Finding books for toddlers is easier than finding books for babies. Most young children love stories and can sit and understand short stories. Many toddlers still don’t want to sit for more than five minutes or so, so books with few words are still best!
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. This is the ultimate book for toddlers. There is not a single toddler that I know of that did not absolutely love this book. The storyline about the small bunny resisting bedtime is attractive to toddlers. The illustrations are also surprisingly rich. My little girl loved looking for the tiny mouse on each page.
Sheep in the Jeep by Nancy Shaw. This book is literally about sheep in a jeep. I remember when I was a very young child I loved this book. All the rhymes and silly stories are fun for toddlers. The book is on the short side too, which is perfect.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. This simple story follows a mom bear and her child as they go through the zoo. They ask different animals what they can see from their position in the zoo. The pictures look something like crumpled paper glued to the page, which is rather unusual. My little girl loved this book as a toddler and asked for it again and again.
Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes by anyone. Nursery rhymes are ideal for toddlers learning how to form words for the first time. The simple rhymes and song-like qualities of the rhymes appeal to toddlers. If you choose a version with bright pictures the toddler will love it even more.
Maisy books by Lucy Cousins. There are several Maisy books that all feature a small white mouse. The illustrations look to me as if they were made in Windows paint, but for some reason my daughter loved these stories as a child. Many of the stories feature interactive pages, such as pop-ups and flaps, so maybe that is what my daughter found attractive about the stories.
Curious George by H.A. Rey. Curious George is a very familiar character for most families. The curious monkey is always getting into trouble of some sort. Toddlers will love the cute illustrations in the story, and as they grow older, the story lines will amuse them as well. Curious George is a great book that can grow with your child from a toddler all the way to second grade when he can read the stories all on his own.