Jasmine J.
First Grade Frenchies
Valentine’s day is around the corner and perhaps you’re looking for some sweet books to read to your kiddos surrounding themes of love, kindness, friendship and gratitude!
If that sounds like you, then keep reading this short blog post to discover some great French Valentine’s day books to read with your elementary French immersion or Core French students!
This is a new book that came out this year from the fabulous Peter H. Reynolds. You may already be familiar with his work, as he has written some very popular children’s books in English and has had them translated into French.
Love You By Heart is a poetic book, great to tie into a letter-writing unit or if you want your students to write a card to a loved one, this book has most of the vocabulary they will need in order to express love for someone!
The book is simple with a very uplifting style, making it perfect for second-language learners, as the vocabulary will not be too difficult.
P.S if you’re looking for a cute craft for students to make and write a card to a loved one, check this out! It would be a great follow-up activity after reading the story.
This is a lovely book all about the importance of our words and the impact these words have. It’s great for general kindness-themed activities.
What I love about this book is that it is not overly stimulating. The colours are fairly simple and there is not a lot of text on each page. This is a great book to revisit throughout the year if you notice that your class is having some conflict or if some friends are using improper words.
Students will totally understand the power and effect that their words can have on somebody else, both positively and negatively.
Here’s a cute story about a girl who spreads joy and love around her on Valentine’s day. It’s a great way to explain to your students the true meaning of Valentine’s Day, which is not solely romantic love.
Being kind, spreading joy and expressing love is how we can celebrate Valentine’s day (and every day!) It has themes of growth mindset, as the girl believes she is too little to make a real difference. This book can teach students that no matter your age, size, gender, etc, we can spread love and kindness and make a big impact.
This book is often on sale for fairly cheap on the Scholastics website by the way. I remember seeing it for only $5 one year, so keep your eyes out for it.
I may be a little biased here since I created an entire book companion to go along with this book however, it’s for good reason!
I love this book so much and my students do too. It’s a story about a very cranky boy who absolutely HATES Valentine's day. He does not enjoy the heart-themed activities, the crafts, the songs, none of it. His entire body is green to express how annoyed and moody he is throughout the book.
He is so cranky and mad until… the power of a best friend who validates his feelings and understands him. This friend also dislikes Valentine’s day and together, both of their moods are lifted!
It’s an adorable story of expressing our emotions and how we feel, while also teaching about compassion and empathy for our friends.
If you want a fun book companion which includes discussion questions that go along with the book, retell sequencing cards, a retell flipbook, tons of differentiated worksheets for different reading strategies AND an adorable craft to match this book, check out my resource!
Not much needs to be said about this one. If you teach primary, chances are your students love Pete the Cat and have probably read a story or two about him already.
This book follows Pat le chat who doesn’t think Valentine’s day is very cool until he realizes how many amazing friends he has in his life. This inspires him to create some Valentine’s day cards for his loved ones!
A simple story with highly engaging visuals, this one will be a hit to have in your classroom library around Valentine’s day.
This book is truly for all ages and what I love most, is that it does not focus on Valentine’s Day specifically, making it a very versatile French book to have in your collection.
Le fil invisible is a story about a mother who explains to her two children that no matter how old they get, where they travel to, whatever happens in life, there is always an invisible string of love that connects them.
The book explores themes of separation, loss and grief in a relatable and child-friendly way, making it a fantastic French SEL book.
The main message is that we cannot always see things (or people) with our eyes, but we can feel them with our hearts. I think it’s so beautiful to teach our students that we can connect with others emotionally and spiritually in this way.
From the same author as “La Valentine Trop Petite”, this book follows a similar style. It’s a story about a growth mindset and believing in oneself!
Archie is the littlest cupid in his family and is unsure if he’s able to make an impact and help out. The reader will learn that although one may feel small, little, unimportant, they can still make a positive change in the world.
This little cupid will work overtime to help spread kindness and love through his community on Valentine’s Day.
If you’re familiar with the Pig the Pug series (Carlos le Carlin), this book is by the same author!
It’s a really sweet book about a sharp porcupine who simply wants a hug! Unfortunately, this is very difficult, as he is too prickly for all the animals. Everyone is scared of him and does not want to get close to him. He feels unloved, sad and alone.
The language in this story is very simple, making it perfect for primary students. It’s not a specific French Valentine’s Day read-aloud, so if you’re looking for a more general story about acceptance and friendship, this one’s great!
Will this book ever not give me chills? Ahh, a childhood classic that I am sure many of you have read (or have been read to as a child)!
This book is so sweet and the message is so clear. No matter how old we are, love prevails all. This story follows a mother and her son, as they progress through various stages in their lives.
The son gets older and eventually has a family of his own. Of course, roles change throughout the story, as the son becomes a father and his mother grows old.
In the past, I’ve used this book during my Grade 1 Social studies unit on changing roles and responsibilities, as it ties in PERFECTLY to the strand and demonstrates how our roles will change throughout our lifetime.
It’s a great book to read around Valentine’s day as well, to talk about how although our lives are constantly changing and evolving, love is always there. We always need it, whether big or little, old or young.
As a dog lover myself, I HAD to include this book on the list! The story follows a dog named Pop. This cute dog lists all the things in her life that she is grateful for and that she loves!
Pop can’t help get into trouble though, and fears that her owner will no longer love her. Through mistake after mistake, the love is put to the test. In the end, however, Pop is of course loved and realizes it’s the best feeling in the world.
It’s a great book to teach gratitude and appreciation for the little things, like the sun, hugs and compliments! It’s also great for discussing how actions have consequences and when those consequences happen, they are learning opportunities and do not mean you are “less than” or unloved. Unconditional love is always there, no matter what!
I hope this list of French Valentine’s Day Books helps you out with planning for February! There are some great reads on this list to gradually add to your classroom library.
If you’re looking for some fun writing to go along with a French Valentine’s day read aloud, check out these FREE Valentine’s Day Writing Prompts in French!
You can use them as a follow-up or as a general writing activity to do around Valentine’s day. There’s 8 different writing prompts to choose from, with toppers to add a decorative element to the writing page. These would look great on a bulletin board or you can send them home as a writing craft. Enjoy!
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