Disclosure: I will receive copies of these books. Post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn commission. Opinions shared are mine.
Our family looks for candy-free holiday gifts because the kids tend to let the sweets go to waste. You won’t be shocked to hear that we give books for almost every occasion. When our children were small, we kept holiday themed books in baskets. It was fun to switch out the baskets with the seasons. For Valentine’s Day, consider these titles from Running Press.
Love is a sweet hardcover that empowers children to demonstrate affection for others through acts of service. The illustrations show an effort to be inclusive and diverse, as well as challenging gender stereotypes. For example, a young boy presents his grandfather with a bouquet of flowers. I appreciated that the book contains families of all types without being overbearing or too blunt, which is good for parents who handle such issues in a sensitive manner.
Enjoy these free printables to supplement your LOVE activities!
Brave is a picture book guide for becoming a superhero in real life. The text uses bold action verbs that call to action. Kids will relate to the everyday moments of bravery mentioned in the story. Again, the charming illustrations present a diverse cast of characters. Being young can feel like a helpless time of life for children. Brave encourages strength of mind and character.
About the Author: Stacy McAnulty is a children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, who’s also qualified to be a dog therapist (is that a thing???), a correspondent for The Daily Show (why not), and a Green Bay Packer coach (totally!). She has written dozens of books including her debut middle-grade novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor book Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Her other picture books include Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, illustrated by David Litchfield; Max Explains Everything: Grocery Store Expert, illustrated by Deborah Hocking, Brave and Beautiful, both illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, and more. When not writing, Stacy likes to listen to NPR, bake triple-chocolate cupcakes, and eat triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate NY, she now lives in Kernersville, NC with her 3 kids, 3 dogs, and 1 husband.
About the Illustrator: Joanne Lew-Vriethoff is the award-winning illustrator of Beautiful and Brave, as well as such books as Another Day as Emily, The Dancing Pancake, and Peace, Baby! She lives in Amsterdam with her family.
Love is my favorite! I love the cover 🙂
They all look great but I especially like Beautiful because of the message.
Love is my favorite because everyone needs it! Love is grand!
“Which of these 3 featured books is your favorite and WHY?” Maybe “Beautiful,” because the cover is fun!
Brave looks like a good one because it is a good lesson for everyone.
Beautiful would probably be my favorite. I know my kids would love all of these books.
I like Brave. My nephew would like a book about being a superhero!
I love Beautiful because it focuses on inner beauty.
My favorite is Brave. BRAVE showcases kids from all walks of life being brave. BRAVE redefines what it means to be brave.
Love is my favorite because I “Love” the message and the medium!
These are really cute books. I like the Love book the best. I adore the illustrations in that book especially.
My favorite book is Love because it i to important to teach love to kids and how they can show love to others!
I choose LOVE; it is the essence of everything!
I like the Beauty book it sounds like it has some great life lessons