Ten Books That Say ‘I Love You’

In this picture book full of majestic paintings, a young boy reveals his favorite places around the family farm. When his baby sister is born, he shares with her the wonders of their surroundings.

This is a great bedtime story for reading with your children or, in my case, my grandchildren. This lovely book has become a reference point for expressing our love for one another. Sometimes, Alexis says “I love you all the way up to my toes.” And, sometimes, Kasie says “I love you right up to the moon.” And sometimes I say “I love you right up to the moon… and back.”

A wise and loving mother reassures two brothers that each has a special place in her heart. Barbara Joosse’s heartwarming text is beautifully complemented by Mary Whyte’s engaging watercolor illustrations.

Celebrate Mother’s Day every day. This celebration of the bond between mothers and their babies can be shared at naptime or bedtime or whenever it is time to say “I love you.”

This story of an Inuit child testing the limits of her independence, and a mother who reassuringly proves that a parents love is unconditional and everlasting. Beautiful illustrations of Alaska and the characters convey the cultural richness of this timeless story.

A day in the life of parent and child-full of smiles and giggles, messes and meals, boundless energy and well-earned rest. Not to mention lots of love. Here, in simple rhyming verse accompanied by colorful, playful illustrations by world-renowned artist Satomi Ichikawa, is one such day. Share it with others and treasure the memories.

The mother sings to her sleeping baby: “I’ll love you forever / I’ll love you for always / As long as I’m living / My baby you’ll be.” She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. So far so ordinary–but this is one persistent lady.

From simple love to love mysterious, love oh so hot to love rather coolish, Sandra Boynton and her ubiquitous hippos, turkeys, and cats consider the moods (and “many ways”) of love. In impressive rhyming verse, Boynton holds forth on myriad kinds of love, accompanying each rhyme with illustrations of various romancing critters.

Lily storms home to her mother one day, demanding a real family. It’s Family Fun Night at school, and she’s positive they’ll be the weirdest family there. Her single-parent mom doesn’t seem overly fazed, reminding her daughter that they are a “small kind” of family, but real nonetheless. Lily isn’t convinced. She seeks refuge in the noise and pillow fights of her friend Melissa’s crowded house until it’s time for the school event, where, surprise! it turns out her little family isn’t unusual at all.

“If you run away,” said his mother, “I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.”A little bunny keeps running away from his mother in this imaginary game of hide-and-seek, yet the lovingly steadfast mother who finds her child every time.