best books for 2 year olds

Toddler Books We Love: Best Books for 2 Year Olds

My 2 year old son loves books, but it is no accident. We spend a lot of time reading reviews on Amazon.com, talking to his teachers, and asking other parents of 2 year olds. I love when we get a box in the mail, and he jumps up and down yelling. “New books? New books?” Yes, I probably have a little problem, but hey…He isn’t jumping up and down asking for cookies.

At any rate, below are some of our favorite toddler books. All kids are different, but I would consider them some of the best books for 2 year olds.

PS…In case it isn’t obvious, I get our books and a lot of other toddler stuff from Amazon.com. There is no tax, most stuff has free shipping, and it is a heck of a lot cheaper than our local chain bookstores. If you aren’t a millionaire and don’t need it tomorrow, I suggest looking there first.

Sorry. Now, to continue with my 2 year old’s favorite toddler books…

Llama Llama Red Pajama
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

I enjoy this book as much as my son does. We both identify with the story of a baby llama freaking out because he is scared that his mother is gone. Plus, the pictures are so expressive. Even though the book is about llamas, I have seen the exact same expressions on my 3 year old’s face. I mean, look at the cover…

Bear Hugs
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

Every time my son picks this book, I roll my eyes because we have read it SO MANY TIMES. But, then I change my tune because he gets so involved as we read. I know that most of it is memorization, but it is so cool that he “reads” along with me. It is clearly designed for children that are getting ready to learn how to read.

I Like Stars
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

In case you haven’t noticed, I tend to gravitate towards books that are written to help children prepare to read. This is another one of our favorites. It is about stars. Duh. But, I like the fact that we can talk about the different colors and practice counting as we go. “Star” is one of the words he recognizes by sight when we are out and about, and it is definitely because of this book.

Hare and Tortoise Race to the Moon
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

I actually found this book when I was pregnant. I was looking for books with high contrast images because I read that babies found them more interesting. Well, my son wasn’t really interested in it as a baby. No surprise. But, now as a 2 year old, this is one of his favorite books. This is one we have to hide or else we would have to read it every night.

Pajama Time!
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

My neighbor, with 4 boys of her own, introduced us to this fantastic toddler book. Pajama Time! was one of her youngest son’s favorite books, and now it is one of my 2 year old’s favorites as well. We love all of Sandra Boynton’s toddler books, but this one has a special place on the book shelf.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This toddler book was a lot more fun to read before my son learned his alphabet. Now, it takes forever to read each page because he has to point out every letter. There are worse things that he could be doing though. I can’t complain. Either way, this is definitely one of my 2 year old’s favorite books.

No David!
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

Honestly, I wasn’t keen on this book at first. It was page after page of stuff I did not want my 2 year old doing. But, it grew to be one of my favorites because it gave us an opportunity to talk about all of the bad things that David was doing. It really sunk in too. Once at dinner, my son opened his mouth with chewed up food. Then, he promptly shut his mouth and said, “No, David!”

The Little Red Caboose
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This golden book is a classic, and we know why. I have had to hide this book more times than I should admit, because my 2 year old requests it every time he sees it. I like the message too. Everyone is important, even if they are just a little red caboose.

Let’s Go to the Zoo
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

OK. If you have a 2 year old, you know that lift the flap books rock. They are more than just a book. They are an activity. I like this particular book because there are lots of things to talk about. My son likes it because it has tons of flaps on each page.

Hop on Pop
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This was one of my favorite books growing up, and now that I have been reading it to my son I remember why. OK…So the story is a little thin, but the words are simple and memorable. (I still remember most of it from when I was a kid, and now my 2 year old happily reads along. It has lots of site words, so it is good for pre-readers.

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