Sunday, February 12, 2012

Books for Kids: Valentine's Day

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Love is in the air! Since love is a commodity that parents store and share in unlimited amounts with their little one, Valentine’s is the perfect opportunity to remind them what love is all about. Have fun reading these books about what was at the origin of your little bundle of joy.

Do You Love Me? 
Written and illustrated by Joost Elffers + Curious Pictures
The eternal “do you love me?” question is one that’s easy to answer for parents but this book will help you give your answers a poetic and modern twist. Illustrated with computerized images, the short and easy text makes the book accessible to very small children while brushing reassuring topics of a child’s life. “Do you love me? Always, dear. Do you need me? Ever near. Would you leave me? Never ever.” If that were not enough, the cute characters will give you an irresistible urge to rub noses with someone very special.

Plant A Kiss
Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
This beautiful little book will have your heart grow double the size by the last page. The simple story of how Little Miss plants a kiss and watches it grow will delight young readers who will anxiously wait for the kiss to sprout from the ground. With funny rhymes and short sentences, the book is perfect for short attention spans but will be intriguing enough for older ones too. Tactile kids will love the textured and sparkly renditions of the kiss invading the pages. A must-have for your home library.


Snowy Valentine
Written and illustrated by David Petersen
When Jasper the bunny sets out to find a special Valentine’s gift for his sweetheart, he doesn’t realize his journey in their snowy valley will be full of surprises. Indeed, what makes a perfect Valentine’s gift? Could it be the box full of chocolate-covered flies coveted by the frogs? This charming book is an ideal bedtime story where your child will follow the adventures of this fluffy hero – to a wonderful Valentine finish.
Hugs from Pearl
Written and illustrated by Paul Schmid
Pearl loves to hug but hugging is a thorny issue for Pearl – she is a porcupine and when she hugs her friends, it’s always an ouchy hug. As a result, Pearl needs to refrain on her hugging impulses. What child wouldn’t feel sorry for the adorable Pearl? Fortunately she is as resourceful as she is lovable and the book will teach young children that any problem can be solved with creative solutions - even if it takes a little trial and error. Pastel-colored pages enhance the warm and fuzzy feeling of this story.

Amelia Bedelia’s First Valentine
Written by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynne Avril
This new adventure of the spirited Amelia Bedelia as a little girl will have your children in stitches. Not literally of course, that would be Amelia Bedelia’s reaction. She heats up a Valentine’s card that says “you’re too cool” and she hits a friend who would like a little punch – in his cup. Ah Amelia Bedelia, you make us laugh with your ingenuity! If your child has ever taken an idiom literally or is about to face his first Valentine at (pre)school, this book is a perfect introduction and should answer all questions with a fresh perspective.

This review first appeared in the Golden Gate Mothers Group Magazine, February 2012, as the Books for Kids column. I've been writing gthis column since 2005 and now I'll post my reviews on Frog Mom as well.

1 comment:

bola@books for young children said...

Thanks for the valentine's day children's book list. As a children's bookseller, I am always on the hunt for outstanding children's books.