Children's Book Publishers

I have both children's Valentine's Day picture books and beginning readers to recommend to you. Each children's book is worth buying because it can be enjoyed again and again. These children's Valentine's Day books are good read-alouds, provide positive reinforcement for sharing and being kind to one another, and have engaging illustrations that complement the text. Here's a quick review of each of them.

1. Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch
The Valentine's Day picture book Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli, wonderfully illustrates the power of love and would make an excellent Valentine's Day gift for a four to eight year old. It is a charming book with a powerful message. The importance of love and kindness comes through loud and clear. Even very young children will understand how good it is to feel loved and how important it is to help others feel loved.

(Simon & Schuster, 1992. ISBN: 0027860159)

2. Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day was written and illustrated by the mother and daughter team of Anne and Lizzy Rockwell. It takes place in Mrs. Madoff's elementary school class. The children in her class come from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. The story, told as much in pictures as in words, centers on the students' creating Valentines for their friend Michiko, who is thousands of miles away in Japan. This book is perfect for three to six year olds.

(HarperCollins, 2001. ISBN: 0060277947)

3. Queen of Hearts
Here's another in Mary Engelbreit's beautifully illustrated series of Ann Estelle picture books. Ann Estelle loves to make things. She spends hours and hours creating an extravagantly decorated Valentine's Day box to hold the cards she'll receive from her classmates. She focuses so much on the box that she forgets to make Valentine's Day cards to give to her classmates. How creative thinking by Ann Estelle saves the day makes an entertaining story.

(HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN: 0060081813)

4. Too Many Valentines
This Level 1, Ready-To-Read book is part of the Robin Hill School series. It was written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Mike Gordon. The story centers on class preparations for Valentine's Day and one little boy, Neil, who says, "I get too many Valentines. I do not want any more." How the class honors his feelings and still includes him in the celebration makes an entertaining story.

(Simon & Schuster, Aladdin Paperbacks, 2003. ISBN: 0689855370)

5. Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine
This children's Valentine's Day book is from the Nate the Great detective series for beginning readers by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. Nate the Great starts out with one case, finding out who gave his dog a Valentine, and then, his friend Annie asks him to help her find a missing Valentine. This entertaining story, with lots of illustrations by Marc Simont, is both a good read-aloud for 4-8 year olds and a good book for beginning readers, grades 2-3.

(Yearling, 1995. ISBN: 0440410134)