On Valentine's Day – or any day – inspire kindness with these sweet stories.
This growing list of stories about love and generosity will help you focus your family on sending ripples of kindness throughout your community.
Talk about the issue.
Brainstorm a list of different types of love (romantic love, parent-child love, etc.) and how they manifest in your family’s life.
Can you talk about a time when you felt very loved?
Can you talk about a time when you felt lonely or unloved?
Brainstorm a list of simple things you can do to make important people in your life feel loved.
How are love, respect, peace, and the common good connected?
Add Heart to Valentine’s Day (Or Any Day)
Host a Valentine’s Day Card-Making Party to share love with children in the hospital or folks in nursing homes.
Revisit our Newsletter “Take Valentine’s Day to Heart”
Featured Title
The Love Letter by Anika Aldamuy Denis
This wonderful story is perfect for big-hearted little ones. When an adorable group of forest friends discovers a lost love letter, they set off a chain reaction of kindness and discover the joys of friendship. Older readers may want to read about a similar mix-up in the classic Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli listed below.
More DGT Favorites
The Day it Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
Cornelia Augusta notices the unique nature of each heart in this unusual downpour. Inspired, she uses the hearts to craft unique Valentine's for the special people in her life.
Enemy Pie by Dereck Munson
Not feeling particularly loving towards someone in your life? Discover how to turn an enemy into a new friend with this sweet story.
The Giant Hug by Sandra Horning
Follow a hug on its heart-warming adventure through the postal system all the way to Granny’s house.
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
Big-hearted and inspiring, this love story celebrates fathers and daughters, the beauty of natural hair, and the little things loved ones do to make each other feel special. Your family may also love the Oscar-winning animation of Hair Love!
The Hug by Eoin McLaughlin
All hedgehog and tortoise are both looking for a hug, but no one seems willing to give them one. This unique flipbook follows them as they look for their big-hearted solution.
Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell
This is another gem from the author of The Gift of Nothing and the comic series Mutts. Jules the kitten takes off on a mission to hug the world, teaching kids, and their parents, to start changing the world one small gift of kindness at a time.
Love by Matt de la Peña
This deliciously simple book is perfect for starting a big-hearted conversation. What is love? Even young children will appreciate the complicated, sometimes heart-breaking, always essential feeling that is love.
Love by Stacy MacAnulty
This award-winning children’s author helps young readers discover what love means, why it’s important, and how they can spread it. Love isn’t always what you’d expect, and it can be found all around if you know where to look.
Love, Z by Jessie Sima
Robot Z finds a message in a bottle signed Love, Beatrice. Baffled, he’s determined to find out what love means and embarks on a charming adventure.
May All People and Pigs Be Happy by Micki Fine Pavliceck
Introduce the concept of loving-kindness mediation to your family with this simple, mindful story. Then practice loving-kindness meditation on your own with help from the Greater Good Network’s project instructions.
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli
A grumpy, lonely man discovers the importance of friendship when he receives an unexpected package from an admirer. This book offers a compelling message about the power of kindness and it’s the perfect story to pair with a big-hearted Valentine’s Day celebration.
Sprinkle Your Sparkles: Show Your Love and Kindness by Kristin Tulsian
Sparkles of kindness are an unlimited gift you carry with you wherever you go. Share them far and wide with family, friends, pets, and the whole world with the imaginative ideas in this sweet book.
Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
This adorable book will expand your family's "compassion" vocabulary, illustrating the meaning of words like considerate and selfless through the process of baking cookies. And it will surely fire up your sweet tooth!
Warts and All: A Book of Unconditional Love by Lori Haskin Houran
”I will love you no matter what.” That is the message of this sweet book, a perfect gift for the youngest readers. Whether you are grumpy or prickly, grouchy or stinky, or even sweet and snuggly, you are loved.
Members, visit our Exclusive Downloads Collection to print conversation cards for this story.
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
This simple, heart-warming story sets the stage for creative, thoughtful acts of kindness inspired by Mem Fox’s delightful characters.
Members, visit our Exclusive Downloads Collection to print conversation cards for Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox.
Back to Read Together for more book lists.
Haven't found what you're looking for? Visit our Complete Resource List.
Disclaimer: Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.