Best Books for Toddlers: Ages 1-3 Years

One to three-year-olds love a good lift-the-flap book and books about their favorite things – cars, trains, pets, playtime, etc. They’ll also begin naming familiar pictures and working on their animal sounds along with you. Books that encourage physical activity and caregiver interaction foster engagement, helping those wiggly two-year-olds sit for a wee bit longer than before. Here are my favorite books to recommend to caregivers of toddlers aged 12-18 months and 18-36 months.

A quick note: As Donalyn Miller said in The Joy of Reading, a list is only as good as its maker. While these titles have been successful with the families I’ve served and my own children, I don’t expect you to share them wholesale with yours, as you know your community best. I hope that you discover a few new titles that help you connect with your own readers and give your readers’ advisory a quick boost.

Books for
12-18 Months

If You’re Happy and You Know It!
By Jane Cabrera
Fun sing-along book featuring jungle animals.
Dear Zoo
By Rod Campbell
Repetitive phrases and fun flaps help baby find the perfect pet.
Freight Train
By Donald Crews
Colorful train journeys through tunnels, cities, and over trestles.
Applesauce is Fun to Wear
By Nancy Raines Day
Sweet and sticky rhyming fun!
Bath Time Physics
By Jill Esbaum
Make waterfalls and more with your tubby-time friends.
Red Light, Green Light
By Yumi Heo
Fun flaps, rhymes, and bright colors.
Hands Can
By Cheryl Willis Hudson
Hands can hold things, mold things, catch, and throw things!
I Get Dressed
By David McPhail
Animals show off familiar activities, including putting on snazzy underpants.
The Baby Goes Beep
By Rebecca O’Connell
Fun sounds and actions for baby. Be prepared to read it over and over again!
Baby Parade
By Rebecca O’Connell
Wave to the babies as they go by in wagons, backpacks, and on foot.

Books for
18 Months – 3 Years

Where’s My Teddy?
By Jez Alborough
Has someone else lost a teddy in the woods?
Tiptie Tiger
By Jane Clarke
Whisper, tiptoe, pounce, and yawn with Tara the Tiger!
Hooray for Fish!
By Lucy Cousins
Eye-popping fishies with fun, curly-whirly, twisty-swirly vocabulary.
Little Monkey Calms Down
By Michael Dahl
Little Monkey feels sad, mad, and angry, but a deep breath & quiet song will calm him down.
Dog’s Colorful Day
By Emma Dodd
Count all the colorful spots Dog picks up on his messy day.
Flush! Flush! Flush!
By Douglas Florian
The repetition and sing-song lyrics make this one of my two-year-old’s favorites.
Walter’s Wonderful Web
By Tim Hopgood
Walter makes webs in shapes, but the wind blows them away. Can Walter make a web both wonderful and strong?
Being Brave
By Cindy Jin
When you’re anxious, being brave starts with one deep breath.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
By Michael Rosen
A brave tale that will get kids moving and imagining different landscapes.
Everybunny Dance!
By Ellie Sandall
Everbunny dance, play, sing, and the ultimate challenge, be still!
Sheep in a Jeep
By Nancy Shaw
Rhythmic fun and mishaps with sheep in a red jeep.
The Monster at the End of This Book
By Jon Stone
Grover begs you not to turn the pages, there’s a monster in this book!
Bear Has a Belly
By Jane Whittingham
Name and describe animal body parts that you have, too!
Do Crocs Kiss?
By Salina Yoon Excellent lift-the-flap book for animal sounds and laughs.
Hello Hello Colors
By Brendan Wenzel
Explores unique and colorful animals from axolotls to sloths.