I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day. There’s something about being told when to tell someone you love them that doesn’t sit well. Celebrating love should be a year-round action. That’s why I like the following picture books, which work as fun reading material any time of the year. “WHERE DOES LOVE COME…

“THE FAIRY TALES OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM,” by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, Noel Daniel and Matthew R. Price, Taschen, Oct. 4, 2011, $39.99 (all ages) Growing up, my family had certain traditions on holidays, and most of them involved giving books instead of candy. It turns out books last a lot longer and are more…

“THE CHRISTMAS PUPS,” by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by John Kanzler, Albert Whitman & Company, Aug. 1, 2011, $16.99 (ages 3 and up) Ruff, Tuff and Penny are cold. An icy rain is falling and the puppies are confused. They’re in a box on the side of the road. They’ve been left behind. Just as the…

“WHAT AM I? CHRISTMAS,” by Anne Margaret Lewis, illustrated by Tom Mills, Albert Whitman & Company, Aug. 1, 2011, $9.99 (ages 2-5) “I am topped with a golden star, and my needles are green. What Am I? What Could I be?” A Look and See Holiday Book, “What Am I? Christmas” is a charming riddle…

“LISTEN TO THE SILENT NIGHT,” by Dandi Daley Mackall, Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson, Dutton, Oct. 13, 2011, $16.99 (ages 3 and up) “In our hearts, find a silence in the middle of the noise, With the bustling of our Christmas and the clattering of toys. Help us slip into the silence, filled with hallelujah…

“THE CHRISTMAS SNOWMAN,” by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Johanna Westerman, Sky Pony Press, Oct. 1, 2011, $12.95 (ages 4 and up) Christmas is just around the corner and Kevin and Sally are helping put the finishing touches on their family Christmas decorations. But the two are tired of being inside and decide it’s time to…

“THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,” by Jan Brett, Putnam, Nov. 1, 2011, $20 (ages 3 and up) and “HOME FOR CHRISTMAS,” by Jan Brett, Putnam, Nov. 1, 2011, $17.99 (ages 3 and up) It doesn’t seem like Christmas unless there’s a new Jan Brett book beneath the tree. And this year is no different, with a…

“GRACE AT CHRISTMAS,” by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu, Dial, October 13, 2011, $17.99 (ages 3 and up) Like every child, Grace has been looking forward to Christmas.  And she has especially been looking forward to the many traditions that usually make up her holiday season.  But when Grace’s Ma…

“LLAMA, LLAMA MISSES MAMA” by Anna Dewdney, Viking Juvenile, March 19, 2009, $16.99 (ages 3 and up) Anna Dewdney’s rhymed “Llama Lllama Misses Mama,” is part of a large offering of “Llama Llama” books. Specifically written as an off-to-school book, this “Llama Llama” story addresses the feelings many youngsters feel at encountering a new environment…

“THE THIRD GIFT,” by Linda Sue Park, Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, Clarion Books, $16.99 (ages 6 and up) “My father collects tears. That is what they are called: the pearls of sap that seep out of a tree when the bark is cut. Maybe they are called tears because it seems as if the tree…