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Let’s be honest, no matter how much you love Good Night Moon, there is only so many times you can read the same book to your tot on repeat before starting to lose your marbles a bit. I’ve read to each of my kids since they were only a few weeks old, and I think it made a big difference when it came to vocab development (even if they did just eat most of the books before they turned one).
I always loved when my kids received books as gifts because the key to sanity is variation. We have an amazing collection of books for toddlers, but I can safely say that there is only a handful that my kids love and that I can read thousands of times in a row without jumping out the window!
Toddlers seem to love books with rhyming, pictures of
animals and books that have interactive features (like pull tabs and pop up
books), and the sturdier “board books” hold up to being chewed on, thrown
against the wall well-loved.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
This is a wonderful read focused on learning colors and animals.
Dear Zoo also helps little ones learn about different types of animals and also has cute little doors that toddlers can open and close to reveal each animal.
Books about bedtime routines seem to really help kids accept their own bedtime wind-down routine.
This book has a great message about how to treat others and lend a helping hand. The rhyming in this one also makes it fun to read for grown-ups. The “sequel” is also cute and easy to read.
Good Night California, New York, Vermont, Hawaii
This book series has amazing pictures of the landmarks in your home state. I try to pick them up ahead of trips to different states to get my kids excited and keep the memories when we return.
The textured stars glow in the dark and the message is a sweet wind down to bedtime.
This book is light on the words, which means you can change the story every time you read it to avoid burnout! Adorable pictures as well.
But not the Armadillo
Sweet and easy to read book with a great message about inclusion.
What are your favorite books for toddlers?