Best Books-Toddlers

After your babies first birthday you will likely notice an explosion of new words and interest in books. This is an ideal time to begin incorporating more regular reading into your daily routine.

Spending time together while reading aloud helps to create strong parent-child bonds and promotes healthy brain development. Children that are read to more often have improved language and listening skills, experience stronger emotional connections to their loved ones, and gain a lifelong love of reading.

We find it easiest to do two books before bed each night. With about a million extra requests throughout the day.

Here are some of our tried and tested favourites for toddlers aged 1-2 years old. Dont forget to click on the pictures to take you to where to buy.

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Where’s Spot?

This is a classic for a reason! Follow Spot's mum as she searches everywhere for little Spot in this lovely lift-the-flap tale.

Dear Zoo

Rod Campbell's classic lift-the-flap book Dear Zoo has been a firm favourite in our house. I am not sure who loves it more, the kids or me!

'I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet . . .'
Young children will love lifting the flaps to discover the animals the zoo has sent – a monkey, a lion and even an elephant! But will they ever manage to send the perfect pet?

With bright, bold artwork, a catchy refrain and a whole host of favourite animals, no child's bookcase is complete without a well-worn copy of Dear Zoo.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

A much-loved classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has won over millions of readers with its vivid and colourful collage illustrations and its deceptively simply, hopeful story. With its die-cut pages and finger-sized holes to explore, this is a richly satisfying book for children.

Ten little fingers

As everyone knows, nothing is sweeter than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes . . .

'This is a perfect read-aloud picture book . It is a joy to read and toddlers love it too.

Farm 123

Not all counting books are created equal! Farm 123 is a first numbers book with a difference – young children will love lifting the flaps to discover their favourite farm animals, all the way from one cat to ten naughty rabbits!

Who sank the boat?

Who sank the boat? Was it the cow or the donkey or the sheep with her knitting? Surely it wasn't the tiny little mouse?
Winner of the Australian Picture Book of the Year Award, this wonderfully illustrated book is designed for sharing aloud and will make children giggle as they guess which animal spoilt a day's rowing by sinking the boat.

This was Maisie’s favourite book at 1 year old, so much so that she took it to her very first day at daycare as her comfort item!

Where’s Teddy?

Buster and Teddy go everywhere together. Buster is busy helping out around the house, from baking in the kitchen to helping with the gardening, but where is Teddy hiding?

This search-and-find story is the perfect one to keep little ones engaged! Find teddy on each page!

Where is the green sheep?

Here is the blue sheep, and here is the red sheep. Here is the bath sheep, and here is the bed sheep. But where is the green sheep?

Mem Fox and Judy Horacek take you on a wildly wonderful adventure in their rollicking search for the green sheep.

This is another one that is a pleasure to read! It is probably my favourite toddler book!

Oh Dear!

Buster's staying with Grandma on the farm. But where will he find the eggs for breakfast? Not in the stable – oh dear! Young children will love lifting the flaps as they turn the pages and follow Buster around the farm.

With bright, bold artwork, simple, catchy text and a whole host of favourite farm animals, Oh Dear! is a classic story to come back to again and again, and the thick board pages, chunky cased cover and sturdy flaps make it great for small hands.

Educational bath books

As mums we are busy! Particularly if you are a mum of multiple children. Bath time is such a great time to pause and connect. A fantastic opportunity to begin some simple learning games. We love these bath books as they are not only durable and fun but also introduce little ones to numbers, shapes, colours and letters.

ABC Zoo

Can you tell we love Rod Campbell? With bright, bold artwork, a simple, engaging text and a whole host of favourite animals, ABC Zoo is the perfect introduction to the alphabet – and the chunky board book format and sturdy card flaps make it great for small hands.

Spot goes to the farm

Dad wants to show Spot the baby animals, but it looks as though they're hiding! Will Spot and Dad be able to find them?Toddlers will love discovering different farm animals in this classic lift-the-flap book.

Slider fun

Ingela P Arrhenius's unmistakable, enchanting artwork and an ingenious slider mechanism on every page combine to make this a totally irresistible board book for toddlers. Young children will be captivated by the peekaboo concept and - with something to push, pull or turn on every spread - won't be able to put it down!

Goodnight moon

Another classic! A little rabbit bids goodnight to each familiar thing in his room, in this classic story told with gently lulling words and soothing illustrations.

Ducks away

A mother duck and her five little ducks waddled out one day. Onto a bridge, then–ducks away!

Ten Little Dinosaurs

Part traditional counting rhyme, part fun-filled story, TEN LITTLE DINOSAURS is perfect for sharing together.

Read the bouncy rhyming story. Count from ten to one and back again, as the Little Dinosaurs disappear then reappear. Spot and count the details on each page and join in with all the great sound-words!

It is no wonder this gem has sold over 10 million copies worldwide!

Press Here

Press here.

That's right. Just press the yellow dot. And turn the page.

The magical adventure powered entirely by your imagination!

Little Blue Truck

A bit of muck is no match for the friendly Little Blue Truck! A beautiful simple story about friendship.

Yummy Yucky

How often do you say "yucky" to the things your kid puts in their mouth? Help your toddler learn the difference between yummy and yucky… so they'll (hopefully) stop experimenting on their own.

Counting kisses

How many kisses does a tired baby need before they say goodnight? Find out in this adorable kiss-and-count concept book from Karen Katz. This gorgeous toddler book is sure to inspire lots of sweet snuggles.

The going to bed book

This classic bedtime story is just right for winding down the day as a joyful, silly group of animals scrub scrub scrub in the tub, brush and brush and brush their teeth, and finally rock and rock and rock to sleep

Brown Bear

Exuberantly coloured artwork and favourite animals make this rhythmic story the perfect introduction to looking and learning about colours. Each spread leads seamlessly into the next and young children will delight in Eric's colourful collage animals and simple repetitive language.

Baby happy, baby sad

A towering ice-cream cone makes Baby HAPPY. But when that delectable treat goes splat, it makes Baby SAD. And how quickly HAPPY turns to SAD when a favourite red balloon flies away! Even the littlest listeners can benefit to an introduction of language which can help them identify their emotions.

Everyone poops

Taro Gomi's classic, go-to picture book for straight-talk on all things number 2 is back, as fresh and funny as ever. It’s a matter-of-fact, educational guide and hilarious romp through all things poo.

8 little planets

Written by an award-winning physicist, this delightful rhyming book talks all about the planets in short verses. The bright simple illustrations make all 18 pages fun to read.

Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus

When a bus driver takes a break in this hilarious Caldecott Honour-winning picture book, he gives the reader just one instruction: "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus!" But, boy, that pigeon tries every trick in the book to get in that driving seat: he whines, wheedles, fibs and flatters. Will you let him drive? Told entirely in speech bubbles, this brilliantly original and funny picture book demands audience participation!

I Went Walking

I went walking. What did you see? I saw a black cat Looking at me. So begins a young boy's exciting adventure with a menagerie of colourful animals. By the end of his walk he has a zany parade following him. Julie Vivas' whimsical painting lend humour to this simple story. Children will enjoy identifying the animals and colours, and reciting the text.

Peck, peck, peck

Today my daddy said to me, “It's time you learnt to peck a tree.” Little Woodpecker has just learnt how to peck and – ooh! yippee! – what fun it is! Off he goes, on his first big pecking adventure, and he peck, peck, pecks his little heart out. He pecks the hat and then the mat, the tennis racket AND the jacket... just LOOK at all the holes he has made! Comical, contemporary and original, this bouncy read-aloud book is beautifully illustrated and will capture a little one's attention with the tactile holes on every page! "This book has everything: Startling colours! Wonderful rhyme! Silly humour! HOLES!!"

Hooray for fish

Swim with Little Fish and meet all his fishy friends in this splishy-sploshy riot of colour and rhyme under the sea!Paddle along with Little Fish on a mesmerising underwater tour of his friends.

Goodnight construction site

A New York Times bestseller! As the sun sets in the big construction site, all the hard-working trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest – so they'll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play.

Piranhas

Brian loves bananas. Trouble is, Brian’s a piranha. And his friends aren’t happy about his fondness for fruit. This is one of my all time favourite children’s books! It is a pleasure to read and kids find it hilarious! This book has such a lovely rhythm and bright simple illustrations toddlers love it, but it will most likely be a favourite for many years to come. I even taught Maisie about rhyming words using this book!

Building site disc driver

Discover five different building site vehicles in this new series of interactive board books with easy-to-use moving parts. Denzel got this for his first birthday and it’s been a fave ever since! He loves driving the vehicles around by moving the little circular discs along the roads.

Truck driver

I had to include one more of these books simply because they are such a clever design, great for find motor skill development and highly engaging to a range of ages.

Hands can

A beautiful introduction to non-fiction! Hands can hold things, hands can mould things. Hands can catch and hands can throw, wave hello, play peekaboo, clap, even tie a shoe. For the very young, hands are a never-ending source of discovery and a means of mastery in an ever-unfolding world. With singsong rhythm, simple design, and alluring colour photos of toddlers, ‘Hands Can’ invites the littlest readers to discover the many things hands can do.

Love you forever

A young woman holds her newborn son And looks at him lovingly. Softly she sings to him: "I'll love you forever I'll like you for always As long as I'm living My baby you'll be." So begins the story that has touched the hearts of millions worldwide, including my own. Since it’s publication in l986, Love You Forever has sold more than 30 million copies! it’s that good!

Time for bed

The rhyming text accompanied by soft watercolour illustrations showing animal mothers sharing precious moments with their babies before they go to sleep. It’s time for bed, little mouse, little mouse,
Darkness is falling all over the house...

Fox’s Socks

Poor old Fox has lost his socks - can you help him find them? Are they in the kitchen or under the stairs? Are they inside the clock or hidden in a chest? Lift the flaps and find out! With sturdy flaps on every spread and rhyming stories that are a joy to read aloud, the Tales from Acorn Wood series has been delighting both parents and toddlers for over twenty years.

This and That

I’ll tell you a story of this
And I’ll tell you a story of that.

Reading this story aloud is a delight. The rhythmic rhymes make anyone sound like a great storyteller. Little ones are sure to love the melody and illustrations.

First words and numbers

This read together book is another favourite in our home. Children from around 12 months can follow your instructions and point to various images. From around 15 months they can often start saying some of the words and identify colours. This book is HUGE, you may have seen it in my stories! It has a page of pictures for every letter of the alphabet, plus a page for numbers, colours and scenes where children can spot various things or are prompted to count or read.

abc nature

From acorn to zebra dive into the alphabet of the outdoors! This tactile touch and trace book, inspired by the beauty of the natural world, will help to develop your child's vocabulary and hand-eye coordination, while encouraging a lifelong love of nature.

a is for ant

Take a first look at the amazing world of ants in this beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book, a perfect first gift for babies and toddlers.

The friendly, read-aloud text and exciting illustrations by Kate Slater will have young nature-lovers smiling in no time as they learn fun words about ants that all begin with the letter a.

Have fun with your little ones by pointing to the colourful illustrations that tell the story of these awesome workers. Learn how ants work together, what they eat, and where they live. Filled with simple, fun facts, A is for Ant provides lots to talk about and is cleverly designed to encourage early learners to repeat the fun a-words.

We love you Magoo

Magoo has his own ideas about what a dog should do - in the kitchen, in the car, at dinnertime and bedtime! But there are so many rules! So many things a dog can't do.
But wait! Magoo, THIS is for you...
Silly dogoo, we do love you!

Roo knows Blue

A joyous celebration of colour in the Australian bush from bestselling author-illustrator Renee Treml.

Roo knows, Roo knows, Roo knows blue.
But does Roo know about other colours too?

Australia under the sea

Count from one giant whale shark all the way to twelve tired seahorses, meeting and learning about plenty of playful Australian sea creatures along the way. With vibrant artwork, simple facts about each creature and a gentle conservation message, Frané Lessac’s Australia Under the Sea 1, 2, 3 is a celebration of twelve fish and friends living in our seas.

Backyard Bugs

From beautiful butterflies to kaleidoscopic Christmas beetles, First Nations author and illustrator Helen Milroy returns to the backyard with a picture book designed to teach kids (and their handlers) all about the scurrying, scuttling, scooting, buzzing, zooming splendour of insects.

Welcome Child

Birds sing songs of delight to greet you.
Flowers dance with joy to celebrate you.

Shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards 2021 ‘Welcome, child!’ is Sally Morgan's beautiful and heartfelt celebration of the love we feel for a new child. Simple, elegant and adorable, this stunning board book is the perfect story to share as a family and the sweetest way to welcome a little one to the world. Sally Morgan's colourful and beautiful artwork depict love using a bright colour palette of happy birds, dancing stars and hearts that shine and the gentle lilt of her text echoes the deep joy of new life.

First words with a lady bug

Go on a first words adventure with a friendly ladybird as you follow finger trails and explore exciting, peep-through, cut-out pages in this playful learning book. Bright illustrated scenes feature first word topics that stimulate early learning, with clear labels for each picture and fun rhymes to read aloud.

Let’s count wildflowers

This board book is a gorgeous addition to any Australiana collection and a wonderful way to introduce bubs and their parents to the unique, biodiverse world around us.

What do you call a baby?

What do you call a baby...? is an entertaining way for all children to learn the nouns that describe some of our iconic Australian baby animals.

Baby frogs are called tadpoles, but what do we call a baby goanna, a baby eagle, or a baby echidna? This stunning title introduces young children to their amazing names ― hatching, eaglet and puggle. 

At the Dog Park

In lively rhyming prose, Moira Court captures all the fun and diversity of the dog park - 'This dog is loud, this one is quiet. This dog is tiny, this one's a giant.' Each illustration is created using layered woodblock prints, screen-printing and collage. Children will love identifying their favourite dog breeds and what dogs they have seen at the park while learning about opposites.

Shapes

Combining scooped-out die-cuts with raised, shaped elements, two new TouchThinkLearn books offer youngest learners an irresistible opportunity to explore their universe in a hands-on, multi-sensory way. See the image, trace its shape, say its name: these modes of perception combine in a dynamic way to stimulate understanding of essential concepts. Contemplate a circle by touching the raised surface of an owl hooting at night on one side, and the form of a moon rising on the other. Featuring a format unlike any other, these groundbreaking book translates abstract thought into tangible knowledge.

In the bush i see

Showcasing young Indigenous artists, ‘In the bush’ is a playful ensemble of Australian creatures.

The daddy animal book

Did you know that a daddy gorilla is called a silverback and a baby gorilla is called an infant? Or that a daddy turkey is called a gobbler and a baby turkey is called a poult?

The Daddy Animal Book is an adorable and informative picture book about baby animals and their dads that is perfect for Father's Day, from the author of the CBCA Notable The Baby Animal Book and the bestselling 101 Collective Nouns.

Lift-the-Flap Numbers

This charming, lift-the-flap board book helps children learn about numbers with simple puzzles to solve on every page. Children can count the flamingos, zebras and monkeys at the zoo, find the cows on the farm, match rockets in space to their home planets and more - and lift the flaps to discover the answers. This book will last throughout toddlerhood and well into pre-school years!

Quack and Count

Slip, slide, leap, and dive with a family of seven lively ducklings as they get ready to fly for the very first time. Keith Baker's playful, rhyming text and bold collage illustrations capture the excitement of a day's adventures and gently introduce counting.

Heads and Tails

A tiger, a kangaroo, a rabbit, a goldfish and more are revealed as we turn the page and discover! At first we can only see their tails. Some clear, simple clues add detail as we learn more about each one. Now, can you guess the animal that each tail belongs to?

Duck In The Truck

This is the tale of a duck in a truck -
a truck that was stuck in some yucky brown muck.
A sheep in a jeep and a frog in a bush
saw the truck stuck and gave it a push.
But the truck stayed stuck!
What now, can you guess?
Could a goat in a boat
get them out of this mess?