Read It, Make It: Books and a Craft to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Your Child

by Patricia J. Murphy

Photo credit: istetiana, Moment Collection/Getty Images

If you are head-over-heels in love with Valentine’s Day or just a big fan, the heart-shaped holiday offers an opportunity to read books with your kids about love between family, friends, neighbors, teachers, and pets and create valentines together! I put together a sampling of books about the power of love (cue the Huey Lewis and the News’s love song!) and a fun pop-up valentine craft to make with your little one. Both might make you loooooove the holiday even more – or fall back in love with it again!

For more Valentine’s Day titles, check out this post.

  • Read It!

  • These adorable books about love will get you into the Valentine’s Day spirit.

  • Love Counts

    by Jo Parker, illustrated by Matt Kaufenberg

    Available from:

    This board book is perfect for Valentine’s Day — and any day of the year! With each colorful, rhyming spread, the book counts down ways to show love to people—from family members, neighbors, and teachers to first responders, service people, pets, and even ourselves! It will inspire readers to think of unique ways to show how love counts in their lives, too! Who couldn’t use a little more love?

    Also available from:
  • A Book of Love

    by Emma Randall

    Available from:

    What does love look like? How does it feel? In words and pictures, Randall gives readers concrete examples of how people give and receive love and how it affects the world. These ways include helping a grandparent, being patient with friends, offering a gentle word, and making someone feel special with a thoughtful gift. Beautifully illustrated and told in lyrical rhyme, A Book of Love is an ode to love that readers will want to read again and again.

    Also available from:
  • Love You Always

    Love You Always

    by Frances Stickley, illustrated by Migy Blanco

    This love story celebrates the never-ending, loving bond between mother and child. Mother Hedgehog and Little Hedgie take a walk together in the autumn leaves. While they walk, Little Hedgie thinks about how leaves change. He wonders if his mother would love him if he were different and if her love would ever change. Mother Hedgehog reassures her son that her love for him will stay the same as he grows. It’s a beautiful story to talk about feelings and concerns around love — especially as a snuggly bedtime story.

MAKE IT!


Make someone’s Valentine’s Day with this pop-up card!

What you’ll need:

  • Construction paper, craft paper, computer paper, recycled paper, paper bags, or junk mail (whatever paper you have around the house).
  • Glue sticks, kids’ scissors, stamps, stamp pads, and stickers (again, whatever you have on hand).
  • Crayons, colored pencils, or markers.

How to make a pop-up Valentine’s Day card:
Step 1. Fold your piece of paper in half. Make a crease with your fingernail (or a ruler’s edge) along the fold.

Step 2. Cut two slits along the fold of the paper (Use 1-inch slits, 2 inches apart. You can experiment with slit sizes and the distance between them for different sizes of pop up “stands.”)

Step 3. Open the folded paper, push the square area between the slits away from you, and fold under (see photo).

Step 4. Open to reveal the “pop up” area or stand.

Step 5. Cut hearts or other shapes and glue on the “pop-up” area and let dry.

Step 6. Write messages and draw pictures above or below the pop-up area. Encourage kids to use their sound or inventive spelling to write these messages.

Step 7. Glue the pop-up card onto another piece of paper. This will give the pop-card a colorful backing, hide the cut-out, and heighten the pop-up “reveal.”

Step 8. Close the card (when dry!) and write a message on the front that links to the message inside (e.g., Outside: Will you be… Inside: My Valentine?)
Step 9. Experiment with all kinds of papers, sizes of pop-up areas, and more! Make a bunch of valentines and make someone’s Valentine’s Day extra special!

Happy Valentine’s Day!