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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we may be thinking of all the fun ways we can show some love to our kids. Heart-shaped candy and glittery cards and squishy stuffies are all great — but the one thing want most from their parents, quality time, can also be among the most impactful.
Reading with your kids is one of the best things you can do for them, on Valentine’s Day or any other. There’s a mountain of research backing the enormous benefits of sharing a sweet story time together. Kids whose parents read to them early and often prove to be better readers later on in life. Kids who are read to at least three times weekly are nearly twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading compared to kids who aren’t. And children’s literacy is correlated significantly with the number of books in the home. (As if we needed another reason to fill our bookshelves!)
Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to cuddle up with your kiddo and give them a gift that not only benefits their emotional wellbeing, but their brains too — and we’ve got the perfect books to do just that.
Harvey the Heart Had Too Many Farts by Jane Bexley
Kids love all things toilet humor, so this one is sure to be a gas. Harvey the Heart has a flatulence problem, and is looking for someone to love him as he is. (Honestly? We can relate.)
Little Blue Truck’s Valentine by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry
If you’re unfamiliar with the “Little Blue Truck” series, now’s a great time to check it out because it is adorable. In this Valentine’s Day tale, Little Blue Truck is delivering messages of love to all his farm friends — and wondering if he’ll get any himself. Awww.
Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Eric Carle’s insatiable inchworm has pretty much become a cultural icon, and you’ll get a dose of nostalgia (plus sweet verses like “You are the cherry on my cake”) when you read this Valentine’s Day version to your little love.
Pop-up Peekaboo! I Love You by DK
This board book is bright, interactive, and engaging — perfect for the littlest Valentines in your life. Lift-the-flaps and pop-ups lead readers to discover who’s sending Smiley Sheep presents.
I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Rossner and Sydney Hanson
If the adorable otters on the cover don’t make you go “Squeee!” the sweet story and heart-melting illustrations inside will. It’s a board book and perfect for babies and toddlers — but holds a sentiment that early readers will love too.
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