Books for Toddlers & Up
Toddlers are so fun to read with! There is nothing better than them climbing into your lap asking for book after book.
Reading to children from day one sets the stage for a positive literacy experience and having great books for your home library makes it a lot easier. This post contains affiliate links, I may make a small commission at no cost to you. I appreciate the support for my blog!
When babies become toddlers it opens up a whole new variety of books and chance to lead the way with early reading and learning through books. Books for toddlers should be short, engaging and fun! If they don't want to sit still for a book, that's okay. I don't make it a big deal, I might say, 'I was hoping to read this one together but I can read it myself too' and I keep reading the book aloud or to myself to model positive reading behavior.
Without further ado, here's my top book picks and why they are developmentally appropriate + some reading tips:
Rhyming
Reading books with rhymes and teaching the concept is a fun way to set the stage for reading and language acquisition. It's never too early to start practicing rhyming and introducing the word and definition in toddler language, "rhymes are words that sound the same at the end'. Try reading:
There's a Wocket in my Pocket is full of silly rhymes and engaging illustrations that you expect from Dr. Seuss!
See you Later, Alligator a silly story about a tortoise who has to stop and say goodbye to every last animal (and insect) he encounters.
Llama, Llama Sand and Sun touch and feel... not just for baby! Your toddler will love this silly rhyming book. My middle son became obsessed with the beach thanks to this book. Kids of all ages love little Llama and I find myself having to touch the textures on each page too. All Llama books rhyme so any are a good choice to work on this skill.
Lift-a-flap
Lift-a-flaps have a special place in my reading heart. There's just something about them that kids love. They can't resist a book with something hidden on each page, like a mini game of hide and seek! These are our favorites:
Dear Zoo, the zoo keeps sending the wrong pet. Which one will finally be the perfect fit?! This one always gets lots of laughs.
Where is Baby's Belly Button? is a fun way to start teaching body parts and direction words such as under and behind. Your toddler will ask for this one again and again!
Sleep Tight with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I ordered a few extra of these to give as gifts. It's a new take on an old classic. There are quite a few lift-a-flap books featuring the beloved Hungry Caterpillar but this one is perfect for bedtime and the illustrations 😍😍
More Hungry Caterpillar:
Forest Hide & Seek, rhyming, lift-a-flap and finger trails (promotes fine motor skills and the essential pre reading skill of text directionality).
Where is The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Your toddler will love looking for that sweet little caterpillar!
Interactive
Hoppity Frog: a Slide and Seek book. Slide books are just as irresistible to toddlers as lift-a-flap. Having a slider to move and a surprise on every page makes reading this one endless fun.
You Are My Sunshine: Six Weather Songs, a musical story I absolutely love this! So nice to not worry about button batteries (extremely dangerous if swallowed) and I never replace them when they stop working, making the sound book pretty useless. There are a lot of other good choices from this company and they use a USB-C cord (not included) but we have these phone chargers and it seems many kids toys are trending towards using the same charger so you likely have one on hand already, we have like 20 🤣.
When toddlers listen to music they are learning about language, vocabulary and sentence structure. Waiting for the chorus or learning hand gestures to songs helps them develop patience and early memorization skills. Wheels on the Bus musical book is a great choice for learning hand gestures! Plus if you've ever sang with a toddler then you know, they love music!
Potty Training Books
Last but definitely not least, it's never too early to start talking about using the potty. Normalizing the experience through books and fun characters will help potty training down the road. We start working these in around a year old and keep them around until our kids are confidently going #1 and #2 in the potty!
Everybody Potties. This one prompts lots of discussions as they get older, haha. I've confirmed many times; yes, everybody potties! With rhyming and repetitive language this one is educational and fun.
Dino Potty, more rhymes and explicit teaching about using the potty through Dino, a fun and relatable character. Every kid will love feeling like a 'big kid' with Dino!
Potty uses simple and relatable language along with straight to the point illustrations to connect with your toddler on how they can start using the potty too! This one is a quick and easy read. Definitely recommend for your home library.
The End :)
With rhyming, lift-a-flaps, singing, tracing, sliding and the elusive 'big kid' potty, your toddler will never tire of reading if you fill your home library with some of these favorites. Learning to read starts at home, with my book guides and 10 tips to Raising a Reader to help you along the way, you got this!
Thanks for stopping by. Happy Reading.