As with my younger kid, I wanted to keep the focus on inclusive definitions of love. This stack includes the family love, generational love, loving the imperfect versions of each other, same-sex relationships, and sharing love to make it grow. There’s even a book of poetry included! Definitely don’t miss these books!
I love Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan and Shane W. Evans’ did I tell you I Love You today? as a way to show that love is action in addition to words. In this story, a woman cares for a young kid by waking him up, getting him fed and ready for the day, playing with him at the park, and sharing gratitude for him after he is asleep. It resonated deeply with me as a mother- many of the things I do for my kids to care for them are represented here as acts of love. My kids love it because they can easily relate to the kid in the story and the pictures are full of joy!
Looking to normalize imperfection with the kids in your life? If so, Crocodiles Need Kisses Too is a must read. Rebecca Colby and Penelope Dullaghan use the sweetest color pallet to show all kinds of animals- and a human kid, too- who all need love even when they seem unlovable. I love this message, especially as we have all been home together so much and seen each other’s imperfections up close. It’s helpful to have another voice affirming that even at our toughest times we all need love.
Nikki Giovanni’s I Am Loved is a bright book of poems that celebrate the members of the family- kids and adults and ancestors alike. The celebration of familial love is both tender and powerful in these words and in these images. My older kid understands them a bit more than my younger, and we’re all enjoying them. one or two at a time.
I find many love stories are written from mother to kid but fewer center a father’s love, so I wanted to be sure to include this one. Barbara M. Joose and Barbara Lavallee’s Papa, Do You Love Me? shows a kid asking their father about all kinds of hypothetical situations, and the father replies with how he would show his love in each situation. It’s sweet and strong and so fun to see how the father responds to each situation to reassure his kid of his love. We love the images of the Masai culture shown here. There’s also a companion text we haven’t read yet (but is on our holds list!) called Mama Do You Love Me? which has an Arctic setting.
My wanderlust is at an all time high after being stuck inside for so so long. How Far Do You Love Me? by Lulu Delacre shows kids with grown ups all across the world- Egypt! Peru! Arizona!) celebrating their loving relationships. It’s incredible to see and to imagine what it would be like to be in each place together.
This pair of books, Maiden and Princess by Daniel Haack and Isabel Galupo with images by Becca Human and Prince and Knight also by Daniel Hack and illustrations by Stevie Lewis are exciting stories about a Princess or a Prince trying to find a partner and finding one in a same-sex person. I love these because each has an adventure to follow as well as a personal journey around sexuality and also includes the respective royal families positive reactions to their kid’s choice of partner. They’re fun and funny and heart warming stories of being true to yourself.
Amy Krause Rosenthal and Peter H. Reynolds’ Plant a Kiss is a rhyming, rhythmic story of a kid who literally plants a kiss that grows into a beautiful plant. Despite friends who say sharing the blooms will ruin the plant, the kid decides to share them anyway, and finds that her plant has grown even bigger! This is a really sweet and simple way to show kids that giving away love increases it. Also …the plant is illustrated with … GLITTER!
Want any of these for keepsies? Click the link and order through my bookshop store. I’ll make a small profit, and is there really any better way to show love than buying someone a book?