complete toddler book list
complete toddler book list
(almost) all the books my 2 year old has loved this year
Today I wanted to share something a bit more practical: a list of books that we have enjoyed reading with our two year old this year. Most of the books can be found on my Bookshop List here, but some are out of print and can only be got second hand. I’ve included links to Amazon, eBay, or World of Books listings where possible.
Even before I became a mother, I looked forward to one day reading with my future children. Reading has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and being able to share that my children has been such a blessing.
Recently
shared this note, highlighting that children also deserve to be read the best books, with quality and quantity both being important. I completely agree with this, and I also think that young children are capable of enjoying and understanding more than we often give them credit for. There is no one size fits all with children, so this will of course not apply to every child, but my daughter has consistently surprised me by enjoying books that I deemed “too hard” or “too old” for her. I have also found that most of our favourite books were not published recently. There are a few exceptions to this, but many of the books I’ve listed were books my mum read to me, and some have been enjoyed by generations of children.
I’ve also included some of the things she has enjoyed watching on the tv. I have fairly strict limits around what she is allowed to watch, as I find most modern kids tv programs too over stimulating for me, let alone for a toddler. Most of these are adaptations of books we enjoy reading, so I’ve linked them next to the relevant title.
I’ve organised this list into rough categories to make it easier to peruse, starting with books more suitable for younger two year olds and finishing with books we are currently enjoying with an almost three year old.
Board Books
Most of these are tried and tested children’s classics. I’ve included them anyway because they are famous bestsellers for a reason. Within the space of a year we have gone from reading them to our older daughter, to her trying to read them to her younger sister.
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd. Charming rhyming story about an adventurous dog. There are a few other books featuring Hairy Maclary, some of which are also quite good.
Peepo by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. One of my favourites when I was a child. The gentle humour, detailed illustrations, and repetitive rhyming structure make it stand out.
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. My husband’s favourite childhood book, I had actually never read this until our daughter was born.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. One of the best lift the flap books in my opinion.
Oh Dear! by Rod Campbell. Another of my husband’s favourite childhood books that I hadn’t read. Lovely lift the flap book about a little boy who goes to stay with his grandma and helps collect the eggs from her farm.
Elmer by David McKee.
100 Dogs by Michael Whaite. Our daughter was obsessed with this book for a few months. This charming and rhythmic picture book features 100 dogs and lots of funny details to spot.
The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. There is a lovely made-for-tv movie that came out in 2019 that uses beautiful hand drawn animation and follows the book very faithfully.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Storybooks
At some point we started incorporating more storybooks and gradually moved on from simple lift-the-flap style board books. To start with, most of these still featured some kind of rhyme, and all feature lovely illustrations. I found my daughter would be engrossed by the pictures even if she didn’t always understand all of the words. This list is heavily biased in favour of books I also read as a child, and is shamelessly Anglocentric.
A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson. If you haven’t heard of Julia Donaldson then you must be living under a rock. This is the first children’s book she published, and it is my favourite. It’s a retelling of a Jewish fable, and features illustrations by Axel Scheffler, who of course went on to collaborate with Donaldson on many other books. We did also enjoy The Gruffalo, Stick Man, and The Snail and the Whale.
related: there are some faithful animated adaptations of some of Donaldson’s biggest hits available on Amazon Prime. They all feature soothing soundtracks which was a big bonus from my perspective.
Let’s Go Home, Little Bear and Can’t You Sleep Little Bear? by Martin Waddell. These lovely stories are beautifully illustrated and we have small pocket editions which makes them ideal for taking out and about, or using when travelling.
Floss by Kim Lewis. I spent my teenage years living amongst Derbyshire sheep farmers so this tale about a young sheep dog holds a special. place in my heart.
The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook by Shirley Hughes. I’ve written about how much I love the Alfie books before. We have almost all of them and I cannot recommend highly enough.
see also: Alfie at Nursery School, The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook, Alfie Gets in First, Alfie’s Feet, An Evening At Alfie’s, and Alfie Gives a Hand.
A Piece of Cake and the rest of the Large Family books by Jill Murphy. Humorous and relatable stories about a family of elephants.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.
Katie Morag Island Stories by Mairi Hedderwick. The Katie Morag stories are absolutely charming, with beautiful hand drawn illustrations. The titular character lives on a remote island off the coast of Scotland with her parents, who run the village shop and Post Office. The stories are told from Katie’s perspective, but include themes like her parents juggling work and their growing family, the arrival of a new sibling, making mistakes, and the joys and tensions of extended family relationships.
The World of Peter Rabbit: The Complete Collection by Beatrix Potter. I shared how much my toddler loved The Tale of Samuel Whiskers a few months ago, but we have now read almost all the Tales, her current favourite is The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes, which is hilarious and I had actually never read. I recommend buying the small individual books, you can get a complete set pretty cheaply, or you can pick them up one by one second hand, which is what we have done.
related: There are some lovely 1990s adaptations of some of the Beatrix Potter stories that can be viewed on YouTube for free. My daughter watched these first and I think they helped her enjoy the books at a younger age.
Ladybird Well-Loved Tales by various authors. These vintage picture books from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s are absolutely wonderful. Favourites include The Little Red Hen, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Elves and the Shoemaker, and The Ugly Duckling. Can be found on eBay or secondhand bookstores and vintage/antique shops (at least in the UK).
The Wind in the Willows (abridged) by Kenneth Grahame and adapted by Michael Bishop. This edition seems to be out of print and only available second hand, but it has beautiful illustrations and the story has been abridged very well in my opinion. I’m sure there are other, newer adaptations that are equally beautiful and easier to get hold of.
related: the 1995 movie adaptation with Vanessa Redgrave is absolutely charming and can be freely viewed on YouTube.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (abridged) by C.S. Lewis. Another abridged and illustrated edition of a classic children’s book.
The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem. I adored these books as a young girl, and the intricate illustrations still spark so much joy for me.
Miscellaneous
A few other favourites!
If You Go Down To The Woods Today by Rachel Piercey. Lovely interactive illustrated book. There isn’t a story as such, but each page features gorgeous illustrations with loads of things to find and look at, and the book slowly travels through the seasons of the year from spring through to winter.
My Very First Bible by Diana Mayo. Very simplified illustrated children’s Bible.
related: I introduced our daughter to the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat soundtrack and she loves screaming “JACOB AND SONS” at the top of her lungs. There are a lot of different versions available on Spotify and Apple Music, I can’t find the one I listened to growing up, but I like this one.
Children’s Classic Poetry illustrated by Robin Lawrie. This lovely collection contains over sixty well-loved poems from poets including John Keats, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, Walt Whitman, William Wordsworth, and William Blake. This edition is sadly out of print, but you should be able to find it easily enough online.
The Puffin Book of Nursery Rhymes by Raymond Briggs. Illustrated compendium of nursery rhymes, ranging from famous to more obscure.
Well done if you made it to the end! You can shop this booklist here. I’m always looking for recommendations so let me know if I’ve missed any of your favourites in the comments!
We love many of these, and it’s fun to see your more British selections that I haven’t come across. Our board and picture books skew VERY “boy friendly” so I think we have every possible car, truck, and construction vehicle book of literary merit (there aren’t many as you can imagine). Since you mentioned Julia Donaldson, I think you’d enjoy *The Seven Silly Eaters* (which is about a family with 7 kids) and *A House is a House for Me* by Mary Ann Hoberman. My boys surprised me with their interest in and love for Beatrix Potter, especially the Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and The Roly Poly Pudding.
Some great reads here! I love those little Beatrix Potter books, too. When I discovered them I couldn't afford to buy a whole set new, so I found them individually at thrift stores and managed to acquire most of them. A couple more board books we like at our house: The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and The Little Mouse, The Ripe Red Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood.