20 Best Board Books for Toddlers by Carol Jones at myboredtoddler.com
eBooks might be taking over from traditional books, but when it comes to children’s stories it’s difficult to replace a great picture book. There’s something magical about sharing a story with a toddler and there is so much to be gained from reading to children from an early age. Did you know that if you read just one book a day to your child they will have heard over a thousand stories by the time they turn 3! That’s an awful lot of language exposure!
It’s not hard to find good quality toddler books, in fact the problem is often that there is too much choice. When it comes to choosing toddler books, it pays to look for the board book version. These are much more durable than regular picture books and easier for little hands to use. Many board books also come with pop ups, lift the flaps or touch and feel pages too.
There are many lists of ‘best books’ out there and they all differ based on personal preference. I’ve been working in an early childhood setting for many years now, as well as having young children of my own and these are 20 of my favourite toddler books that are available in board book version.
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It’s an obvious first choice, but it has to be on here. This classic Eric Carle book is perfect for this age group and there are so many fun learning activities that centre around this book. The board book will be read hundreds of times so a sturdy board book version is a must.
The ‘That’s not my….’ series are extremely popular and toddlers LOVE them. The range has expanded and there are so many to choose from now. Each page has a sensory touch and feel element and a repetitive structure that children of this age love.
This is another classic story and one that is perfect for a bedtime read. Be warned that this is one you will be asked to read over and over again.
Such a catchy little rhyme! Another classic from Eric Carle and one where you can expand on this with lots of movement and acting out of the story (search Youtube for some songs to go with the story).
The Spot books have been around since I was a child and the fun of lifting the flaps never goes away. There is a huge range of Spot books out there and children of this age will love lifting the flaps to find Spot and his friends.
This is another book that you’ll probably remember from your own childhood. Like the Spot books the lift the flap part of this book is what makes it so much fun. Lift the flaps to see what animal is there – they’ll love it!
Learn to love the author Giles Anderson. So many amazing stories and beautiful illustrations in these books too. Giraffes can’t dance has a lovely rhyming pattern and a sweet story too.
Guess who’s peeking around the page. A great board book to entice toddlers to guess the animal on the next page. A great simple book for this age group and one they can flick through themselves.
Any book that helps with bed time gets our tick of approval! This is a great book to read just before bed time and it’s one that they’ll soon learn the words to as well.
There’s a reason this books spent a lot of time on the New York Times best seller list. He’s the friendliest little truck on the road and he picks up lots of farmyard friends on the way. Parents will enjoy this one too.
This is a great book for exploring the letters and sounds of the alphabet and it’s super catchy too! You’ll definitely find this book in all early learning centres as it’s a teacher’s favourite.
This is another New York Times best sellers and you will fall in love with the Pout Pout Fish. This book has spawned a whole series of stories about the Pout Pout Fish and it’s one that children really love.
This book is part of a great series, and is about the bedtime rituals of the diggers in the yard. This quickly becomes a favourite and is a beautiful story to read at bedtime.
This is the sweetest book and one every toddler should own. It will quickly become a favourite and there are a few sequels to this one too that are also worth a read.
This is such a classic poem and the Playschool board book version is great for reading along with. Grab 5 rubber ducks and make the book even more fun as you play along with the story.
Ok, so this one might be annoying to the parents (not might, it will be!) but the toddlers will LOVE pressing the big red car sound button for each page. It’s also the Wiggles so it’s guaranteed to be popular!
The illustrations and beautiful rhyming story makes this book a popular choice. We love getting out our trucks and re-enacting the story!
Toddlers love animal sounds and they also love correcting you when you’re wrong. This book is perfect for that! It’s also a lift the flap book.
Lucy Cousins has won many awards for her books and the Maisy series is one of our favourites. Your toddler will love hunting for Maisy in the book.
Eric Carle really does deliver the classic toddler books. This book is great to get children joining in – clapping, stomping and wiggling along with the book.
I really hope this list gives you a great place to start when it comes to choosing the best toddler board books. I also encourage you to take your toddlers to the library and let them choose their own books too!
What are your favourite board books for toddlers?
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