As parents, we take time to choose the best for our little people, be it toys, clothes or activities to keep them engaged. The same is true for books. Reading with and to toddlers is not just important for language development, but is also an incredibly interesting activity that can easily go on to become a lifelong habit. Books and reading open up a whole new world for the imaginative, inquisitive toddler who learns to look at books and build language and vocabulary skills as well as develop a fertile and vivid imagination. However, it is important that parents choose the right kind of books for toddlers, since that will ensure that the little ones take to reading easily.
Here are a few types of books that are ideal for toddler reading and handling.
Picture Board Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Board books are ideal for babies and toddlers who would love to gum the books more than actually “read” them. You can begin with board books that have pictures of daily activities, animals, places or familiar objects. Toddlers enjoy being able to see pictures and therefore picture books will be a hit with them. You can point out what each picture shows and help them build vocabulary and language skills.
Bookstores are filled with a huge variety of these books that are ideal for toddlers, since they are easy to handle and can withstand considerable rough handling by eager, little hands.
Cloth and Vinyl Books
Made of soft, colorful cloth, these books are perfect for toddlers since they’re easy to carry around, flip through and even snuggle with. My toddler has a Lamaze cloth book, “Peek-a-Boo, I Love You”, that shows family relationships and she adores it. She carries it with her to bed and ends up going to sleep holding it. Karen Katz’s Baby’s Day is another great book that is beautifully illustrated and discusses different parts of a baby or toddler’s day – waking up, bath time, play time, reading and bed time.
Cloth books, too, can withstand rough handling and their colorful pictures and soft textures are ideal for toddler play and reading sessions. Vinyl books are great for bathtime and can help to entertain toddlers, like mine, who do not enjoy getting their hair shampooed.
Toddler Books with Textures and Activities
These days, there are many books for young readers that have a plenty of “touch and feel” activity. For instance, in a book about animals, the lion’s mane may be yellow wool or a girl’s dress may be actual fabric. These are educational and interesting and toddlers enjoy being able to touch and feel different things. Books with flaps to lift and see what’s hidden underneath are also quite popular with toddlers and encourage their natural curiosity. The Peek-a-Boo book I mentioned earlier uses “Lift-the Flap” to reveal “Mommy”, “Daddy” and so on.
Story and Rhyme Books for Toddlers
These are a well-loved genre and can easily become part of a bedtime ritual. Reading rhymes and stories to your toddler can be an enjoyable and fun activity for both of you and also, develop an early love for reading. Pick any simple story or rhyme book get started. You can, in fact, do double duty by buying cloth or board books that have stories or rhymes such as The Going-To-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton which would be perfect for snuggly bedtimes.
While choosing books for your toddler, it is important that the books be age-specific. There is little enjoyment for a toddler to look at books meant for older children. If your toddler is 15 months, pick a book for the age-group 12 -18 months and so on. These books will have words and pictures that toddlers of a certain age group would be able to absorb and relate to. Not being able to understand anything will only frustrate the curious little reader and lead to a lack of interest in books. Reading with toddlers is fun, great for bonding and boosting creativity. So, go ahead, grab a book and cuddle up with your toddler as you sit down to read and discover new things together.
Photo Credit: Beth Nazario
We love rhyming books here. Even my youngest picks up on their rhythms and memorizes portions. One of my favorites is “I Can’t, Said the Ant” by Polly Cameron. They’ve got it all down, which makes it a TON of fun to read.
Hi Brannan,
Thanks for sharing! Rhyming books are great and when toddlers learn the words, it does make it a lot more fun. I even change the voices of the characters to make repeat readings of favorites more interesting for both me and my daughter:-)