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1- Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Dear Zoo is a wonderful and interactive, lift-the-flap book. It has been enormously successful and has found a home in many households since it was first published in 1982.
The book tells the first-person story about someone who asks the local zoo for a pet. With each turn of the page, your toddler will be drawn into the story, lifting a flap to reveal a different kind of animal.
What will the perfect pet be? You’ll have to keep flipping the pages to find out. Throughout the book, toddlers will have to imagine receiving the wildest of animals as pets! Lions, Giraffes, even Gorillas!
The book is a simple read, yet fun for any toddler. It provides fun illustrations; a variety of animals and the flaps also provide your child with some fun and excitement.
2- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
First published in 1994, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has sold over 12 million copies in more than a dozen languages. This fun and educational classic is one of the most successful children’s books of all time.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a picture book that focuses on the life of a newly born caterpillar looking to quench its large appetite. The pictures in the book are very bright and colourful, and your toddler will learn a bit about the life process a caterpillar goes through.
One of the subliminal qualities this book provides is that it teaches your child about counting numbers. As you journey on and see what the caterpillar eats, the book lists the different food items and the quantity of each item.
This makes for a great opportunity to count out loud with your child to develop mathematical skills as well as improving their reading and vocabulary. The book ends but teaching your child the entire life cycle of this wonderful creature, with the caterpillar entering its cocoon and emerging as a beautiful butterfly.
3- The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin
Positive reinforcement in young children is essential to help them grow into productive young adults.
The Wonderful Things You Will Be is a great read for children as it instills in them the qualities and attributes they should aim for as they grow up.
The text is a rhyming poem that is divided throughout the pages of the book. The book tells the story from a parent’s perspective, with each page describing a different positive quality that a parent hopes their child develops.
It’s a fun and motivational read for any toddler. It promotes many positive influences, such as being kind to people and animals, being brave, and putting a strong emphasis on learning.
The illustrations in the book are warm and detailed and depict various experiences throughout different phases of a child’s life.
The Wonderful Things You Will Be truly aims to teach children the value of behaving well and being respectful to one another. This New York Times bestseller was published in 2015 and will continue to find its place in homes across the world for many years to come.
4- Touch The Earth by Julian Lennon
This heartwarming book by Julian Lennon (son of Beatles singer John Lennon), takes aim at teaching children — and anyone else who reads it regardless of their age — that we must respect the earth and do what we can to help preserve it.
The importance of protecting the environment is one of the biggest issues people of all ages face today. Oddly, however, it’s a message that is not commonly found in many children’s books, and yet, it’s something we should all aim to instill in younger generations as one of their basic rules: Love your planet and keep it safe.
Julian Lennon does exactly that with this fabulous piece of writing. The book is very interactive and has wonderful illustrations, which is great for keeping children engaged with the story.
His passion for healing our planet is evident in this book, and it’s easy to read text will translate well for children of all ages. It’s a beautiful story with a strong educational component, motivating young readers to keep our planet healthy for all the generations to come.
Be sure to add this amazing book to your reading collection for your toddler!
5- If Animals Kissed Goodnight by Ann Whitford Paul
Kissing our kids goodnight is one of those traditions that cross continents. And for that reason, If Animals Kissed Goodnight by Ann Whiteford Paul is a book that every parent and child can warm up to for some bedtime reading.
The content of the book is adorable, to say the least. It’s a fun read with rhyming text and full of colourful illustrations of cartoon animals like sloths, elephants, and peacocks, just to name a few.
It asks the readers to ponder the interesting ways these animals might kiss their children goodnight. Kids will love letting their imagination take over and visualize themselves and their parents as the cartoon animals in the story.
The author makes sure to include both mom and dad as the animals in the book. It’s a nice touch to encourage creative thinking and bonding with both parents. Ann Whitford Paul has been writing children’s books since 1985 and published If Animals Kissed Goodnight in 2008.
6- From Head to Toe Board Book By Eric Carle
Eric Carle makes to the list again with his fun picture book, From Head To Toe. This book is different from his other work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, in that it is a much more interactive and asks children to participate as they read along.
Children will be taught different movements that animals make and then asked to repeat the same movements themselves.
While on the surface, it appears to be a fun activity book, the children who read it walk away with greater listening skills and equally as important, a greater sense of self-confidence.
The book describes an action done by an animal and then asks the children, “Can you do it?”. Their reaction is, “Yes! I can,” and in an instant, they find the self-confidence to repeat the action they just learned in the book.
This all takes place while learning to focus, read, and have fun at the same time. This kind of message and fun way of delivering it is an invaluable tool for classrooms and in the home.
7- Potty by Leslie Patricelli
The life of a toddler is one of many achievements. Their first word. The first time they walk. First day of preschool/kindergarten.
And of course, learning to use the potty for the first time. It is a sign of their first personal independence. Not relying on an adult to clean up after them. It is truly a great milestone, and sometimes they need a little extra help along the way.
Leslie Patricelli’s Potty is the perfect advocate to help parents communicate with children how and when to go to the potty.
The book has a comedic tone to it, which makes it an entertaining read for both parents and toddlers.
The animated illustrations are easy for children to identify with, and the book teaches children to be patient in the process. They may not be successful the first time around, but they’ll know after reading this book that they shouldn’t give up.
