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BOOK LIST: MOTHER’S DAY
Mother’s Day is such a special day to me. I always wanted to be a mom, and I was so excited when my husband & I decided it was time to start our family! We had been married for 3 years, we had both just finished our master’s degrees, and we were both really happy in our careers. It just felt like the right time!
When we started on that journey, I had NO idea it would end up taking 2 years to get pregnant with my daughter. And when we decided to add baby #2 to our family, it ended up taking 2 1/2 years to get pregnant with my son.
That was not how I was expecting things to go!
I absolutely LOVE being a mom, and I end up buying a lot of books about the love between a mom and her kiddos! Here are my absolute favorite books to read on Mother’s Day to my own kids. These books are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
Motherhood is messy and hard and beautiful and amazing, and these books help me put those feelings into words! And most of them make me cry, too!
If you’re looking for more books to read in the springtime, check out this post!
MOTHER’S DAY BOOKS
Guess How Much I Love You: I absolutely love this story! I had never read it before becoming a mom, and now it’s one I read often. In this story, Little Nutbrown Hare is trying to tell Big Nutbrown Hare how much he loves him. But Big Nutbrown Hare always says he loves him more. At the end, when Little Nutbrown Hare says, “I love you to the moon,” Big Nutbrown Hare says, “I love you to the moon and back.” I say this to my kids all the time!
Love You Forever: This will always be my top favorite book to read to my kids. I bawl every single time! My husband bought this copy for me on my very first Mother’s Day in 2013, and it’s my absolute favorite book I own. This story tells all about a mother’s love for her son, and in the end, that son shows his mother the same love in return. The author wrote this story after he and his wife had two stillborn babies. I just can’t imagine what that was like for them, and it makes me hug my littles even tighter whenever I think about it.
If I Could Keep You Little: This is another one that makes me emotional! This is a rhyming story that follows a repetitive pattern: “If I could keep you little, ____________. But then ______________.” The author tells about why parents want to keep our little ones little, but also shows what we would miss out on if our kids never grew up. The last page says, “If I could keep you little, I’d keep you close to me. But then I’d miss you growing into who you’re meant to be!” Cue the tears.
Sweet Child of Mine: I am a huge fan of Caroline Jayne Church, and this is just the first of four of her books on my Mother’s Day book list! This is a sweet rhyming books that shows how much parents love their kiddos in different seasons, at different times of day, always & forever!
You Are My Sunshine: Every single night before bed, I sing “You Are My Sunshine” to my babies. I sang this song for years to my daughter, and now I sing it to my son. I love this book because it’s a beautifully illustrated version of that song by Caroline Jayne Church.
I Miss You, Stinky Face: This might seem like a funny option for a preschool Mother’s Day book list, but I promise it fits! In this story, Mama is away on a trip, and Stinky Face is worried she won’t make it home. He keeps asking, “But Mama, what if….” something keeps her from coming home. But she always has an answer because nothing could keep her from her son!
I Will Always Love You: This is a sweet rhyming book that has different animals on each page. It talks about the love we have for different family members, including parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. The end says, “I will always love you. You’re deep inside my heart. I’ll always stay close to you. We’ll never be far apart.” Just perfect!
Good Night, I Love You: This is another Caroline Jayne Church story that we read often before bed. In this story, the characters are following their bedtime routine before getting tucked in to “dream little dreams” by their parents.
Snuggle Puppy: Another author I adore is Sandra Boynton. Her books are so funny and memorable. This book is actually a little love song in the form of a story. It has a cute song in it that shows how much a mama loves her little puppy!
I Love You Through and Through: Here’s another rhyming Caroline Jayne Church story that we read often! I remember my daughter “reading” this book to herself when she was a toddler (she had actually just memorized the words because we read it so much!) It’s a sweet book that shows how parents love their kids on their good days, bad days, and all the days in-between. It ends with, “I love you through and through…yesterday, today, and tomorrow, too.”
Mommy Hugs: We have quite the collection of Karen Katz books over here! Her illustrations are so unique, and both my kids just adore them! This is a fun rhyming & counting story that counts from 1 to 10. It shows a mom spending the day with her baby and all the fun they have together.
I Love You So… This book was given to me by one of my students when I was pregnant with my daughter, and I just love reading it to my kids! It starts with, “I love you….How much?….So much!….How much is so?…Way way more than you know!” It’s a rhyming story where a mom is trying to convey how much she loves her kiddo, using metaphors and similes. Parents will love this story because it puts into words the often indescribable feelings we have for our kids.
My Mom Loves Me: This is a simple book that is perfect for toddlers and younger preschoolers. Each page shows a different animal and has repeating text: “My mom ______ with me.” I love it because of its simplicity and beautiful illustrations.
I Love You Night and Day: This is another sweet rhyming book that describes how much a parent loves their little one. It starts with, “I love you most, I love you best. Much much more than all the rest.”
I Love You, Mommy: This book tells the cutest story about Mommy Bear and Little Bear. Little Bear can’t wait to run off and try new experiences, and he has no time to slow down and listen to Mommy’s advice. But in the end, he learns to listen to Mommy and shares how much he loves her.
How Do I Love You: This is the last Caroline Jayne Church book on our list, and it’s one of my favorites! I love how each page uses a metaphor or smile to describe how much a parent loves their little one. One of my favorite pages says, “I love you as the moon loves each shining star. I love all that you will be and everything you are.”
Counting Kisses: Here’s another Karen Katz counting book that we love to read! This time, the author is counting backwards from 10 to 1 while everyone in the family is giving baby kisses before bed.
I Love You, Good Night: This is another rhyming story that uses similes on each page to describe how much the Mama and Papa Mouse love their Little Mouse. One of my favorite pages says, “I love you like boots love splashing in puddles.” So cute!
SPRING SNACKS FOR PRESCHOOL
After you read any (or all!) of these preschool Mother’s Day books, have fun making one of these fun springtime snacks! These snacks are made from fruits and veggies and are sure to be a hit in your home! Click here to see all 7 snack ideas!
SHARE YOUR FAVORITES!
Do you have a favorite Mother’s Day book? Have you read any of these on our list? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below or head over to Instagram (@littleslovelearningblog) and share there!
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Looking for other books lists for preschool and kindergarten? Click HERE to check them out!
Happy Learning!
