You want your kids to have imaginations without limits, to learn and understand the entire world around them. The first step to giving this opportunity, and more to your kids, is to simply open a good book and read! 

Finding great books to read to your toddler can be a challenge, especially if they are a wiggly, on-the-move type of a toddler, but this is a great age to get your child started with the love of books. If you aren’t sure what books to grab off the shelf, here are a few you can start with:

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

This classic children’s book is full of vibrant colors, a great story line, and a touch of science, as your child can learn the life cycle of a butterfly. It’s an easy book to read to your kids and incorporate fun activities to do with them later – like this super cute butterfly kit from Insect Lore.

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2. Pajama Time!

Looking for a book to get your toddler excited for bed time, then look no further! This is a super fun book full of rhymes and pajama time dancing. Your toddler will be begging for pajama time each night!

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3. Touch and Feel Farm

If you are having a hard time getting your little one to sit still, the Touch and Feel books work wonders at getting your toddler engaged in story time. Touch and Feel Farm is full of pages with different textures your child can touch, and cute photos of farm animals. You can teach your child what sounds the animals make for an extra dose of fun!

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4. Goodnight Moon

This is another book that is great for bedtime reading. With each turn of the page, you are focusing on a different feature of the room, from the portrait hanging on the wall with three bears in it, to the comb sitting on the table. Your child will easily relax to the softly illustrated pages and they will love saying “goodnight” to each item in the little bunny’s room. It’s also a book that has a catchy rhyme scheme, and rhyming is essential in your little one’s future, when they learn to read.  

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5. The Monster at the End of this Book

Grover is a very anxious monster. He’s worried about the monster that’s at the end of the book. Your toddler will be giggling with each turn of the page as Grover begs them not to turn the next page. If you haven’t read this one, we won’t spoil the ending, but we will tell you that Grover has absolutely nothing to worry about! 

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6. My First Busy Book 

If you are looking for a book that can help your kids learn animal sounds, colors, numbers and more, this is the one. With all the beautiful art work and color of Eric Carle, My First Busy Book is sure to catch your little one’s attention, and it’s full of “all the basic” concepts you want to be working on at this age.  

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7. Love You Forever

This one might be more for mom and dad than it is for your little one, but it’s a beautiful story of a mother who looks at her newborn son and tells him that she will love him forever. The story continues as the boy grows, and his mother’s love is always with him. In the end, their roles reverse, and the son is able to tenderly take care of his mother the same way. This one might just cause a tear to roll down your cheek, and it’s worth a read!  

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8. A is for Apple

It can be difficult for your toddler to sit through a whole book about the alphabet, but with this book, you will be able to keep their fingers moving through the letters as you read about them. It hits three of their senses – hearing, seeing, touching – and is sure to keep them engaged.

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Regardless of the books you select for your toddler, the most important thing is that you take the time to read. You can play a big part in installing the love of reading in your child by starting now, and most importantly, by not giving up. 

If your little one has a hard time sitting through story time, don’t stress about it, but keep at it. The importance of reading is best stated by the great author Dr. Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. he more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”