Love
Kids high in the character strength of love value their close relationships with people and support the closeness warmly and sincerely. It refers to how one approaches their close relationships and how they give and accept love, whether it be attachment (parental) love or companionate (friend) love.
Below are children’s books that explore the character strength of love, through loving and being loved, and warmth and connectedness in close reciprocal relationships. They may also explore the underuse of love, which could be self-isolating, fear of caring and withholding connection, and an overuse of love, which could be love that comes across as overkill or not aligned with the recipient.
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch
Shows the power of love on a lonely man and suggests the importance of showing our love to those around us. I like that this book explores companionate love and opens up conversation about the consequences of underusing this strength. A good one to read to a group on Valentine’s Day.
Artist: Eileen Spinelli and Paul Yalowitz
Hair for Mama
This is a moving story of Marcus and his mother, who has cancer and is going through chemotherapy. Family picture day is coming up and Marcus is eager to support his mom, who has lost her hair and not feeling picture-ready. Marcus puts himself in his mother’s shoes, understanding how difficult it is for her to lose her hair due to cancer treatment, and explores different solutions and kind gestures. An excellent book for anyone going through family illness.
Artist: Kelly A. Tinkham and Amy June Bates
Heart String by Brooke Boynton-Hughes is a beautifully illustrated look at the connective power of love. This is a good read for understanding and talking about how love is really about connection for kids ages 3-5. While there are many books out there about parental love and companionate love, this one zooms out to take a broad look at what it means to foster love in one’s community.
Artist: Brooke Boynton-Hughes
Heart String
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
The mother duck is so dedicated to her ducklings and her love shows through her focus on environment, upbringing and safety. The illustrations are beautifully detailed and the story is full of humor, memorable characters and sweetness.
