Since this is Valentine’s week, I thought I’d do a post about books for kids on the topic of love. I did some searching, and guess what I found? The world doesn’t have a clue what love really is. That much is evident from the books I found on this subject. And it occurs to me that if we don’t want our kids to get a skewed view of love, we better make sure we’re teaching them what God says about it.

To that end, here are some books that are either overtly Christian or have a Christian-world view.

As far as I’m concerned, the best way to explain what love is to a child (or anyone really) is 1 Corinthians 13. Zondervan’s Love Is: An Illustrated Exploration of God’s Greatest Gift(2021) is taken directly from verses four through seven of that chapter. Beautiful illustrations by Paola Escobar accompany simple text directly from the New International Reader’s Version of the Bible. This book makes a great gift for little ones and big ones alike and makes a good birthday, graduation, wedding, or shower gift.

Another book that appeals to all ages is What Love Looks Like by Nikki Rogers (CreateSpace, 2015) and based on Gary Chapman’s 5 Languages of Love. The book explains the five ways people perceive love and discusses what that might look like for children. It’s not the least bit syrupy or sweet, but it is what I call a good “family resource book.”

A book that is now a classic is Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever originally published in 1986 (Firefly Books). This story of a mother’s unconditional love for her son has touched more than 30 million people worldwide. Although not an overtly Christian book, it’s a good opportunity to talk about how most parents love their children no matter what. And it’s also a chance to talk about how we have a Heavenly Father who loves us no matter what…always. Not because we are good, but because He is good.

Introduced in 1986, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam Bratney quickly became another classic. As Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare tried to convey to one another just how much they loved each other, we all found ourselves thinking of the ways we express love in our own families. Again, although not an overtly Christian book, this one encourages us to express our love to our families and those we care about.

God Gave Us Love by Lisa T. Bergren came out in 2009 (Waterbrook Press) to explain to children that God is the author of love and why it is so important for us to love others. The book explains a little bit of the “how we love” as it identifies the different kinds of love shared between parents and children, moms and dads, friends, and families. This is important because “Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love,” Grandpa Bear tells Little Cub. It’s a sweet story that helps children learn about all the different sorts of love, while the gentle explanations of each provide a valuable opportunity to encourage children to share with others a “God-sized love.”

Another sweet story for the littles includes our own Crystal Bowman and her daughter Teri McKinley’s My Arms Will Hold You Tight (Tyndale Kids, 2021). In it, adorable baby animals and their parents share tender affirmations with one another. It’s the perfect book to read together with your kiddos and will encourage you to share your own words of love and affirmation.

And finally, one of my favorite books by my friend and sometimes co-author Michelle Medlock Adams is Love Connects Us All (Wren and Bear Books, 2023). In it she describes what makes a family and touches on topics such as the meaning of family, non-biological families, God’s love for family, the importance of love in relationships, adoption, and foster families. In the end, love is what makes a family. And because God loves us so much, He’s made us part of HIS family. And that’s something to be thankful for and to teach our kids about.

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Wendy Hinote Lanier is the award-winning author of more than fifty books for children including Paws-itive Inspirations: 90 Devotions for Kids and Dog Lovers (with Michelle Medlock Adams, Ironstream Media, 2024), The Dog That Gave My Brother Words (End Game Press, 2023), and Too Many Pigs in the Pool (Sleeping Bear Press, 2022).