Forget the traditional trappings of Valentine's Day: Children don't want flowers, chocolate and diamonds. Instead, they want wholehearted adoration.
That's just what they'll get in "I Love You Through and Through" (Cartwheel/Scholastic, $8.95, ages up to 3).
The rhyming-text book by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak and illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church is one of many new ones that sandwich hugs and kisses between their covers.
It's true that Ann Estelle, the aspiring artist in Mary Engelbriet's "Queen of Hearts" (HarperCollins, $15.99, ages 4-8), does enjoy the occasional candy heart, but her true love on Feb. 14 is the box that holds her valentines. She made that box with loving hands - and a whole lot of glitter, glue and feathers - and she's very proud of it.
But Ann Estelle also learns that giving away something you love to people you love can be even more rewarding.
What would your puppy want for Valentine's Day? One little boy thinks he knows: a few extra "treaties" and a chance to lick his "feeties."
The same little boy makes lots of similar well-intentioned promises to friends, family members and pets in "If You'll Be My Valentine" (HarperCollins, $14.99, ages 3-8) by Cynthia Ryland and illustrated by Fumi Kosaka.
Eloise makes her own valentines, too, and while she's delivering them around the Plaza Hotel, she spreads a special kind of love as only the slightly mischievous Eloise could do. (She gets away with painting on the walls and sticking her finger in a cake.)
In "Love & Kisses, Eloise" (Little Simon, $3.99, ages 4-8), based on Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's famous character, the hotel-dwelling little girl even puts a smile on grouchy Mr. Salomone's face. She also manages to put many chocolates in her mouth.
Puns are delivered inside "Be My Valentine, Amelia Bedelia" (HarperCollins, $6.99, ages 6 and up) by Herman Parish and illustrated by Lynn Sweat.
The wind carries away the list of people Amelia is supposed to invite to a Valentine's Day party, so she trades her bonnet for a detective hat and tries to deduce the intended recipient by the words on the cards.
Surely, if the card says "You stole my heart," Amelia would be looking for a policeman, and if the card says "Are you my sweetie pie," Amelia should call on the baker. It's an interesting group that ends up at the party and, in the spirit of the holiday, become fast friends.
"A Recipe for Valentine's Day: A Rebus Lift-the-Flap Story" (Little Simon, $6.99, ages 3-7) by Marion Bauer with art by Jennifer Herbert has all the ingredients for a sweet story: There's a pair of lovebirds, cupid, ribbons and lace, and lots of boys and girls who don't mind sharing their pizza and don't get too upset when one pulls the other's hair.
"I Love You! A Bushel & A Peck" (HarperCollins, $15.99, ages 3-6) is Rosemary Wells' cartoonish version of the Frank Loesser song from the 1950s musical "Guys and Dolls." This time the happy couple is two chicks who stick together no matter what their farm friends are up to.
"You Are Special, Little One" (Scholastic, $7.99, ages 3-5) by Nancy Tafuri is about the Mamas and Papas in the forests and the fields who love their little ones unconditionally and who preach uniqueness as a gift.
Mommy Cat and Mommy Mouse are among nature's creatures who shower their kids with kindness in "Mama Loves You" (Scholastic, $6.99, ages 3-5) by Caroline Stutson. The bond that's illustrated with John Segal's drawings will look familiar to moms snuggled up to their boys and girls reading this book.
Not everyone cuddles the same way, though, and not all cuddles mean the same thing. "The Cuddle Book" (HarperCollins, $14.99, ages 2-5) is a guidebook for all the huggers out there. Monkeys cuddle gently, turtles do it slowly and porcupines do it carefully, according to author-illustrator Guido van Genechten. Crabs have a hard time cuddling at all.
It's the little things - such as breathing on a cold window and drawing a heart in the mist or mama's old T-shirt that smells just like her - that gives one little girl her greatest pleasures in "I Love" (Kane/Miller, $11.95, all ages) by Minne and Natali Fortier.
And no Valentine's Day is complete without a frog finding true love.
In Max Velthuijs' "Frog in Love" (Henry Holt, $5.99, all ages), our hero at first thinks his good fortune of finding the perfect mate is a dream. How else would you explain the unusual pairing of an amphibian with big eyes and a striped swimsuit with a sweet white duck who nurses his boo-boo and brings him warm soup?
But, on this day at least, love conquers all.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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