Top 5 Books for Toddlers

 

I was recently reading one of my top 5 books for toddlers and I wanted to share them with you! Hopefully a few will become some of your favorites as well.

Reading has always been one of my most favorite things to do with my two girls. From the time they were born, I would read them a variety of books. As infants, my girls were obviously happy to just be snuggled up next to me. Just reading words and spending one on one time with them provided all the sensory and educational content they could desire.

But as my girls reached the toddler phase, it took a really interesting book to keep them in my lap for more than a minute. Below are my top 5 books for toddlers and why I love them!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? (Authors – Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle) – Carle has an amazing ability to draw simple pictures with such vibrant colors that a child can’t help but be drawn in. This book was my go to tool for teaching both girls their colors. You won’t believe how fast they can pick them up when this book is read daily. The simple, repetitive phrases are perfect for kids to follow along and quickly pick up the pattern. This is also a great beginning reader book for a child who has heard it many times.

This is My Monster (Authors –Sam Taplin and Masumi Furukawa) – I was given this book by a dear friend and my daughter loved it so much I bought it for both of my 1 year old nephews! This board book is about a monster that says “roar”…which it actually says thanks to the sound effect button. My younger duaghter took to this book immediately. The pages are super short with cute, colorful drawings and she loved pushing the “roar” button at just the right time.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Author – Eric Carle) – Again an Eric Carle book but he knows how to appeal to young kids. This simple book about a very hungry caterpillar who eats too much on his voyage to becoming a caterpillar always reels in kids. My girls’ favorite page is the one where the caterpillar eats a whole smorgasboard of junk food on Saturday and ends up with a belly ache!

The Gobble Gobble Moooooo Tractor Book (Author – Jez Alborough) – I have to admit, when I first received this book, I was initially disappointed because I thought it was a “sound” book like “This is My Monster”. When I realized the “sounds” were to be made by me, I figured no way would my 2 year old enjoy it as much. But I gave it a whirl and it became her favorite book immediately! The book is all about Farmer Dougal’s animals pretending to take the big red tractor for a drive. Each animal is a part of the tractor (i.e. the mouse is the big wheels that go round and round…squeak squeak squeak) but no one wants to wake Farmer Dougal! Hazel knew each animal’s sounds by the 3rd night and loves making them during the story!

I Love You, Stinky Face (Authors –Lisa Mccourt and Cyd Moore) – I was given this book at my first baby shower and it became my go-to book for the girls for several years. This book is about a little boy who dreams up all kind of fantastical scenarios only to discover that however unappealing or yucky or scary he may be, his mom will always love him. In the simplest and cutest way, this book gets to the heart of what every mother feels and tries to relay to her kids. No matter what, I will always love you!
There are of course many other wonderful books and hundreds of reasons to love them. These are just a few of my favorites…hopefully there’s a new favorite in this list for your little one!