Favorite Picture Books for Toddlers

It has been a long time since I posted our favorite chapter books for boys and our favorite picture books for boys – now I am finally getting to our favorite books for toddlers!  I am linking to all of these books in board book format – we have not yet had a toddler that we could trust to not rip books!!!  It’s nice to be able to hand them a stack of books in their crib or pack ‘n play and know they won’t get destroyed.  Well, Owen did take bites out of several of our board books, but then again, that’s Owen… Anyway, on to the books!

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Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown is a favorite for toddlers at our house!  It has rhyming text and adorable pictures of farm animals.  You probably recognize the author’s name from Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny (more toddler favorites!), but if you haven’t read Big Red Barn, definitely check that one out!

Books with repetitive text are enjoyable for toddlers, and repetitive text also seemed to help Owen develop his language skills.  One book that helped him learn several new words was Go Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman.  (This link is not a board book because the board book shortens the story!) He was so familiar with the story that I could leave off the last word of each sentence, and the words would just roll out of his mouth!  Another favorite was We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury. Each page starts with “We’re going on a bear hunt!  What a beautiful day!  We’re not scared!”  Perfect for encouraging a reluctant talker.

I cannot talk about board books without mentioning Sandra Boynton!  We have many of her books and love them all.  Blue Hat, Green Hat is a really goofy book, and has been a favorite for all three boys.  Other favorites by Sandra Boynton are Doggies and Moo Baa La La La.  Really, you can’t go wrong with any of them!  Sandra Boynton’s books are great for the youngest readers – short, silly text and engaging pictures.

All of my boys have loved books that have photos of real vehicles or real animals.  This book, My First Things that Go Board Book, has been a favorite.  It doesn’t have a story – just pages of all kinds of vehicles including cars, trucks, construction vehicles, boats, and planes, along with their names.  I don’t quite understand the fascination, but I’ve never had a toddler get tired of this book!  And a side bonus – I know that names of all the construction vehicles now!

Here is one more book series we love – the books about Gossie and Gertie by Olivier Dunrea.  The pictures are precious, and the stories show great understanding of how kids think.  Other favorites in the series are Ollie, Ollie the Stomper, and Peedie.

What books are favorites for your toddler?

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