Bookworms: Favorite Toddler Books

Last week’s Bookworms post was all about kids books that don’t make parents shudder (like that seemingly endless pile of Disney princess books, blech). Today, I’m focusing on toddlers. This is the perfect age to get them hooked on reading and the best way to do that is with books that get their little arms flapping and have them yelling excitedly at the story.

I’ve put together a list of five favorite toddler books that will help get the little boogers hooked on reading for life…Good Night, Gorilla is the first book that got Ellie really excited for bedtime stories. The illustrations of that sneaky little gorilla who swipes the zookeeper’s keys and lets out the animals one at a time make her feel like she’s in on the secret. The fact that there are so few words is an added bonus for toddlers with a short attention span. You can focus on the pieces of the illustrations that excite them most.

Once I could pry her away from the gorilla, Ellie absolutely fell in love with Sandra Boynton’s Little Pookie books. Like all of Boynton’s books, they’re really silly yet still relatable. When you add a singsong, rhyming delivery you have a winner!

Apparently the Little White Fish books are harder to get your hands on than I realized. But if you can find them, they’re definitely worth thumbing through with your toddler. With simple, colorful drawings and an equally simple story line, it is sure to hold your little one’s attention. This particular one is about a cute little fish losing his mommy. He meets a bunch of different sea creatures that are all different colors of the rainbow and each page asks if the animal there is little white fish’s mommy. I guarantee your little cutie will be yelling the answer as you read.

Another one that will have your little buddy playing an active role in storytime is The Monster at the End of This Book. Ellie loves turning the pages to make Grover more and more anxious about getting to the monster that is promised at the end of the story. And don’t worry, the ending isn’t scary–unless you’re my husband’s old roommate, who is still haunted by this story. 😉

The Maisy books are another great, simple series of stories for little ones. With themes like going to the doctor, bedtime, and bath time, even the littlest of littles can relate–plus the really simple sentences and colorful drawings will keep them interested.

What are your favorite toddler books–or, more importantly, what are some of your toddler’s favorites?

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