Most toddlers love to have books to look at and have read to them. Giving a child a book as a gift is a welcome gift that will continue to “give” them joy each time they pick it up to look at or have it read to them. I have listed below a few suggestions for books for toddlers in 2012 that will get you started on supplying the little one with a library of his or her very own. Some of the books are educational in nature but are disguised as a fun book and others are just for the shear joy of reading.
With a softly padded cover for little hands to hold, your toddler will begin to learn some first words that are essential to his or her development in reading. The bright board book introduces 100 simple first words for toddlers to begin to recognize on sight. Color photographs also assist in the learning, too. By first seeing the pictures they can learn what items are called and what they look like, later they will begin to read the words associated with the pictures. You and your toddler will have hours of fun while teaching and learning together with this book.
Recommended for toddlers 1 year old and older.
One of Sandra Boynton’s popular board books with fresh new illustrations of her famous animal characters. The non-traditional text create some delightful silliness to be shared by all ages. The toddler will get just as much of a giggle as the adult reading the book to him or her! Doggies is also a counting book that will introduce toddlers to the concept of numbers while entertaining them with the hilarious images and situations. The book is printed on thick board pages so that the smallest of toddlers can handle the books without damaging the pages.
Recommended for children ages 1 year old and older.
Ten Little Monkeys: Jumping on the Bed
While singing along to this traditional rhyme, your toddler will begin to develop his or her number skills. The illustrations are so much fun to look at while reading the book to a child. While reading this book with a child you will find some pretty awesome teachable moments with number recognition, counting, and even the discussion of feelings. (How did that little monkey feel when he fell off the bed?)
Recommended for toddlers 2 years of age and older.
A delightful story about Bear and his friendships with the other animals. Bear wants to share a story with someone before he goes to sleep for the winter but he finds his friends are all very busy preparing for the coming winter, too. Once he has helped each of his friends get their preparations completed, will there be anyone who will listen to his story? The toddler will also learn about the art of patience as the story unveils itself.
Recommended reading for ages 2 years old and older.
A new book for 2012 is being heralded as a future classic read aloud book for toddlers. The picture book will delight children as they begin to say out loud, “Oh No!” each time a different animal falls into a deep, dark hole. Humorous, silly, and a sure to be favorite at story time. Illustrated by award winning artist Eric Rohmann and written by Candice Fleming makes this book an instant hit with both children and adults.
Recommended for toddlers 2 years of age and older.
Look and Find Books – Hidden pictures in the pages
A mom recommends the following:
Giant Look and Find: Thomas and Friends
Look and Find are the activity books that we spend a lot of time on. Reading through clues and searching the pages for the items can take a lot of time and keep the mind active. There are also search books where we just admire the creativity that went into making the scenes. In this lens, I will highlight some of the favorites that have found their way to our house. And even some that haven’t.
The book is designed for children ages 3 and older, toddlers, kindergarten and pre-school.
What’s Up, Duck?: A Book of Opposites (Duck & Goose)
From the popular series of books featuring Duck and Goose, this book explains the concept of opposites. This is not always an easy idea for young children to understand. So, the book gives examples like a heavy log and a very light feather and other examples of the basic things that fall into the opposite category.
Recommended for ages 2 years of age and older.