The Valentine Bears

Here's the thing about Valentine's Day picture books--it's hard to find a good one. I see a lot of books about Valentine's Day in a classroom setting, which is fine, but they're not relevant to my little homeschooler. I also see a lot of books about crushes--also fine, I guess, but still not relevant to my six-year-old (as far as I know, anyway).

So I look for books that celebrate Valentine's Day in a family setting. One of our favorites is If You'll Be My Valentine, by Cynthia Rylant. This year, we found a new one: The Valentine Bears, by Eve Bunting.

Mrs. Bear has never celebrated Valentine's Day with Mr. Bear--they've always been hibernating on that day, every single year. But this year, Mrs. Bear has set her alarm clock for February 14th. She's so excited--she's written Valentine poems already, and she has a special meal planned--but she can't get Mr. Bear to wake up! Hmm...will Mr. and Mrs. Bear miss Valentine's Day again? (Spoiler: nope. They have a super-cute Valentine's Day.)

The illustrations in this book are by Jan Brett, which is an added bonus to an already sweet story. I'd recommend it for any age; it's probably best for kids who get the basic gist of Valentine's Day.

The Valentine Bears
Written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Jan Brett
Age range*: 3-7
My rating: 5 stars [out of five]

*Age ranges are very flexible.Full disclosure: I don't receive any compensation for reviewing children's books--the books are usually just checked out from the local library.