: the large and small moments, the good times and bad. And at the end of the day, love settles us down to bed with a hug and kiss goodnight.
Dear Mama's Loving Arms
This book is a reminder to all mothers to stop and enjoy the bond we share with our children even when it is most challenging, like those days where all the baby wants is to be held. Despite longing for Dear Mama's embrace, Baby learns to defeat the big, bad daily nap time separation by joining Dear Mama in adventurous safari dreams inspired by Baby's stuffed giraffe pal, Raffie.
You Hold Me Up
With vibrant illustrations from celebrated artist Danielle Daniel, this is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.
Still This Love Goes On
Based on Sainte-Marie’s song of the same name, this book combines Flett's breathtaking art with vivid lyrics to craft a stunning portrait of a Cree worldview. At the heart of this picture book is a gentle message about missing our loved ones, and the promise of seeing each other again.
