Picture books for the 18 months to 36 months range
For the newly mobile toddlers, sitting still can be a trial. For a parent, catching five minutes here and there to offer up a book is likely all that this age will tolerate. Between short attention spans, limited vocabulary, and few life experiences, finding a book for this age can be a challenge. Below are some of the best books I've found. They are short, with only a few words or perhaps a couple of sentences per page, so you or your child can turn the pages quickly. These also often have fun rhymes and do not expect a child to ponder deeply into the meaning of life.
I recommend also checking out the Baby Books (board books) for more excellent stories for this age (but with less risk of torn pages from little fingers), or the Pre-school books for books with longer stories.
I recommend also checking out the Baby Books (board books) for more excellent stories for this age (but with less risk of torn pages from little fingers), or the Pre-school books for books with longer stories.
Quick as a Cricket by Wood
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Are You my Mother? by Eastman
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The Lion and the Mouse by Pinkney
This is a wordless book with gorgeous pictures, but another version with text may be easier to read. |
Press Here by Tullet
The author has now made several other books like this one (it's interactive!), but this first one is probably the best. It also may be better for the pre-school age as a toddler may not 'get it' yet. |
Caps for Sale by Slobodkina
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Chicken Soup with Rice by Sendak
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The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Berenstain
Despite the title, this isn't actually all that spooky. |
Giraffes Can't Dance by Andreae
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How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Yolen
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The Snowman by Briggs
This picture book is wordless (and the original version), but there is another one out there which adds text. |
Fox in Sox by Dr. Seuss
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More by Springman
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Room for a Little One by Waddell
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God Loves Me More Than That by Mackall
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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Numeroff
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Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Willems
This is a best seller, but I'll admit my toddler didn't care for it at first. Encourage your child to say his favorite word (NO!) after every page to help him enjoy this. |
May I Please Have a Cookie? by Morris
My toddler loved to take a big sniff on the page that said 'He loved to smell the cookies'! So this can be used to teach the senses as well as saying 'please'. |
Steam Train, Dream Train by Rinker
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Home for a Bunny by Brown
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Leo the Late Bloomer by Kraus
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Joseph had a Little Overcoat by Taback
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Go Away Big Green Monster! by Emberley
This book can help children overcome fears - or it may create them if your child never thought about monsters before and is sensitive. |
The Water Hole by Base
Beautiful book with hidden images, a lesson on counting, and a message about conservation. The pages are easily torn, however (the cut-out hole just begs for little fingers to poke at it) |
Each Peach Pear Plum by Ahlberg
Cute book, but it may take a couple of read-throughs for a young child to figure out how this works (finding the "hidden" images). |
Good News, Bad News by Mack
Mostly Wordless, but the pictures do a great job telling an action packed story. |
Widget by McFarland
A story about conformity and how being unique can be valuable (without being preachy) |
Go, Dog. Go! by Eastman
Very simple text - the word 'dog' is found on every page and so this is great for teaching beginning reading skills. |
Mr. Tiger Goes WIld by Brown
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Beautiful Oops! by Saltzberg
Despite being a board book, this definitely isn't made for a baby and might even be better served as a pre-school book. I was undecided, so it ended up here. |
Rosie's Walk by Hutchins
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Carrot Seed by Krauss
I honestly didn't expect this 1945 picture book to be a hit considering the muted colors and very short story, but my toddler surprised me by asking for it often. Here is the song (which is inspired by the book, but not identical) |
Too Tall Houses by Marino
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Bears in the Night by Berenstain
Other Berenstain Bears books are awesome too, but most would probably be best as Preschool level books. |
The Pout-Pout FIsh by Diesen
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My Friend Rabbit by Rohmann
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Slinky Malinki by Dodd
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Lemons are Not Red by Seeger
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Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Thomas
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Is your mama a llama? by Guarno
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Llama Llama Red Pajama by Dewdney
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Animals should definitely not wear clothing by Barrett
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Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
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