One of the best gifts we can give to our kids is the gift of books. Books create a love for reading.
If there is one thing I don’t mind spending money on is in a good book. With so many choices, what are the best young toddler books anyway?
Create the perfect library with the best young toddler books. It offers the best titles you can get to build that first library. Use these books to base your toddler lesson plans, activities and learning experiences.
Young toddler book categories include:
- Colors
- Zoo Animals
- Farm Animals
- Ocean Animals
- Transportation Vehicles
- Dinosaurs
- Bedtime
- Emotions
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
- Winter
As Manu enters his 2nd year of toddlerhood all his baby books are too baby-ish and now he is ready to learn more about the world and to follow more elaborate simple short stories.
I asked in different toddler groups for mom’s recommendation and what their little ones absolutely adore, enjoy, and ask to be read over and over again. I saw patterns of certain books being suggested over and over again so I started gathering my best ones for toddlers list and started to purchase a few (a little at a time of course! Or my husband would kill me!)
I can say I haven’t been disappointed in my purchases and now I’m excited to even do some activities around the books.
what makes a great book for Young toddlers?
- The graphics have to be clear, bright and inviting
- There has to be some type of storyline
- there needs to be repeating words or sayings I can use that to expand on learning and playing with the characters
- If there is rhyming better!
We like books that we can be silly with– make funny voices, play along with the story– and I appreciate books that are sturdy and easy-to-clean. The books I’ve chosen are also small and light-weight, which is important when you’re toting around a bunch of other stuff!
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The best young toddler books
Toddler Books about colors
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?
- Colors in the Cold (Rookie Toddler)
- Eat Your Colors
- Elmer’s Colors
- A Color of his Own
- Colors with Ladybug
Toddler Books about Animals
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Animals
ZOO ANIMALS THEMED BOOKS
- Dear Zoo: A Lift a Flap Book
- Goodnight, Gorilla 🦍
- The view at the zoo
- Giraffes can’t dance 🦒
- The very cranky bear 🐻
- Monkey Puzzle
FARM BOOKS
OCEAN BOOKS
- The Pout, pout fish
- Hello, World! Ocean Life
- Guess Who Ocean Friends
- I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean!
- National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of the Ocean
trucks & Construction Vehicles
dinosaurs
- Dinosaur Dance
- Dinosaurs Rumble Sound Book
- Pop-up Dinosaurs
- National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs
Books for bedtime
- Night Night Farm
- Ten Little Night Stars
- Where Do Speedboats Sleep at Night?
- The Going to Bed Book
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car
- Pajama Time
Books About Routines & Big Moments
emotions & FeeLings
- The Ugly Duckling
- The color monster
- Little Monkey Calms Down (Hello Genius)
- B is for Breathe: The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings
Books about Seasons & Holidays
spring
- The very hungry caterpillar 🐛
- National Geographic big book for kids: All about bugs
- Planting a rainbow
- What makes a rainbow? Magic ribbon book
- The Honeybee
- Little Blue Truck’s Springtime
Summer
- Is it Warm Enough for Ice Cream?
- Curious George Curious About Summer (tabbed board book)
- Llama Llama Sand and Sun: A Touch & Feel Book
- Penguin on Vacation
FAll
Fall
- The Busy Little Squirrel
- Fall Is Here!
- The Spooky Wheels on the Bus
- Duck & Goose, Find a Pumpkin
- Room on the Broom
Winter
I hope you enjoyed this list of the best books for toddlers. Narrowing down the list to only a few per category was hard! If there’s a book you think was left off the list, please let me know and I’ll add it to our next list.
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