Valentine's Day Books for Kids (and a Love Note They Star In)

The best Valentine's Day books for kids are about the people they love, not romance: a mom or dad, a grandparent, a new friend or the family dog. Magic Story makes keepsakes like that, and each one stars your child. I Love You Mom, I Love You Dad, I Love You Grandma and I Love You Grandpa are rhyming thank-you notes in your child's voice, with your child and that grown-up illustrated together on the cover and all 20 inside pages. The Friendship Spark, for ages 3 to 8, is about saying one brave hello. Two of a Kind stars your child and their real pet. You see a free preview before you buy.

This is our guide to our own books. Below you'll find which book suits which Valentine, what to put in a candy-free basket for a toddler, and how a child can give a book to a grown-up and keep it a surprise.

Quick picks: Valentine's Day books that star your child

The standard US one-time hardcover price is $44.99, plus shipping and tax. In the family books and Two of a Kind, the grown-up or pet is a companion character that costs $4.99 USD extra for US orders. Shoppers in other countries see their own prices at checkout. You can browse all of them in our Better Together collection.

A Valentine from your child to Mom: I Love You Mom

I Love You Mom is a rhyming thank-you, one couplet per page, in your child's voice. "When I am sad or feel a bit low, You're the first place that I want to go." It thanks Mom for her healing touch, the bike lessons and the patience on slow days, and it ends as if your child wrote it themselves: "I'm so very lucky, Mom, to have you! Love," followed by your child's name.

Upload a photo of your child and one of Mom, and the two of them appear together throughout. The name starts as Mom and can be changed to Mama, Mommy or whatever your child calls her.

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  A healing touch "With a gentle heart and a healing touch."

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  Patience "You're patient when I'm moving slow."

For Dad: I Love You Dad

I Love You Dad has the same shape, with lines written for a dad. "When I am scared or feeling small, You make me feel ten stories tall." There's gardening, a block tower ("You show me how to never quit"), a race where he cheers from the sidelines, and a big bear hug: "You're steady as the ground below, The safest place I'll ever know."

It suits a stepdad or grandpa too; the companion's name can be whatever your child calls him.

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  Lessons "You teach me lessons every day."

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  The safest place "You're steady as the ground below."

For Grandma and Grandpa

I Love You Grandma is a keepsake for the grandmother who waves before you reach the door. Your child thanks her for recipes "with pinches more than what was planned," for knowing the name of every bird, and for saving every drawing. I Love You Grandpa is about fishing, skipping stones, building and tinkering, and the bedtime tale that ends when he dozes off "right at chapter three." Both put your child and that grandparent on every page, and the name can be Nana, Abuela, Papa or whatever your family says. Our Help article on adding a parent or grandparent explains the photo and name steps.

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  Every bird "You know the names of every bird."

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  Every drawing "You save each drawing, big and small."

What is a good Valentine gift from a child to a parent or grandparent?

A gift with the child in it. Little children can't shop or write a card on their own, and a book written in their voice says what they'd want to say. The family books end with "Love," and your child's name, so they read like a note your child wrote.

To keep it a surprise, the other parent, an aunt or a family friend can order it, using a photo of the child and a photo of the grown-up you already have. Check the free preview to make sure both look right, then let your child hand it over on February 14. Buying for a family that isn't yours? Ask a parent or guardian for permission to use the photos; our Help article on buying a book as a gift walks through it, and our gift wrap guide explains when wrapping is offered.

What can go in a toddler Valentine's basket besides candy?

A basket for a one- or two-year-old doesn't need sweets to feel special. A few ideas, chosen for your child's age:

• A picture book, ideally one they can find themselves in
• Chunky crayons and a few sheets of paper
• A soft toy to cuddle
• Something cozy, such as mittens or pajamas
• A simple puzzle with big pieces

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping hard, gooey or sticky candy away from children until about age 4, and notes that balloons are a choking risk for children up to age 8 (HealthyChildren.org). That makes a candy-free, balloon-free basket the easy choice for little ones.

Our books are for ages 2 to 10. For a two-year-old, a personalized book becomes a pointing game: "Where are you? Where's Mommy?"

Valentine's Day books for preschool: The Friendship Spark

For preschoolers, Valentine's Day is mostly about friends: making cards, trading them and learning who to include. The Friendship Spark, written for ages 3 to 8, follows your child through a nervous first day at school. They remember a tip from their heart, "To make friends," it begins, using your child's name, "you just have to start." Then they wave at a girl spinning in circles, invite a quiet new boy to play, help a classmate who slipped in the mud, and ask a boy drawing dragons to join them. In class, your child raises a hand to invite the shy kids into the game, and the teacher says, "That's what friends are for!"

The last page turns to the reader: "Smile, say 'hi,' and invite them to play." It's a good book to read the week of a classroom card exchange.

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  One brave hello "Hi, want to play?"

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  Kindness "It's okay to fall. We all have our days."

For animal lovers: Two of a Kind

Some children's first Valentine is the dog. Two of a Kind stars your child and their real pet, from a morning nuzzle through breakfast crumbs, a sofa that becomes a boat, a rainy-day fortress, a backyard expedition and a final goodnight. Upload a photo of your pet and we detect the species and breed from it, as our Help article on adding your pet to a book explains. It's a keepsake of the years when the two of them are rarely apart.

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  A new day "Together they jump into a new day."

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  Sharing "A cookie for one and a treat for the other."

Books about love for kids, without the romance

Young children understand love as care: someone who patches up a scrape, saves a drawing, waits by the door or shares a snack. Books that name those moments give a child words for what they feel, and a reason to say it out loud. When you read one together, try pausing to ask, "Who does that for you?" or "Who could you do that for?"

That's also why a book makes a better Valentine for a small child than a box of chocolates. It lasts past February, and it comes back out at bedtime.

When to order a personalized Valentine's Day book

Every Magic Story book is printed to order, so order a few weeks before February 14. In the US, printing takes 3 to 5 business days, and Standard delivery arrives 5 to 10 business days after you order. Checkout shows the estimate for your address before you pay.

How a personalized Valentine's book works

1. Add the photos and names. One clear photo of your child, plus one of Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa or your pet for the books that include them.
2. See a free preview. It shows your characters in a scene from the book, not every page, and needs no credit card. Read more about the free preview.
3. Get the hardcover. It's printed to order after you buy, then shipped to the address you choose.

Find your child's Valentine's book

• For a parent: I Love You Mom or I Love You Dad.
• For a grandparent: I Love You Grandma or I Love You Grandpa.
• For friends: The Friendship Spark.
• For the pet: Two of a Kind.
• Browse the Better Together collection.