Valentine’s Day is a day of love! Here are five cozy books about all different kinds of love to curl up to with a loved one!

Otter and Odder by James Howe and Chris Raschka

One day, a hungry otter goes out for a swim to look for lunch. What he finds instead is love with a fish named Myrtle! But can an otter who naturally eats fish really be in love with one? In this silly but touching book, Otter learns that love can come in many shapes and sizes and that sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of change and compromise to make it work.

The Best-Loved Doll by Rebecca Caudill and Elliott Gilbert

In this classic story, a little girl named Betsy is invited to a doll party and must choose only one of her dolls to bring. Melissa is the oldest doll, Melinda is the best-dressed, and Mary Jane can do the most things. Then there’s Jennifer, who isn’t the best at anything but who’s always smiling anyway. In the end, Betsy decides to bring Jennifer because even though she isn’t the oldest or the best-dressed or the doll who can do the most things, out of all the dolls, she’s the best-loved. This story shows that even those who aren’t the best at anything can still be the best in the eyes of those who love them.

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman by Michelle Edwards and G. Brian Karas

Mrs. Goldman knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood, and Sophia helps her by making pom-poms for the hats. But when Sophia and Mrs. Goldman go to walk the dog, Sophia realizes that Mrs. Goldman is so busy making hats for the neighbors that she doesn’t even have one of her own! Even though she isn’t very good at knitting, Sophia is determined to make a hat for Mrs. Goldman in her own special way. This book teaches a simple but powerful way to express love to those who need it most.

Worm Loves Worm by J. J. Austrian and Mike Curato

Worm and Worm are in love and want to be married. But all the other bugs keep interrupting them! There must be rings and cake and dancing, they insist, because that’s the way it’s always been done. Then Beetle wants to be the best beetle and the bees want to be the bride’s bees, but which worm is the bride and which is the groom? Worm and Worm decide it doesn’t matter who is who because all that matters is that they love each other. This simple but powerful story shows how love doesn’t always turn out the way it usually does but that doesn’t make it any less special.

Jin Woo by Eve Bunting and Chris Soentpiet

David is getting a new brother, a baby from Korea named Jin Woo, but he isn’t so sure he’s happy about it. His parents are excited and spend days preparing for the baby’s arrival, but David can’t seem to sort out all his feelings about it. Then Jin Woo finally arrives, and David is surprised to find out that being a big brother is actually pretty cool. That night, David’s parents read him a letter they helped the baby write, and David realizes that just because Jin Woo is here doesn’t mean his parents will stop loving him. In fact, they have even more love than ever before, plenty for both boys. This gentle story about adoption reassures new big siblings that even though there’s a new baby, it doesn’t mean there’s any less love to go around.

Written by Ashley B. Smith, Children’s Room Staff