There’s no better way to end the day with your little one than by snuggling up to read a story at bedtime. If you are stuck for book ideas for the coming year, here’s 135 to help you out. I was aiming for 365, one for every day of the year.. but it will take me forever!

I have categorised them to make it easy to find the kind of thing your child likes, although of course some books would  have fitted into more than one category.

These are all books which have been (and still are!) read and enjoyed by my 3 children. Please do share any of your own book recommendations for toddlers with us in the comments section at the end of the post – Who knows, if you all chip in perhaps we will make it up to 365 in the end!

This is the first in a series of literacy posts over the month. Do check back if you have children learning to read too, as I will be reviewing lots of resources to help them learn.

book recommendations for toddlers

Classic Choices

guess how much i love you cover

  1. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
  2. The Gruffalo
  3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  4. Dear Zoo
  5. Guess How Much I Love You
  6. Peace At Last
  7. Owl Babies
  8. The Mr. Men Series
  9. Are You My Mummy?
  10. Hugless Dougless

More Storybooks

the adventures of the owl and pussy cat

  1. You Choose
  2. Conker and Nudge
  3. Dot to Dot
  4. The Night Iceberg
  5. The Empty Stocking (Christmas)
  6. The Paper Dolls
  7. The Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat
  8. Susan Laughs
  9. Who’s in the Garden
  10. Lively Elizabeth
  11. Baggy Brown and the Royal Baby
  12. Well Done Little Bear
  13. Stanley’s Stick
  14. I Love You Just the Way You Are
  15. Who’s Making that Noise?
  16. Goodnight, Hippo.
  17. Copy Cat
  18. The Highway Rat
  19. Whatever Next
  20. Stickman
  21. Cave Baby
  22. A Squash and A Squeeze
  23. Big!
  24. Play Jokes with Cheeky Monkey
  25. Dr Seuss: Dizzy Days
  26. The Going to Bed Book
  27. The Tiger Who Came to Tea
  28. Yeti and the Bird
  29. Duck in the Truck
  30. I Don’t Want to Go to Bed
  31. The Jolly Postman
  32. Sharing a Shell
  33. Do You Speak English Moon?
  34. Billy the Goat’s Big Breakfast
  35. My Dad
  36. A Bed of Your Own
  37. Muffin Bedtime Cuddles
  38. I feel Happy
  39. My Mum’s The Best
  40. I Want to Win (The Little Princess)

Fairy Tales

  1. The Story of Pinocchio
  2. The Gingerbread Man
  3. Goldilocks and the Three Bears
  4. Jack and the Beanstalk
  5. There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly

Animals

wakey wakey big brown bear cover

  1. Peter Rabbit: The Tale of a Naughty Little Rabbit
  2. Walking Through the Jungle
  3. Everybody Loves Butterflies
  4. Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you See?
  5. Have You Heard a Lion Roar
  6. Wanted: The Perfect Pet
  7. Nanny Fox
  8. Touch and Feel Farm
  9. Puppies!
  10. Wakey Wakey Big Brown Bear

Transport

little car cover

  1. Bear on a Bike
  2. I Wish I Were a Pilot
  3. Amazing Machines
  4. Can You Choo Choo Too?
  5. Things That Go
  6. Driving My Tractor
  7. Dougal the Digger
  8. The Big Red Bus
  9. Little Car
  10. My Big Truck Book

Dinosaurs

three little dinosaurs cover

  1. Three Little Dinosaurs
  2. Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs Books
  3. The Dinosaur Games
  4. That’s Not My Dinosaur
  5. The Really Really Really Big Dinosaur

Colours

touch and feel colours cover

  1. Wobble Bear Says Yellow
  2. Colour Me Happy
  3. Hugh’s Blue Day
  4. Blue Chameleon
  5. Little Learners: Touch and Feel Colours

Rhyming and Song

portside pirates book

  1. Port Side Pirates
  2. Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes
  3. The Animal Boogie
  4. Old McDonald Had a Farm
  5. Songs from the Station

Alphabet

a to z picture book cover

  1. Thomas and Friends Amazing ABC
  2. ABC Animal Rhymes for You and Me
  3. A to Z Picture Book
  4. Apple Pie ABC
  5. Babar’s ABC

Counting

one gorilla cover

  1. One Gorilla
  2. One Two, That’s My Shoe
  3. Babar’s Counting Book
  4. Count 123
  5. My Granny Went to Market
  6. Follow Me on the Farm
  7. Ten Little Pirates
  8. One Ted Falls Out of Bed
  9. Pop Up Meerkats 123
  10. Ten in the Bed

Words and Pictures

  1. Look and Say Baby Brother
  2. Look and Say Town
  3. Spin and Say
  4. Big Book of My World
  5. My First Words Touch and Feel
  6. My First Busy Day. Let’s Get Learning
  7. First 100 Words
  8. First 100 Words in English
  9. First Words – Bright Baby
  10. Thomas & Friends Really Useful Word Book

Noisy books

  1. Little Wizard
  2. Find that Freight
  3. Noisy Animals
  4. Simple First Words: Let’s Talk
  5. What a Noisy PinkyPonk

Books about Popular Characters

  1. Thomas story treasury
  2. Meet the Engines
  3. 365 Disney Boys’ Stories (tbh, I’m sure they can also be enjoyed by girls! But there is a “girls’ version” available too)
  4. Everyone Hide from Wibbly Pig
  5. Four He’s a Jolly Good Fellow
  6. Postman Pat’s Secret
  7. The Bouncy Jumping Game (In The Night Garden)
  8. Babar’s Lost and Found
  9. Charlie and Lola Little Library
  10. Georgina the Giraffe (64 Zoo Lane)
  11. Humf and the Big Boots
  12. Zoe and Beans – Look at Me
  13. Belle and Boo and the Birthday Surprise
  14. Kipper’s Sticky Paws
  15. Elmer’s Weather

Pin the list for later?

books your toddler will love! Huge toddler booklist of over 130 books

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You might also be interested in:

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Let me know which ones are your little one’s favourites, and which others you recommend!

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