Quick Story Time!
Yesterday, during my five-minute house reset, my toddler sat independently and sang along to a big stack of books he had independently picked. (Cue the actual tears.*This is the quick snap shot I captured below!*)
As a previous Kindergarten teacher, I have books everywhere in our house. Books are in my son’s room, the living room, the playroom, and even my restroom. Buckets of themed books and timeless stories, board books, interactive books, and music books. We are constantly reading. I love it!
Picking a book from the shelf and cuddling up to read is a regular part of our daily rhythm! If you’re looking to cultivate a love for learning and reading with your children, these are our must-reads!
If you want to skip to the good part, and see the comprehensive list of must-reads that helped my toddler pretend read months before two you can. Or keep reading to discover why they made the list of favorites out of a hundreds in our home library.
Our Must Have Books!
Please know all books linked are in board book form. Every book on this list is read multiple times a week, if not multiple times a day over here! (If you purchase through any link throughout the post, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
Books For The Heart
Thank You, God is one of my all-time favorite children’s books. “Thank you, God” was one of my child’s first phrases. EVER. Cue *more* tears! Isn’t that the whole goal of motherhood in general? To raise our children to know and love the Lord, too! My favorite line in the book is “Thank you, God, for my heart and soul. That gives me grace and makes me whole.”
If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart, God Made Us, and My First Bible Stories are other books we read on repeat!
Our Daily Night Time Story
Good Night, Little One is probably my son’s favorite book! Every night when it’s time for bed, he crawls into his sleep sack, knowing he’s about to get tons of kisses before he rests his head. Each page shows a baby animal and its parent giving it kisses. So, as my husband and I read the book, we take turns giving kisses. “Good night, nose! Good night, toes.” It goes on and on. (It’s fantastic for learning body parts!) If you try this with your little one, they will beg you to read it each night, too! In less than three minutes, each night, your child will be covered in love and kisses before resting their head!
Photo Books
A baby photo book is perfect for your little one learning their loved ones quickly! It’s soft for their little hands and chew-proof. (We put multiple photos behind one another so we can rotate through all of our extended family!) To make this “book” complete, you’ll need to print 8 4 by 6 pictures to put in the picture sleeves.
Sound Books
Music books such as Canticos Happy! ¡Feliz! and Coco Learns Spanish are great to use to increase your child’s interest in tummy time! I would prop up my son on his belly while I played different songs from the book. I learned Spanish nursery rhymes and got to fold laundry in peace. Now, fast forward a year and a half, and he is independently “reading” these books while I do a quick house reset!
If I Were A _________ Series
The Jelly Cat Series If I Were A _________. Is one of my favorite touch book series for newborns. The textures in the book are very stimulating and have a wide variety of things to touch! I love that the pictures are calming too. Your baby will want to engage with each page!
Encourage Interaction
Dear Zoo, Never Touch the _____, and Old Mac Donald’s Farm Pop it Counting Book are some of our favorite books that encourage hands on interaction! The Melissa and Doug Pop It series books are very durable and perfect for little hands! After hearing over and over, your toddler will want to “read” these independently!
Growing Vocabulary
The Priddy Series is my favorite toddler book to foster their budding vocabulary and explore the world all around them. The Poke a Dot book mini-series collection has one picture and a pop-a-dot per page. It’s ideal for children learning their first words!
Indestructibles
Indestructibles are truly that. Indestructible. They are chew-proof, rip-proof, and are actually washable. We recieved one as a gift and loved it so much, we asked for about 20 more last Christmas! They stand true to their name!
I recommend this series for you if your child is showing interest in naming items. They have photos that are engaging conversation starters, but don’t necessarily tell a story. You can use these books to teach and expose your child to paper-textured books, and model proper book care without them ripping pages out!
My son’s favorite right now at 20 months are Things That Go, Baby Find Shapes, Baby See the Colors.
Timeless Stories
Lastly, here are some of our timeless classics that your child is bound to love! If these are already in your home library I highly recommend: Giraffes Can’t Dance, Barnyard Dance, Little Blue Truck, and the Wonkey Donkey. These stories will make your heart smile, and you’ll want to read them over and over!
Save this book list to Pinterest!
