15 Lovely Valentine’s Day Books for Preschoolers to Enjoy

Love, kindness, respect, and sharing are all values children can learn from Valentine’s Day books. Valentine’s Day offers a wonderful opportunity for preschoolers to understand these core values and apply what they’ve learnt to their everyday lives.

With preschoolers, not only can you read these stories together, but you can extend storytelling sessions through educational activities. From reviewing vocabulary to making your own Valentine’s Day crafts, these Valentine’s Day books for preschoolers provide ample learning opportunities. 

Here are 15 Valentine’s Day books for preschoolers that you can enjoy reading together.

Table of Contents

• 15 Valentine’s Day Books for Preschoolers
  • The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll
  • Llama Llama, I Love You by Anna Dewdney
  • Love from the Crayons by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
  • Happy Valentine’s Day, Curious George by N. Di Angelo
  • Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool by Kimberly and James Dean
  • ABC Love by Christiane Engel
  • I Love You Like… by Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar
  • Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
  • Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
  • All You Need Is Love by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
  • Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli
  • Love, Z by Jessie Sima
  • Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane deGroat
  • Hug Machine by Scott Campbell
  • Baby Shark’s Valentine’s Day by Pinkfong
• Extension Activities for Valentine’s Day Stories

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15 Valentine’s Day Books for Preschoolers

1. “The Biggest Valentine Ever” by Steven Kroll

This charming book tells the story of two friends, Desmond and Clayton, who want to make the biggest Valentine for their teacher. The storyline revolves around teamwork and teaches preschoolers about friendship and cooperation. The text is easy to follow, making it great for young English learners.

2. “Llama Llama I Love You” by Anna Dewdney

Fans of Llama Llama will adore this sweet board book. It is a sweet rhyming story as Llama Llama makes Valentines for loved ones. The simple words and bright illustrations make it perfect for helping young kids grasp new vocabulary.

3. “Love from the Crayons” by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

This colourful and engaging book combines lovable crayons with a message about the meaning of love. Each crayon helps describe love through different colours and emotions. This book is a great way to expose children to descriptive words while introducing how love looks different to everyone.

4. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Curious George” by N. Di Angelo

This playful story features Curious George preparing for Valentine’s Day. Through fun adventures, he learns about crafting Valentines and sharing kindness. Preschoolers will love seeing George’s curious nature and will pick up new vocabulary along the way. Plus, this version is more interactive with fold-out flaps on every scene.

5. “Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool” by Kimberly and James Dean

Pete the Cat doesn’t think Valentine’s Day is a big deal, but his perspective changes as he makes cards for his friends. Filled with catchy phrases and fun pictures, this book is ideal for young learners exploring the importance of showing appreciation. It also comes with stickers, 12 punch-out cards, and a poster for additional learning opportunities.

6. “ABC Love” by Christiane Engel

This alphabet book connects each letter with an act of love or kindness, such as “A” for “Acceptance.” It’s a fantastic learning tool for ESL families who want to build vocabulary while exploring positive themes. 

7. “I Love You Like…” by Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar

This vibrant book uses similes to describe love in a creative way. Lines like, “I love you like a skipping stone loves to skip” are easy to grasp and fun for young children. It’s an excellent tool to introduce preschoolers to simple comparisons while celebrating affection.

8. “Plant a Kiss” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

This story follows Little Miss as she plants a kiss, which grows into something she shares with the world. The text is minimal but meaningful, which offers a wonderful opportunity for ESL preschoolers to learn new words and add additional details to the story. It teaches such a valuable lesson about giving and love in a simple and relatable way that everyone can participate in.

9. “Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney

This heartwarming classic follows Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare as they declare their love for each other. Its repetitive phrasing is especially helpful for ESL learners, giving preschoolers the chance to listen and repeat phrases while spending quality time with family.

10. “All You Need Is Love” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal

Based on the famous Beatles song, this beautifully illustrated book turns the lyrics into a story of community and kindness. Its simple lines and music-inspired theme make it appealing to preschoolers while offering a chance to explore universal messages of love.

11. “Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch” by Eileen Spinelli

Mr. Hatch thinks he’s unloved until one day he receives an anonymous Valentine. The book beautifully covers themes of kindness, the importance of community, and self-love. Preschoolers learn that small gestures can make a big impact on the people around them.

12. “Love, Z” by Jessie Sima

This lovely book follows Z, a little robot who finds a love letter and goes on an adventure to figure out what love means. The storyline is engaging and introduces children to the concept of family and affection in unique ways.

13. “Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink” by Diane deGroat

Gilbert writes silly Valentines for his friends in this humorous and relatable story. It’s perfect for teaching preschoolers the impact of words and the value of kindness while adding a fun twist to Valentine’s Day.

14. “Hug Machine” by Scott Campbell

This adorable story features a boy who loves giving hugs to everyone and everything. It’s a simple, repetitive book that teaches about compassion and connection. Easy vocabulary makes it perfect for ESL families with young children learning English. 

15. “Baby Shark’s Valentine’s Day” by Pinkfong

Based on the popular Baby Shark song, this book turns Valentine’s Day into a fun underwater party. With rhythmic text, it keeps young readers engaged while building English skills in a familiar way. Plus, it also comes with stickers, cards, and a fortune teller for additional fun together.

Extension Activities for Valentine’s Day Stories

After reading one of the above Valentine’s Day stories, why not try a few of these easy and fun activities to extend learning and bonding time?

Draw Your Favourite Part of the Story

Grab crayons, paper, or markers and ask your children to draw their favourite scene or character. Encourage them to explain their drawing in simple sentences, helping them connect words with their artwork. It’s a fun way to build language skills while keeping the storytelling fresh in their minds.

Make Paper Heart Puppets

Use craft supplies like paper, scissors, and glue to create heart-shaped puppets. Let your child decorate them as characters from the story. Once they’re done, use the puppets to act out the story together or even invent a new one. It’s an exciting way for preschoolers to practise storytelling in English.

Sing a Valentine-Themed Song

Create a simple song based on the story you’ve read. Use a familiar tune like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. For example, sing about kindness or a loving character. Sing along with your preschooler and encourage them to add their own lyrics. Songs help with language and memory, especially for ESL learners.

Write a ‘Love Letter’ to a Character

Help your children write a short letter to their favourite character from the story. The letter could focus on a theme such as appreciation, kindness, or generosity. 

If writing is too advanced, let them dictate while you write it down. This activity explores sentence structure and encourages them to express emotions in English.

Create a Valentine’s Day Story Collage

Cut out pictures from old magazines or use printed images to create a collage. Focus on themes from the story, like hearts, hugs, or favourite characters. As you glue each piece, discuss what it represents and why your children picked it. This builds vocabulary while fostering creativity.

Play ‘Who Am I?’ Story Character Game

Choose a character from the story and give clues about who it is. For example, “I’m red and I love making people happy”. Let your children guess and then swap roles. This guessing game helps with listening and speaking skills—perfect for preschoolers learning ESL.

Bake Heart-Shaped Biscuits Together

Tie the story to cooking by making heart-shaped biscuits or treats. While baking, talk about the characters and events. Ask your children questions like, “What kind of biscuit would [character’s name] enjoy?” Cooking together strengthens listening and vocabulary skills in a hands-on way.

Make a Friendship Chain

Cut strips of coloured paper and write simple words or phrases from the story on each. Help your children loop and glue them into a chain. As you work, review the story and talk about the meaning of words like “kind” or “share”. Hang it up as a decoration to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Re-Imagine the Ending

Sit with your children and imagine a new ending for the story. Ask, “What do you think happened after the book ended?” Discussing alternate endings improves imagination, decision-making, and storytelling skills, especially for young learners adapting to a new language.

Build a Story Scene with Toys

Use dolls, blocks, or small toys to re-create a favourite scene from the story. Encourage your preschooler to describe the scene and explain what’s happening. This hands-on activity blends language practice with play, making it a fun and effective learning experience.

Have a Mini Valentine’s Party for the Characters

Set up a small tea party for the story’s characters using real or pretend snacks. Pretend to invite the characters and talk about how they’d celebrate. Your children can practise conversational phrases like “Would you like some tea?” while having fun.

Make a Story Bracelet or Necklace

Use beads and string to design jewellery that represents the plot or characters. For instance, pick a red bead for love or a yellow bead for friendship. As your children work, discuss why they chose each colour or bead type. This simple activity enhances fine motor skills and storytelling abilities.

Design Your Own Valentine’s Card

Based on the story, help your children make a Valentine’s Day card for a character or family member. Let them draw, colour, and practise writing simple words like “love” or “friend”. It’s an easy way to connect creative play with language learning.

Create a Story Train

Line up objects or toys to represent events in the story, like a train of ideas. Use each object as a storytelling prompt to recall key moments. This visual activity is great for preschoolers who are still building their English vocabulary.

Valentine’s Day offers a wonderful chance to bring stories to life with your preschooler. From choosing a fun Valentine’s Day book together to expanding story time with hands-on activities, there are plenty of opportunities to bond whilst learning English.

Set aside some time this Valentine’s to teach valuable lessons of kindness, love, and supporting others. 

Which story will you read first?

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