The Best Board Books For Toddlers

In our house, reading is a big pastime! My husband and I both love to read, so naturally, we want our son to love it too. It’s not always easy to read with little ones, but this list of board books for toddlers will surely help!

What if your child doesn’t enjoy reading?

Let’s say you have this great library of board books for your toddler, but they hate reading? Here are some tips to help make reading an enjoyable activity for all!

Start With Touch And Feel Or Interactive Books

Touch-and-feel books are vital to getting a child interested in a book. They will love to feel the different things on each page!

Most touch-and-feel books have different textures like fur on a dog, for example, or things like mirrors. Point out each different texture for your kiddo to touch, and they will love it!

Make It Fun

Storytime is always more fun with animated voices! Try your best to make funny noises and sounds as you read through stories. Similarly, make each character have a different voice and get excited about the story!

If your child senses your silly energy, they will love to join in and make silly voices and noises too.

Attend Activities At The Local Library

Libraries are such fun places for kids, and they are a fantastic place to get your child excited about reading.

If your local library has a website, check it out! Most often than not, they will have a calendar of events you can check out.

Try Everyday!

Even if you only try for a few minutes, you are still making progress! A great way to get some reading into your everyday routine is to add some books into your bedtime routine.

Grab a touch-and-feel bedtime book, dim the lights, and set your kiddo on your lap. If they are a little sleepy, they might be more willing to sit still and focus on the book.

Don’t Force It

Even though you should try reading with your child every day, don’t force it! If your child is not enjoying themselves, it’s OK to stop even after only a minute! You don’t want to have a meltdown on your hands. 😉

No Electronics

When you sit down to read with your kiddo, make sure all electronics are off and away. Start by turning off the TV or computer if it’s on, put your phone out of reach, and make sure to put any tablets away.

Having no electronics on will help diminish any distractions and help promote a calming environment!

Lead By Example

If you enjoy reading, talk about it! Talk about your book while you sit down for breakfast or even at the dinner table!

Another great thing to do is read in front of your kiddo while they have some independent playtime. When your child is playing, and they happen to glance at you, it will reinforce that reading is a fun activity if they see you doing it!

Now, what are the best board books for toddlers?

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Giraffes Can’t Dance

Giraffes Can’t Dance is a fun story starring Gerald, the giraffe. This book is excellent for teaching your kiddo different jungle animals, but there is also a wonderful message in this book that reminds us that it’s OK to be different.

Little Blue Truck

The Little Blue Truck is a relatively newer board book that also has an excellent message. In the Little Blue Truck, your child learns how important it is to lend a helping hand.

My First Curious George

Curious George is such a classic children’s book character; there’s probably a good chance you read about Curious George when you were younger!

What’s excellent about Curious George, aside from the exciting stories, is that if your child loves George, there are many more stories that they can read about him!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is another one of the classic board books for toddlers. This book introduces counting to your kiddo as the hungry caterpillar goes on his eating spree.

Moo, Baa, Lalala

Moo, Baa, Lalala is a book by Sandra Boynton, and if you know that name, you know this is a fun book! This book goes through the different sounds that animals make, so it’s great when your little one is first learning!

Peek A Who?

Peek A Who? is a fun interactive board book. Your kiddo will be guessing who is hiding behind each peekaboo page, leading to a lot of fun and giggles when you get to the last page!

Rainbow Fish

The Rainbow Fish is a beautiful book that will teach your kiddo the importance of sharing. On top of this important lesson, this book is also very visually appealing with hologram scales and nice ocean colors.

Corduroy

Corduroy is a must-have classic children’s book. In this book, you will follow a little stuffed bear and his adventure to find a friend despite his imperfections.

If I Were An Octopus

If I Were An Octopus is a touch-and-feel book with fascinating animations and textures on each page! There are also many other books in this series, so you might be able to find a book about your child’s favorite animal!

Dear Zoo

Dear Zoo is a lift-the-flap book, meaning different flaps on each page reveal a surprise underneath when lifted.

This book is great because it will help develop your child’s fine motor skills when they practice lifting the flaps, and it also helps teach your child zoo animals.

Never Touch A…

The Never Touch A… series is one of my son’s favorites! That’s because these board books for toddlers are touch-and-feel books with a little unique spin; the touch-and-feel spots are different textures made of a rubbery material.

By using this different kind of material, it provides so many different textures to feel! Also, there are so many other stories. Similarly to Curious George, if your child loves these books, there are so many to choose from!

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

In the book, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, you will find the domino effect that happens when you give a little mouse a snack. This is such a fun book, and this is another book with many other books in the series.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is a fabulous book that will teach your child numerous things. For example, with descriptions like ‘soft yellow duck,’ your kiddo will learn about colors, animals, and textures!

Bedtime Books:

Time For Bed, Pete The Kitty

Time For Bed, Pete The Kitty is a favorite in our house, and we read it every night. This book shows Pete the kitty as he goes through his bedtime routine.

What makes this book fun is that your kiddo can relate to Pete if they have a bedtime routine as well. For example, if they take a bath before bed or brush their teeth, they will see Pete doing those things and will be able to connect.

Dinosnores

Dinosnores is another one of Sandra Boynton’s board books. In this book, you will see the dinosaurs getting ready for bed. Once they’re all asleep, well, you can probably guess what’s going to happen based on the title. 😉

The Going To Bed Book

The Going To Bed Book is another bedtime favorite that we read every night. It’s also another book by Sandra Boynton, so it’s also a silly one!

Night Night Farm

Night Night Farm is an excellent book for teaching your little one some common farm animals. This book also has the bonus of being glow-in-the-dark, which is unique!

Goodnight, My Honey Bunny

Goodnight, My Honey Bunny is another touch-and-feel book that follows two bunnies on their way to bed; but what makes this book unique is that it has a button on each page that plays a special noise.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur, Say Goodnight

If you are looking for a nursery rhymes book, Dinosaur, Dinosaur, Say Goodnight is a great option! This is because it has both new rhymes and the classic nursery rhymes but with the fun new twist of being about dinosaurs!

Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You is such a sweet book about two Nutbrown Hares who are heading off to bed. They try to top how much they love each other, resembling their love to something bigger each time.

I hope you found some new board books for your toddler in this post that they will love! Your kiddo will enjoy these books for years to come.

Before you go, check out these related articles:

• Easy 6-Month-Old Baby Activities
• Fun 9-Month-Old Baby Activities
• Simple 12-Month-Old Activities
• What To Teach Your 1-Year-Old – The Ultimate Guide
• Potty Training Essentials You Need For Success

What are some of your favorite board books for toddlers? I would love to know in the comments below!

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