The 2025 Valentine’s season is upon us, which means a brand new crop of children’s literature releases to celebrate the holiday. We’ve gathered seven just-released titles that you and the young readers in your life don’t want to miss this Valentine’s Day, all of them filled with red hearts, warm wishes, and plenty of love.
Little Puppy by Nicola Killen
The sixth book in Killen’s charming My Little Animal Friend series, this title brings back the precocious and playful protagonist Ollie, who has a penchant for wearing animal costumes as she goes on her adventures. This time around, she’s excited to spend the day puppy-sitting for her grandmother, but her fun plans go awry when the puppy chews up a special drawing, and she loses her temper in response. A sweet lesson in patience, forgiveness, and friendship, this one will warm hearts of all ages.
Getting Ready for Valentine’s Day by Vera Ahiyya, Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia
Kai is so excited for Valentine’s Day! His whole family is excited, too, and they spend the time leading up to the big day making decorations and baking tasty treats. On the morning of Valentine’s, Kai’s mom makes heart-shaped pancakes, and they snap a photo to send their love to Nana. Yet when Kai gets to school with his homemade valentines, he worries: what if no one gives him one in return? This is a gentle tale that celebrates everything that makes the holiday fun for kids and even includes a punch-out sign for taking photos with.
Hap-Pea Valentine’s Day by Keith Baker
A continuation of Baker’s delightful The Peas series, the tiny, green, sentient veggies are back to celebrate anything and everything heart-shaped, from hearts drawn in sidewalk chalk to hearts cut from paper – and especially hearts made of candy! Giving each little pea its own look and personality — including a Cupid-like pea that little readers will have fun spotting throughout the title — Baker creates fun on every page while offering a hearty cheer to heart-shaped things and what they really represent: love.
Bigfoot’s Big Heart by Sarah Glenn Marsh, Illustrated by Ishaa Lobo
Everyone gets lonely sometimes, even monsters. Bigfoot knows this, particularly with Valentine’s Day approaching (he’s tried to go out before, but humans always make loud and scary noises when they see him). Still, he has his network of international and equally lonely pen pals — other mythical monsters like Loch Nessie and Mothman — and he decides to send them all valentines to cheer them, and himself, up. But on his way to post his mail, he gets startled by a troop of scouts and drops the valentines in his haste to hide. A truly heartwarming story of kindness and connection, this one will have cryptid fans grinning all the way through.
Mr. Boddington’s Studio: How to Say I Love You by Mr. Boddington’s Studio
From the studio of the boutique independent stationer in Brooklyn, this collection of poems, old and new, is accompanied by adorable original illustrations that will set hearts aflutter. Readers big and small can enjoy classics such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s How Do I Love Thee? and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 alongside the studio’s original — and slightly more playful — poems that explore themes of love, togetherness, and family.
From Megabat with Love by Anna Humphrey, Illustrated by Kris Easler
Another series entry, this time into the hilarious Megabat chapter books, the titular character returns to tackle affairs of the heart. Megabat — a talking fruit bat who is best friends with a human named Daniel — has a big crush on his pigeon pal Bird Girl but is stymied on how he should show his feelings. He keeps trying to surprise her with things that he loves, but she’s just not feeling it. Meanwhile, Daniel tries to earn his Caring and Sharing Scout badge by delivering valentines to the local retirement home with disastrous results. Will these friends figure out their Valentine’s Day dilemmas in time or end up broken-hearted?
Bobby and the Big Valentine by Timmy Woitas, Illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda
Bobby and Eddie are the best friends in the world and love doing everything together. This Valentine’s Day, Bobby wants to let Eddie know exactly how much he cares about him… in a way that goes a little beyond friendship. Knowing that he should let his heart do the talking, Bobby crafts a big, fancy, beautiful valentine for Eddie, one that expresses all he feels inside. He worries that Eddie won’t feel the same way but trusts that no matter what, the two will still be friends. This precious and touching story of young queer love is sure to tug at the heartstrings, leaving the reader with a smile as big as Bobby’s valentine.
We hope that you and your kiddos enjoy these new releases this Valentine’s Day and that your holiday is filled with all the love bursting from each title. Happy reading!
To see more of our heartfelt kids’ book picks, check out this article on Picture Books That Inspire Self-Love.
To check out all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
