Most parents know the importance of introducing babies and toddlers to books in order to grow a literate adult. Choosing the type of book that will be a winner with both the kiddies and the parents, is not always easy. Here are some ideas for babies and toddlers.
Lena: My recent discovery is Yawning Yoga, and I absolutely love it – my daughter is actually looking forward to going to bed. She can spend hours looking through the books before falling asleep. Yawning Yoga is activity book. While I am reading it to her, she has to follow the rhymes – stretching, bending, and breathing. It works miracles – after we are done, she is so much more relaxed and falls asleep shortly after.
Emily: The Boy will be turning three in July, and is fascinated with books and magazines. His current favorites are Where the Wild Things Are, The Lorax, and Corduroy. Each time he sits with a book, either on his own or with a parent, he is quite engaged. He enjoys the pictures, and the words. I enjoy watching him “read” on his own, when he gets to certain pages, he recites the words.
Gena: Both of my boys are obsessed with “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” right now. I think we read it about five times a day! I like books like this that actually teach something! So in a way, learning through a book instead of me trying to explain how something works makes life easier for me!
Ghada: My guy used to love the Hungry Caterpillar! He couldn’t get enough of making the yum yum and chewing sounds. At the moment he is a big fan of Dr Seuss books, primarily those that feature The Cat in the Hat. We love “I Can Read with my Eyes Shut” and “The Sneeches” over and over. The simple words and pictures make it easy for him to memorize the stories.
Mariah: As an elementary school teacher, I love children’s literature and I cannot wait to share some classics with W. I also cannot wait to share my favorites like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! But right now, any board book that can stand up to his teeth is a winner in my opinion! I’ve learned that not all board books are created equally!
Lena: Mariah, can you suggest any super tough board books? My 2 yo son seems to be tougher than any books we have in the house.
Mariah: I’ve tried to pinpoint what helps them last longer. There are definitely books that have thicker pages and ones with thinner pages, so check that. Also, the books that have things he can touch and feel last for quite a while as long as they have thick pages. I think it may be because he is distracted and doesn’t just chew on them!
Darcy: I’m not sure these make my life easier, but I actually posted Rissa’s top8 favorite books earlier this week!http://
Leila: My kids love the Seek and Find books or I Spy books. Those books can keep my kids occupied for hours. Dr. Seuss is also a big winner here!
Ghada: Fabric books are great for the littlies under 1. Both have enjoyed fabric books that make crinkly noises and are very tactile. I love them too! They’re usually about 5-6 pages of bright images in primary colors. Keeps them entertained and they can drool and bite them and it all just dries up after awhile – no mess!
Mariah: Ghada, I forgot about fabric books! They definitely last! In recent months my son hasn’t been as interested in them as he is in the board books but I’m still glad that we have a few fabric books!
Leila: Oh, bath books were great when they were younger! Ghada’s fabric books idea reminded me of that!
Ghada: Yep, bath books are great. Unfortunately like bath toys, if you don’t take care of them they get mildewy. We had a problem with that 🙁
Thank You for your great ideas, Ghada of Mama Goes BAM, Mariah of Formula Mom, Lena of Way2Goodlife, Emily of Nap Time is My Time, Leila of The Go To Mommy, Darcy of Tales From the Nursery, and Gena of Captain Fussy Buckets.
Do you and your little ones enjoy particular books?
We love reading! Thank you for this!
We are always on the lookout for books to add to our library and I appreciate you all sharing. I can’t wait to add Yawning Yoga to our library. I think my little one will enjoy it too!
All my kids are now adults, but I am looking forward to reading together with my new grandson (6 months old now). Thank you for the above recommended books.
🙂 Hi Ghada,
An essential topic, and each of you ladies highlighted excellent points.
As an Educational Consultant, children’s books is part of what I share with families, so feel free to contact me when you would like suggestions, and/or looking for a particular title to match the kids interest.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I love love love exploring books with the kids! It’s so nice to see my 15 month old really enthralled in reading