While it’s absolutely okay to fill your little one’s library with books that are just for fun, adding in educational options (such as books that showcase the alphabet, colors, or animals) will help them learn new skills and concepts. We carefully considered age recommendations, storylines, design, and value when reviewing products. Here are the best toddler books to keep reading fun, spark new interests, and bond with a caregiver. Price at time of publication: $8 Price at time of publication: $60 Price at time of publication: $17 Each page features a different animal, like a yeti, cheetah, and llama, with an open mouth and felt teeth so little ones can pretend to feed them. It’s a sweet, interactive children’s book that your kid will love to read with you. Price at time of publication: $9 Price at time of publication: $9 Price at time of publication: $18 Price at time of publication: $17 Price at time of publication: $13 Price at time of publication: $16 Price at time of publication: $19 Price at time of publication: $12 Price at time of publication: $7 Price at time of publication: $9 He builds walls, begs, and pleads to try to get you to stop turning pages, but there’s no doubt your toddler’s curiosity about the monster will only grow as the story goes on. Price at time of publication: $8 Price at time of publication: $7

Durability

To help foster a love for reading, allowing your tot open access to their books is important. So you’ll want to reach for hardcover or board books as they are more likely to hold up against your toddler’s rough handling.

Educational Value

While it is totally okay to stock your little one’s library with books that are just for fun, adding in educational options (such as books that showcase the alphabet, colors, or animals) will help them learn new skills and concepts and prepare for preschool and kindergarten.

Why Trust Verywell Family

Ashley Ziegler is a staff and freelance writer who covers lifestyle, home, parenting, and commerce for a variety of platforms. She’s a mom to 1-year-old and 4-year-old daughters and an aunt to 3 nieces and 2 nephews ranging from 5 to 11 years old. In addition to regularly scouring the internet to find the best things for herself, Ashley spends multiple hours a week researching, comparing, and writing about products specifically for kids and families. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t start to lay the groundwork now. Choose a book that will hold your toddler’s interest and follow the text with your finger as you read. This will help them begin to associate how a word looks with what it sounds like, even if they are a long way from reading independently. But the most important thing you can do in order to establish a lifelong love of reading is to let your toddler simply enjoy books and being read to. Most toddlers enjoy books that feature the things that they love and teach them about the world that they live in. Look for books with repetition and rhyme and bright, bold pictures.  However, that doesn’t mean you should forgo reading physical books altogether. It is important that your toddler sees that you enjoy reading too and that reading is something you can enjoy together. Reading to your toddler means that they can stop and ask a question and pause to look at the pictures, both of which helps build their comprehension.