Our Valentine’s Day Book Nook is still a work in progress, though we made a dent this year with three new additions.

All of our book nooks have started with books we had that fit the holiday theme, color, etcetera. They were not necessarily books we were excited about having as part of our collection, but we made due with what we had until we could add more as the years went by.

My hope at the end of all of this collecting of books, is that the kids each have a small collection of their own favorites. My mom kept some of my favorite books and I get so much joy out of reading them and seeing my kids read them.

So, let me go over what our current Valentine’s Day Nook looks like…

1. Olivia– We picked this up at a consignment sale and although I had never read this series, I had heard of it frequently. This is the original in the series, I believe, and it is a sweet story of vibrant little girl. The story jumps from one antic to another and ends with her mother saying “you really wear me out, but I love you anyway”. Who can’t relate to that.
2. In My Heart– This is part of a series that I love. They are beautifully illustrated and designed. It goes through all of the different feelings you can fell in your heart- happy, strong, brave, cool, hurt, heavy, etc.
3. Love, Triangle– This is a cute little story of a friendship “love triangle” between shapes. Circle and square, although different, have always been best friends, then comes along Triangle. He creates a wedge between them. They learn how to all work together and their friendship takes on a shape of its own. It is such a fun book to read and is full of puns.
4. Guess How Much I Love You– The classic. We also break this out for our Easter Book Nook, but I feel like it has a place here, too. It’s the classic story of who loves who most- parent or child.
5. When I Pray For You– I love a good book that rhymes. This one is not only a beautiful story, but also has fun, vivid illustrations. TBH, it kind of makes me tear up a bit. It follows around a little girl and goes through all of the prayers her parents have said for her as she grew.
6. You Know How to Love– Another good rhyming book. It tells the story of loving, and how you know how to do it from the moment you’re born, but how it can look different as you grow. This is one of my favorites when talking about kindness and was a new addition this year.
7. The Invisible String– This is such a sweet story, of no matter how far, love will always tie us together. I especially love the back story that the author shares about the book and how it helped her son overcome separation anxiety.
8. The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy– This is a fun and beautifully illustrated book about a little girl who fears she has no special place in her family. She goes about town trying to find the perfect gift for her Mother’s birthday. It does call one of the characters “stupid” and not in a “learning experience” way, which I don’t love.
9. Love Is– This is the sweetest story about a little girl who loves a duckling and watches him grow. When he gets too large, he goes out on his own and she misses him dearly. Later, the duckling comes back and she wonders if he remembers her. She realizes that love lasts, and may have even grown.
10. Lola Dutch I Love You So Much– I love these books so much. I think mostly because they remind me of my sweet A. Lola Dutch has the biggest heart and wants all of her friends to feel loved, so she does something nice for each of them. Then they surprise her with a big party to celebrate her, too.
11. Hooray For You– This is a book about self-confidence. It’s fun and colorful and inspiring, and perfect for teaching about uniqueness and how YOU are special just as you are.