Rissa Recommends: 8 Books for Toddlers

In our first vlog I said we would share some book recommendations. I was hoping to do this in a vlog but I don’t want to delay sharing these with you anymore. We had some bad luck in our attempts to record the book segment. So, these books come highly recommended by my toddler. These are the books she brings to us to read to her frequently as well as sit and page through on her own. Most of these are part of our daily routine!

Rissa Recommends: 8 Books for Toddlers

I have linked each to their listing on Amazon for easy ordering if you want to add to your library!

Dr. Seuss’s ABC An Amazing Alphabet Book is the small board book and abridged version of the original. I got the board book for Rissa when she was still gnawing on her books more than reading them. This book has been her favorite since she could pick it up and bring it to me. We used to read it ALL the time. It is falling apart now, but she still likes to go through it. The rhymes and repetition are great fun for her. I have memorized this version and was put to the test when I was in the ER last fall after a gall bladder attack. Rissa was fussing (it was the middle of the night and I was hooked up to machines) so to calm her I recited it from memory while I was on morphine!

A Gift for Baby expresses natural/attachment parenting from a child’s point of view. Rissa likes cosleeping, breastfeeding, being carried, etc. so it’s no surprise that she can identify with this book. When we get to the page where the baby says “I like to nurse,” she’s been signing for milk. Sometimes she wants to nurse right then (and we have read through this book while nursing)! Each line is also translated into Spanish, so it offers a great opportunity for language development. (We received this for review last spring and it is still getting love!)

The Nose That Didn’t Fit has such a great message about loving yourself. Rue thinks his nose is too big, but after he gets The Wizard to shrink it he meets a girl who thinks it’s too small! This book has lots of taped up pages from constant page turning! Rissa is a bit obsessed with noses lately too. (We received this one to review for the holidays and it’s still getting love!)

Watson and the Case of the Sneaky Stealer is the first book that comes with Watson the Raccoon from Hallmark’s Interactive Story Buddy line. We received Watson and Jingle last year for the holidays to review as part of our gift guide. While Rissa does like Jingle, it is clear she prefers Watson. She knows him by name too. I can say “Where is Watson?” and she will find the stuffed raccoon! When she wants to read his story she brings both the book AND Watson. It can get annoying as she turns him off and on repeatedly, but she gets such a kick out of him responding to certain lines I say.

Hand Hand Fingers Thumb was a classic I remembered loving from my childhood. So… I bought it for my daughter a few months ago and she loves it! (Of course.)  It’s super rhyme-y and pretty simple, but it makes it fun for the littles…especially if they like monkeys or drums.

Goodnight Moon is another classic. We don’t actually read this one most of the time. Instead we find things in the room. Rissa is pretty good at showing me the red balloon, kittens, socks, clocks, and the bunny going to bed. She has a stuffed bunny named Harry, so we say it is Harry the Bunny.

First 100 Words by Bright Baby is one of the first books I got Rissa. It’s big with thick board pages. It’s not a story, but it has lots of pictures with the word for them. This has been a great learning tool for us. Since she was less than a year old, she has enjoyed looking through and pointing at the pictures. She will identify ones she knows and likes me to tell her what she is pointing at. Some items she will now point out in the house when I ask her about them.

Too Much Noise is another one of my childhood favorites. It’s not full of rhyming like most of her other favorites since it is geared toward preschool/kindergarten aged kids. She does like it, but brings it to me less than the others. Her favorite part is going through all the animal noises.

Have you read any of these books? Which one looks the most interesting to you?

______

Book cover images from Amazon

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.