We recommend these books for Valentine’s Day by Bay Area authors and publishers, perfect for cuddling up time with your little ones.
“Heart String”
Follow the embossed thread in this board book by Brooke Boynton-Hughes, published by Chronicle Books in San Francisco, to see the invisible heart string that binds us all. Through backyards and neighborhoods, over mountains and across oceans, the story says, we are connected to those we love and to the world we share. Ages 3-5. Chronicle Books, 2025. $8.99.
“The Heart that Found You”
Debut author Anna Schocket of Oakland penned this tender picture book about Heart’s search for love and belonging, based on her own journey as a single adoptive mother. The heartfelt, inclusive tale offers a moving narrative for adoptive, two-parent, blended, LGBTQ+ and single-parent families alike. Ages 3-6. The Collective Book Studio, 2025. $16.95.
“Don’t Lose Mr. Cuddles”
Berkeley author Dev Petty is back with Chip the Dog as he embarks on a sweet and funny adventure in search of his best friend and stuffed toy, Mr. Cuddles. Any child or parent who has lost a favorite toy will relate, and learn something about friendship, too. Ages 3-7. Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2025. $18.99.
“Planted with Love: Growing into a Family”
A young foster child who has lived in seven homes in three years cautiously helps his new foster mom tend her garden, before destroying it in anger. But just as she cares for her garden, the mother cares for Lamar and in time, he, too, becomes rooted – and blooms. The story is by Oakland author Natasha Tripplett, a licensed social worker who was adopted herself. WaterBrook Children’s, 2025. $13.99.
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