Curious about what the best books to read to your toddler are? You know reading is important, but there are an overwhelming number of books to choose from. Why bother at all? After all, toddlers are so busy anyway!
Why is reading important?
Reading is essential for toddlers! It not only begins your child’s love for reading (which will benefit them throughout their entire lives), but it introduces them to new vocabulary, rhythm and rhyme of words, sentence structure, and new concepts, not to mention that special time snuggling with mommy and daddy.
Children who are read to daily understand storylines better, have better comprehension skills, social skills, retelling skills, more empathy, and are better prepared to sit and listen when beginning kindergarten.
All of these benefits…even before they are reading the words of the story! Of course, toddlers who are read to on a regular basis will also become better readers later on.
My favorite part of my day is snuggling with my boys, reading them a story. I love watching them discover new words, and listening to their squeals of laughter when something funny happens in the story.
When my son was 2, he was using words like “destination” and “scrumptious.” This isn’t because we did vocabulary lessons, he picked these words up naturally from books we read that he loved.
How do I read with my toddler?
Toddlers are so busy. All. The. Time. Don’t be discouraged if your toddler doesn’t want to sit still for an hour for storytime! Let them get up and walk around, but keep reading. They will be intrigued by the story and come back and look at the pictures.
Great times to read are in the car, at breakfast, and before bed. Of course throughout your day as you have time too.
Keep a stack of books in the car. Instead of handing them your phone or turning on a movie, have your toddler look at books. Even looking at the pictures without hearing the words is beneficial. Through looking at pictures, your toddler can figure out what is happening in the story. They can even make up their own story to go along with the pictures!
Best Books for 1 Year Olds and 2 Year Olds
My favorite books all have little lessons in them. These aren’t always academic lessons like colors, shapes, letters, and numbers. Books also teach character-building skills such as friendship, patience, kindness, perseverance, and integrity.
Here are our favorites, I hope you find some new books to love too!
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Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
We love Little Blue Truck! This is an adorable story that teaches kindness, and thinking about others.
First 100 Words by Roger Priddy
This is an amazing book, perfect for toddlers who are learning lots of new vocabulary. It’s a book, but you can make it into a fun search and find game really easily. We could sit with this book for an hour and on each page, I would pick an item for my son to find. “Can you find the blue boat?” When he would point to it he would feel so proud! This is a must-have for every toddler. You can also get the set.
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The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
Although most of Sandra Boynton’s books could be on this list, this one is our favorite. I love the simple rhythm and rhyme of the words, and the bedtime routine is something toddlers can easily relate to.
Some of our other favorite Sandra Boynton books include Moo, Baa, La La La, But Not the Hippopotamus, Pajama Time!, Are You a Cow?, and The Belly Button Book!
Can You Make a Happy Face? by: Janice Behrens
This is from the Rookie Toddler Series, which is one of our favorite series for this age. This book teaches toddlers to recognize how other people are feeling by their facial expressions. It’s also fun to make faces along with the book.
Some of our other favorite Rookie Toddler books include Everybody has a Body, My Favorite Book of Numbers, Eat Your Colors, Wash, Wash, Wash, My Favorite Book of Colors, My Favorite Book of Shapes
My First Book Of Colors by Scholastic
We love this book! It is helpful to teach colors, and it has color-changing windows that your toddler will fall in love with. Each page shows a color and several familiar items that are that color, which also makes this a good book to help teach new vocabulary.
Never Touch a Monster! by Make Believe Ideas Ltd.
This is a fun series of touch and feel books. I love the rhythm and rhyme of the words and the different textures on each page. Toddlers love exploring books with their hands, and this series will definitely spark their love for reading.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
No home should be without this classic book. This is the perfect book to read at the end of the day, to settle down and settle in for goodnight.
It’s never too early to start introducing the alphabet. This fun little book is everything you would expect from Dr. Seuss, fun rhythm and rhyme of words and exciting pictures that get kids’ imaginations to soar. Plus it introduces kids to beginning sounds.
Oh The Thinks You Can Think! by Dr. Seuss
Another fun Dr. Seuss book! This book lets kids know they have the power of imagination and creativity. It encourages kids to think, imagine, and wonder, and engages them with the creative graphics and rhythm and rhyme of the words.
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld
This is a very popular book among all of our construction loving-toddlers! Go through the construction yard and say goodnight to all of the trucks, which will also get your little one ready to say goodnight.
Don’t miss the other Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site books: Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site Excavator’s 123, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site Cement Mixer’s ABC
I Love You Because You’re You by Liza Baker
This is the sweetest book that just reinforces the message to your kids that you will love them no matter how they are feeling or what they do. Kids need to hear over and over again how much they are loved, and this book has the sweetest illustrations to go along with that message.
I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
This is another sweet book that must be in every home. This book tells your child that you love every part about them, when they are quiet, and loud, happy, or sad, you love them!
I Love You, Good Night by Jon Buller
This is another tender I love you book, that is perfect for before bed. It tells your child the many ways you love them, and will send them off to their sweet dreams knowing how much they are loved!
Dear Zoo is all about a little child who writes to the zoo to send him a pet. We love seeing what animals they send him, and why he has to send them back. We also enjoy making up our own versions of why we would send animals back… “We had to send him back because Mommy hates snakes and wouldn’t come home until he was gone.” {True story.}
Just do it!
I hope you found some good books to read to your toddler. But remember, the most important thing is just to read!
