As my first two years as a parent, I found myself accumulating a lot of children’s literature. After the first week of life, our baby had acquired a sizeable stack of books from family, friends, and coworkers. Books that rhyme, books that light up, indestructible books — books, books, books. Before I knew it, a rack was required for organization, and soon a full-blown bookshelf. I’ve realized that most books don’t get much use, while others have truly stood the test of time. These are the bedtime favorites – the best of the best — the top three books that have entertained our kiddos for long stretches.
What are the best 3 books for toddlers?
The Wheels on the Bus, What Makes it Rain, and Time to Brush are Amy Baby’s recommendations for best books for younger children.
1. The Wheels on the Bus by Paul O. Zelinsky
A classic book that incorporates a classic song! Paul Zelinsky wrote the book in 1990 and it has entertained millions of young children over the past 30+ years. Each page is playful and fun with uniquely designed moving parts to help with child’s motor skills. The fun-factor of a familiar song combined with the interactive nature of this piece make it an excellent pick for parents seeking to get non-readers interested. If your child loves this book like mine, the author also has a follow up titled “Knick Knack Paddy Whack”.
Key Features
- Moveable parts (the wheels go round and round)
- Beautiful illustrations – old school feel
- We can sing together!
- Even though it is very well designed, parts may break after multiple uses
2. What Makes it Rain? By Katie Daynes
This was a gift from a friend that immediately became a hit in our home. The book is filled w little flaps which contain questions, allowing baby to lift the flap and reveal the answer! Our 22-month-old loves folding over the unique tabs to see what’s inside! After doing a little research, I realized there are countless themes and titles incorporating the same style from Usborne – space, germs, flowers, music — whatever your child is taking interest in (or whatever topic you’d like to introduce them to) these are amazing books that pack a punch!
Key Features
- Flaps that lift
- Can spark great conversations!
- Colorful and playful
- Longer reads
- Various topics from same author
3. Time to Brush by Henning Lohlein and Bernd Penners .
These two have a slew of literature which incorporate the use of durable, easy to pull on-and-off stickers. Grandma first introduced our daughter to their other book “All Better”, so we went out and purchased “Time to Brush”. This is a quick read, but one that is frequently requested by our children. There are a few others to choose from, (bedtime book, Christmas book) you should definitely check one out!
Key Features
- Interactive reusable stickers
- Help toddler with getting into brushing teeth routine
- Beautiful illustrations
- Many similar from same authors
- Quick read
