Welcome to the Storytime at Home series! Every other week, we share a list of book options tied to a kid-approved theme, a craft you can set up to go along with the theme, songs/rhymes you can do during storytime, and additional enrichment activities. All books are available at Richmond Public Library, and crafts will involve items you likely have at home already! Our hope is that we can make it easy for you to share stories with your little ones and create a little bit of library magic at home.
P.S. Love library storytimes? Take a look at all in-library storytime options here. There is a storytime for your child every morning at our various branches!
Okay, now to the fun stuff…
Today’s storytime theme is VALENTINE’S DAY!

When February rolls in, we get bit by the love bug! Valentine’s Day is one of the best holidays to share with children because it’s fun, it teaches them about love and kindness, it involves crafting that supports motor development, and it includes chocolate. What’s not to love? While you likely hug and snuggle your babies all the time, this time of year can be an especially snuggly one – which is great for young children as it helps them for safe, secure, and loved. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to get crafty with children. Handmade valentines may require cutting, gluing, sticking, coloring and more – all of which support your children’s fine motor development. This theme is also good for talking about emotions and teaching little ones how we can be kind and show our love and appreciation for our friends and family. Beyond all the developmental benefits, Valentine’s books – and crafts and songs – are fun and colorful. Kids of all ages, as well as the adults, are sure to love them. The library has some wonderful books about Valentine’s Day, and we’ve included some of our favorites below. When you visit, you can also search in our catalog or ask a librarian to help you find the perfect book for you and your child.
Books
Reading to your kiddos turns them into confident thinkers. Making books a regular part of your daily routine is a great way to build children’s love of reading and learning. Storytimes also help build excitement around reading to support their literacy development.
Here are a few book options you can choose from for your Valentine’s-Day-themed storytime.
Preschool
- A Crankenstein Valentine by Samantha Berger
- The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
- Love Monster by Rachel Bright
- Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane De Groat
- Foxy In Love by Emma Dodd
- Groggle’s Monster Valentine by Diana Murray
- A Box Full of Love by Anne Sawan
- Cupig by Claire Tattersfield
- Here Comes Valentine Cat by Deborah Underwood
- Happy Valentine’s Day, Corduroy! by Jody Wheeler
- Dino-Valentine’s Day by Lisa Wheeler
- A Unicorn Named Sparkle and The Perfect Valentine by Amy Young












Toddler/Baby
- My Baby Loves Valentine’s Day by Jabari Asim
- Valentine Surprise by Corinne Demas
- Grumpy Monkey Valentine Gross-Out by Suzanne Lang
- Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff
- The Valentine Is Missing by Cynthia Platt
- A Valentine for Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- If You’ll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant
- Little Blue Truck’s Valentine by Alice Schertle






There are many ways to make reading fun and engaging for your little one!
Click here to see some of our favorite tips for bringing stories to life at home.
- Point at the pictures and ask your child what they see. Help build their vocabulary by pointing to pictures and saying the word aloud.
- Ask your child questions about the story: What do you think will happen next? How do you think this character is feeling?
- Read with expression and enthusiasm, and use different voices for different characters.
- Act out what’s happening in the story.
- As your child gets older, count objects in a book, discuss the different colors they see, point out shapes in the story, etc.
- Snuggle up and be patient. Reading is great bonding time for you and your child. Take your time walking them through the story. If your child wants to turn the page or be finished with reading, that’s OK too. You don’t have to read every word or even every page for reading with your little one to be beneficial for their development.
Songs and Rhymes
We love adding songs and rhymes to our storytimes. This is a great way to practice language with your child and support their physical (motor) development through movement.
Here are two songs and rhymes you can use for this themed storytime.
Finger Rhyme: Five Little Hearts
Hold five fingers up to start, then put each individual finger up as you count up to five
Five little hearts, all in a row
The first one said, “I love you so”
The second one said, “Will you be my valentine?”
The third one said, “I will, if you’ll be mine.”
The fourth one said, “I’ll always be your friend.”
The fifth one said, “We’ll be friends until the end.”
Movement Rhyme: I Have A Little Heart
Do actions in italics as you say it
I have a little heart, (place hand over heart)
And it goes thump, thump, thump (pat chest three times)
It keeps right on beating, when I jump, jump, jump (jump three times)
I get a special feeling, when I look at you. (point to child)
It makes me want to give you a hug or two. (hug your child)
Arts and Crafts
Adding a craft along with a book is a great way to continue allowing your child to learn, explore, and grow. Crafts are a nice supplement as they encourage motor development, creativity, self-confidence, and more.
In fact, art and craft activities:
- Build fine motor skills. Actions such as painting, coloring, gluing, and cutting develop small muscles in small hands and improve coordination skills as children learn to use both hands at the same time.
- Support early literacy. When children make art, they learn vocabulary and how to follow directions when getting verbal instructions from parents and caregivers. They also boost their communication skills via talking about their work!
- Teach early math concepts. Math skills are used frequently in arts and crafts. Kids learn about and recognize different shapes, count and sort art supplies, and even measure out materials.
- Encourage creativity. Art helps develop creativity, self-expression, problem-solving, and curiosity.
- Boost self-esteem. Doing arts and crafts can give children a sense of achievement and allow them to take pride in their work, which builds confidence.
- Offer bonding time. Kids love spending quality time with parents and caregivers, and arts and crafts are a great opportunity for this.
Here is a craft activity you can do along with the Valentine’s Day theme.
Homemade Valentines Craft



Materials Needed
- Cardboard
- Construction paper
- Paper scraps, tissue paper, doilies, etc.
- Markers, paint, glitter, stickers, other decorative materials
- Scissors
- Glue
- Paintbrush
Source: Inspired by The Mom Edit
Directions
- Cover your cardboard with construction paper or paint it to create a colorful background.
- Add decorative materials (paper scraps, glitter, stickers, etc.) on top of cardboard once dry.
- When collage is fully dry, draw heart shapes over it. Tip: Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or heart shape cutout from cardboard to trace.
- Cut out your hearts to create your valentines!
Additional Enrichment Ideas
The fun doesn’t have to end at books, songs, and a craft. There are many ways to enrich a storytime with additional activities and lessons. Here are a few ideas for you and your child:
- Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the library with us! Join us for card making, cookie decorating, shaving cream art, a lovebug scavenger hunt, and a morning with your favorite red dog!
- Grab heart cookie cutters (or make your own out of toilet paper rolls) and use them for painting, Playdoh, tracing, and more.
- Create a Valentine-themed sensory bin like this pom-pom one or this ice heart one.
- Sing songs about love and kindness. “Skidamarink,” “Peekaboo, I Love You, and “You Are My Sunshine” are sweet options. For a more upbeat and active song, check out Valentine’s Day Freeze! Want songs you already love that you can introduce your kids to? Check out this great list.
- Visit Lewis Ginter for their Valentine’s Day Storytime In The Garden program.
- Have a yummy treat at Cameo Cakery! They always decorate their storefront for Valentine’s Day. Go see the fabulous decorations and enjoy a yummy treat with your little Valentine!
We share these Storytime at Home posts twice a month, so be sure to check back soon for more. You can also search “#storytimeathome” to see all past posts.
Have a suggestion for the next theme we cover? Email Sarah at sarah.fenninger@rva.gov and let us know!