What Young Children Like in Books

Choose the books your baby and toddler will love!

Infants
Birth – 6 months

  • Books with simple, large pictures or designs with bright colors.

  • Board books (stiff cardboard), or fold out books that can be propped up in crib.
  • Cloth and soft vinyl books with simple pictures of people or familiar objects that can go in the bath or can be washed.

6 – 12 months

  • Board books with photos of other babies, brightly colored books, and “chunky books” to touch.

  • Books with photos of familiar objects like balls and bottles.
  • Books with sturdy pages that can be propped up or spread out on a blanket.
  • Plastic/vinyl books for bath time.
  • Small plastic photo albums of family and friends.

Young Toddlers

  • Sturdy board books that can be carried easily.

  • Books with photos of children doing familiar things, like sleeping or playing.
  • Goodnight books for bedtime.
  • Books about saying hello and good-bye.
  • Animal books of all sizes and shapes.
  • Books with simple rhymes or predictable text.
  • Books with only a few words on the page.

Toddlers
2 – 3 years

  • Books that tell simple stories/simple rhyming books that can be memorize.
  • Bed time books.
  • Books about counting, the alphabet, shapes or sizes.
  • Animal books, vehicle books, books about playtime.
  • Books with their favorite TV characters inside.
  • Books about saying hello and goodbye.