Books can teach us valuable lessons. Sometimes, it's easier to teach our children by reading to or with them. When we, as parents, might struggle to find the perfect words, an author has already found them for us.
In this post, we'll explore 10 children's books that teach about different aspects of love. Some focus on how to love your neighbor, while others instill confidence by teaching self-love. Maybe one of these books will inspire a deeper conversation with your child about what it means to love and be loved.
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Books About Parental Love
For children that grow up in a happy, well-adjusted home, this is probably the easiest example of love for them to understand because they are experiencing it first-hand. Still, reading books with them about what it means for a parent to love a child can reaffirm their feelings that their parents will keep them safe no matter what.
The story takes the reader through the relationship of a parent and child, showing how parents care for their
children through all the phases of life.
This is quite possibly my favorite book to read with my son. Not only does it hit all the feels, but it has an important message that, once grown, children can return that gift of care to their parents.
Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare go back and forth about who loves who more. They share their affections in funny and creative ways, always trying to out-do the other.
This classic book reminds our children that a parent's love knows no bounds. We'll love them right up to the moon and back again - no matter what!
A wonderful book to read with children who are experiencing issues with separation, The Kissing Hand tells the story of Chester Raccoon and his mom's special family secret that will help him through his first day of school.
This story reassures children that, even if they can't be right beside them, their parents' love is never as far as a kiss on their hand.
Books About God's Love
As parents, it is our job to help our children understand how much God loves them. That may sound like a tricky business, but it doesn't have to be. Here are some books you can read with them that explain God's love in simple ways that will be easy for them to grasp.
As Little Cub and Grandpa Bear go on a fishing adventure, they discuss why it is important to always love others. Grandpa Bear gently reminds the young cub that any time we show someone love, we're also showing them a bit of God, too.
This is just one book in the God Gave Us series. Through the lens of Christianity, each book touches on different themes like creation, heaven, and the blessing of children.
Little P.K. helps kids to understand all the ways God shows us He loves us, and he wants to make sure that Jesus knows how much we love Him, too.
Through brightly colored illustrations and simple rhyming verses, children will see connections in their own lives of God's love.
This joyful book is recommended for ages 3-6.
From Amazon: "From early on, children are looking to discover their place in the world and longing to understand how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. The assurance that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly.
Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God’s divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves."
Books About Loving Others
Teaching children early on about kindness, generosity, and loving others will give them plenty of time to grow into kind, generous, and loving adults. Here are a couple of books that touch on just those subjects.
This timeless classic features themes of giving selflessly and the deep capacity of love we're capable of.
Some people find this one controversial, saying the tree is a doormat and the little boy uses her without giving anything in return. But isn't that what God calls us to do - give to others without expecting anything back?
The Giving Tree can be a wonderful teaching tool in explaining to children the importance of sharing and how that is another way we can show love.
Horton might just be the kindest elephant around, and he is a great example to children of what it means to stand up for others. Through Horton, we can teach our children how to show compassion for those who are less fortunate or misunderstood. They can learn to fight with kindness and always do the right thing.
Books About Loving Yourself
Children are exposed to so much more nowadays between social media, the internet, and TV. We know the kind of pressures put on us as adults to look or act a certain way. Well, kids experience this, too. If we can give them an early foundation of self-love, maybe it will make it easier for them as they grow to ignore those demands and march to their own drumbeat.
This #1 New York Times best-seller preaches self-esteem. Through poetic imagery and beautiful pictures, I Am Enough celebrates the fact that everyone on earth has a purpose and that we should respect what that means for each person.
We all matter. We are worthy. We are enough.
This is one confidence-boosting book! It points out the uniqueness of each person and how we should celebrate the parts of us that make us different. What a wonderful reminder for children: that they should be proud to stand out, to be uniquely themselves!
As we explore the theme of love this February, I hope you can use these books to teach your children about all the different kinds of love that exist in the world. Now, more than ever, we need to spread our love, and who better to start with than our children?
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