The Best Books For 1-2 Year Olds I’ve Bought (So Far)

PublishedAugust 6, 2018

Hot on the heels of my list of favorite books for a not-yet-one-year-old, here is a roundup of some of the best books for a 1-2 year old. You’ll likely recognize some of these from when you were young (classics can’t be beat), but there are some great newer books as well. Enjoy!

Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
This was my favorite book as a kid and I was delighted to find that it’s still a hit today and holds up well (no weirdly sad or menacing elements). It’s fun to have babies and toddlers act out the physical elements (stamping feet, shaking fists…) and yelling “You monkeys you, you give me back my caps” at the top of your lungs.

The Elephant and the Bad Baby by Elfrida Vipont
The repeated nonsensical “rumpeta rumpeta rumpeta” always elicits laughter.

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman
We read The Best Nest as often as the more popular, Are You My Mother? (even though the wife bird is pretty mean to the husband).

Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
The repetitive question/answer of this series is so fun for small children. We got the mini version for the car and also the slide-the-flap version for home, which is even nicer.

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Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
Just like Brown Bear, so much so that it is billed as “The rollicking companion to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” (best ever book blurb). Kids love reading these over and over. Plus it’s fun to make the animal noises (I challenge someone to do a better peacock impression than me! Mine has actually inspired peacocks to dance and fan their tails…)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault and Lois Ehlert
My child still loves this book and now “reads” it to me. The visuals are great and it’s a good way to learn letters as well.

Mr. Brown Can Moo by Dr. Seuss
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
There’s a Wocket In My Pocket by Dr. Seuss
The small “pocket” versions of these three books are always in our car and get read a lot. Very sturdy and have held interest over the years.

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown and Felicia Bond
The illustrations are gorgeous and it’s nice to look for all of the different animals. Plus, it’s a great bed time book because all the animals settle down in the barn and the language is so calming.

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Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Another good “winding down” bedtime book.

Heads by Matthew Van Fleet
This pop-up/interactive book is amazing and so entertaining to play with. The “sneeze” page is a favorite.

Zoo-ology by Emmanuelle Grundmann and Joelle Jolivet
This stunning book has so many obsure animals. It’s fun to go through and point out differences and similarities (feathers, wings, lives in water, furry, etc.). It’s oversize format makes it a very cool birthday gift, though tough to fit on the bookshelf (but I still love it).

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