Love is in the air - and to mark Valentine's Day we thought we'd share some wonderful stories about love of all kinds that are perfect for reading with a young child.
Friendship
Dogger by Shirley Hughes (Red Fox Books)
This is a tender, understanding book that wonderfully brings to life the unwavering love that many children have for a toy - for some their first ever friend.
This Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Lauren Child (Puffin)
No-one can come between Emily and her Rabbit; not even royalty, and not any bribe. A lovely story about true treasure and where to find it.
The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb (Macmillan Children's Books)
A little girl loves the friends she made with her mummy - her paper dolls - and finds a way to keep them in her heart even when one adventure has disastrous consequences. It's also a brilliant opportunity to create your own paper friends.
Unconditional love
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram (Walker)
Big and Small Nutbrown hare try to describe how much they love each other ... whether you are a parent, grandparent, care-giver or friend, reading these books about the power and completeness of unconditional love is like reading a love letter to your little reader.
Sometimes... by Emma Dodd (Templar)
Two elephants explore what it means to be loved, and how that doesn't change however naughty or good you are. Emma's other books in this series are also a feelgood treat.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy (Ebury Press)
This is an exploration of pure love between friends with young eyes. It's also a love-letter to the world and a reminder of the simple things that can spark real happiness - what could be more important and uplifting than that?
Good, old fashioned romance:
Burglar Bill by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Puffin)
What could possibly be a better story to read on Valentine's Day than a tale of two burglars who fall in love with each other as they learn to do the right thing? Utterly heartwarming! And there's an unforgettable third person in this loving family unit too - the cheeky, baked bean-guzzling baby that brings Bill and Betty together.
The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear (various - and readable online at The Poetry Foundation)
This lovely nonsensical rhyme has endured for almost 150 years for good reason! Madcap and lullaby-like at the same time, this rhyming adventure of a cat and a bird to an island far away is uplifting and great for big imaginations who would like to conjure up unusual situations and words. It was originally written to entertain a three year old, too!
And Tango Makes Three… by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (Simon and Schuster)
Based on the real life love story of two chinstrap penguins, Roy and Silo who live at New York’s Central Park Zoo. This plucky pair hatched an egg and raised their precious chick Tango, becoming the most famous same sex parents in the animal kingdom. A great book for showing children that love is love whatever your gender.
Loving yourself
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (Walker Books)
When Julian sees three women dressed as mermaids he’s inspired to look just like them and sets about creating the most wonderful underwater costume. A lovely little book focussed on the importance of children’s self expression and how strong the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren can be.
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton (Arthur A. Levine Books)
Princess Pinecone is a a brave warrior and all she wants is a majestic steed to carry her into battle. But what she gets is a flatulent filly that won’t play by the rules. A book about being unapologetically you and seeing people’s strengths even if they aren’t what you’d expect.
I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont (Houghton Mifflin)
This wonderful little book helps kids to love absolutely everything about themselves. Unruly hair? Stinky breath? Who cares! Mixing a jolly rhyming narrative, lots of jokes and a serious message to make the little people in your life feel absolutely great about who they are.
We hope you enjoy our loved-up selection. But don't worry. If one of these books isn't the perfect match for the pre-schooler in your life, you can try any of our previously shortlisted or winning books - and of course, we will be announcing another magical six in April.
