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5 Best Board Books for Toddlers

I’ve mentioned before that Cakes is a little book lover. She is perfectly content to cycle through her entire library of books over and over again. We’ve always placed value on the importance of reading and books and if given the choice, we’d rather she receive books as gifts rather than toys. Of course it’s the thought that counts, but books can be inexpensive and a great way to expand minds and spend quality time together.

While the saying goes that you can’t choose a book by its cover, all books are not created equally. There are books I’ve purchased or checked out from the library that were instant favorites and others that I should have read before buying. I’m sure each book holds a value to someone out there but since a toddler (or mine at least) is most likely going to request reading said book over and over again I want to like the books that we’re reading. Especially because I’ll likely end up memorizing them and so will Cakes.

Here’s my list of the Top 5 Best Board Books for Toddlers.

  • Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman is a book I fondly remember from my own childhood. If you haven’t read the book it’s about a baby bird that wakes up to find his mother missing. Little does he know, she flew off to find him some food. The baby bird sets off in search of his mother and asks many different creatures and objects if they’re his mother before finding himself back in the nest and knowing that his mother is the one that returns with food for him.

  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a newer book and one that I hadn’t realized existed until last year. It’s the tale of a butterfly from to egg to caterpillar to its final self. The book shows how hungry a growing, changing being can be and the journey it takes to finally comes into its own.
  • Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is another classic children’s book. This was one of the first books that my daughter started reciting back to me. I love this tale of a bunny going to bed and saying goodnight to everything he could see and think of to delay going to sleep. This definitely reminds me of my Cakes who likes to avoid going to bed at all costs and will do anything to stay up just a little bit longer.

  • Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney is the sweet tale depicting the love of a bunny family. The baby bunny tells the mama bunny how much he loves them and each time the mama outdoes him in terms of how much she loves her child. The final page has the baby bunny telling the mama that he loves her all the way to the moon. The mama responds with, “I love you all the way to the moon and back.”

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle is another colorful story by Eric Carle. I love the whimsical nature that Carle injects in each of his stories and this one is all about the sounds at the zoo. The animals and their noises play a pivotal role in this tale but there’s a cute twist at the end.

What’s your child’s favorite book? Or what was your favorite book as a child?

100 Books All Kids Should Read | Live-In Nanny

Wednesday 21st of May 2014

[…] How Much I Love You. Texas Type A Mom suggests this delightful book about a parent’s love for her […]

Lisa @ Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy

Thursday 20th of October 2011

YOu know, I've never gotten into Goodnight Moon but I know I'm like the only one. LOVE all the others!

Jenn

Tuesday 18th of October 2011

I need to get some of these for Sweet T. Right now she only wants to read Baby Einstein Touch and Feel, but her tastes change with the wind.

Henrietta

Tuesday 18th of October 2011

My children loved these books as well, I can still remember how much my now 16yo son loved it when we would read "Are you my mother?" together!

Penelope

Tuesday 18th of October 2011

1 and 3 are also on the NookCOLOR…so cute!