Are you ready for all the feels? There have been many books released recently that focus on love – from the love of a parent to the love found in friendship. I’ve compiled a list of some of my new favorite books on love. While some are more lighthearted, I can guarantee that you will want to have some tissues handy for a few.
A Father’s Love written by Hannah Holt and illustrated by Yee Von Chan
When it comes to books about love, those that feature the love of a mother certainly seem to be the “norm.” I absolutely LOVE that this rhyming text features how fathers love their babies throughout the animal kingdom. There’s also a two page spread at the end with fun animal facts, explaining how fathers provide and take care of their young. Here’s to all the dads, like my own husband, who have been an active participant in giving care to their children!
Owl Love You by Matthew Heroux & Wednesday Kirwan
Be still my soul. Beginning at dusk, this lyrical, rhyming book demonstrates the love between a mama owl and baby owl. The storyline swiftly moves along, as baby owl asks a question and mama owl lovingly responds with each turn of the page. I was the guest reader last year for a “Muffins with Moms” day, which was the day each student could invite a mom, grandmother, or family friend to join him or her at school. This book was honestly so perfect, and there were misty eyes and plenty of snuggles by the time the story ended.
I Am Loved: A poetry collection written by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Ashley Bryan
A collection of poems designed to celebrate loving the whole child, these may be the perfect introduction to the world of poetry. Poems include the love received from a parent, celebration of friendship, and the wonder found in the world around us. There are poems that are serious and ones that are fun. My personal favorite is the poem “I Am a Mirror” – which actually includes a mirror – and highlights how you reflect the strengths and love of your family!
A Crazy-Much Love written by Joy Jordan-Lake and illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
“How much is crazy-much love?” In this beautifully written book, the answer to this question unfolds in witnessing an adoption story. We see love in the waiting and preparing and traveling. Love in the Welcome Home and meeting family for the first time. Love in the everyday moments. But what I love most about this book, is we witness love that comes from being a forever family. This truly would make the PERFECT gift for anyone you know who is going through international adoption!
A Book of Love by Emma Randall
“Love is something we all need, every single day. It really isn’t hard to show, and give in your own way.” This delightful book explores the concept of love beyond a “hug or kiss.” From patience and compassion toward others to forgiveness and conflict resolution, this book explores how love makes an effort in finding the good in others. Each time love is shared in this book there are little hearts that appear in the illustrations, and I love that in this simple and lovely way, we can discuss the various forms of love. Love certainly isn’t just the mushy, gushy kind – sometimes it’s loving the class bully. This picture book, with a rhyming text that easily moves the reader along, shares a message that is much needed in our world!
LOVE written by Newbery Medal winning Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Loren Long
This book is truly a celebration of love, from welcoming a child to sending him or her off into the world. It explores the love you receive from family members, as well as friends – in happy times and even during times of uncertainty and sadness. Beautifully written and illustrated, this is the kind of book you can read to your baby, read to your class, or even gift to your favorite high school graduate. I also LOVE that this book is available in Spanish as Amor!
LOVE from the Crayons by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
From the bestselling creators of The Day the Crayons Quit, this spinoff showcases the many shades of love. True to form, there is humor sprinkled in with the simple illustrations and text. This book is also smaller, making it easy for little hands to hold. The book follows a simple pattern of “Love is [insert color] because …” so I immediately thought this book could make a great mentor text – to create your own version with a preschooler learning color words, or as inspiration for young readers and writers to create their own version of what kind of love each color creates. This book also demonstrates how we often attach meaning to different colors. Oh, the possibilities this book has to offer for instruction!
Love and the Rocking Chair by Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Medalists – Leo & Diane Dillon
“Love is the greatest gift we can give to our children.” When I first picked up this book to read it, I didn’t expect to be choking back tears by the end. Maybe it’s because my babies are growing up too quickly, or the fact that my oldest is engaged to be married and it feels like just yesterday I was rocking him in my arms. This story begins with a young couple selecting a rocking chair for their unborn son, and follows the journey of the chair through the years. Until, one day, the mother is now a grandmother, and sits rocking her new granddaughter in the same chair. This lovely, autobiographical tribute to life and love was also the last book collaboration before Leo Dillon’s death.
Love, Z by Jessie Sima
Z is a young robot who finds a message in a bottle, but the only legible words are “Love, Beatrice” at the bottom of the paper. Perplexed by the message, Z asked the older robots at bedtime, “What is love?” Unfortunately, the only response they could offer was, “Does not compute.” Driven to find an answer, Z ventures off to find Beatrice and the meaning of love. When I first picked up this book, I expected a generic robot story, but instead I found a lovely story that promotes the love one finds when surrounded by FAMILY.
Happy reading, friends! May you experience little sprinkles of reading joy as you explore the topic of love.
All reviews are completely my own and I only recommend books I truly
believe are worthy of sharing with others. (Believe me, I read many books I do
not recommend, which means you won’t see me writing about them!)
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