Best Board Books for Babies & Toddlers

Linking up with The Children’s Bookshelf for fun posts on children’s books!

Board books are the best way to get a baby or toddler interested in reading and pictures; they have simple messages, (usually) rhyming language, and great illustrations. Plus, board books are usually the number choice for a teething child to gnaw on.  Here is our list of favorites that we started with during infant bath time all the way to rambunctious toddler naptime.

(Click on each image for a link to Amazon)
Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton.  Cute illustrations – great rhymes for bedtime. Children love Boynton’s wacky animal characters.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.  An essential classic for any child’s bookshelf – “Hush” seems to be our favorite part now, and this book has grown with all of my child’s two years.

Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton.  Another favorite with farm animals dancing.  We love how her characters come to life.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  Eric Carle has such a unique perception in his books, but they tapped right into a child’s imagination.  This one has been cracking us up, and I love the gradual movement from what the caterpillar eats.  It’s a lovely story, too.

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney.  Oh Llama, he is such a realistic character.  As an infant, my child love the melody of the rhyme, and, now that he’s understanding the story a bit more, he loves the characters.  This one is a tongue twister, but so much fun!

Peek A Who? by Nina Laden.  A simple board book with peek a boo illustrations and rhyme.  This one is great for infants who love the game.

Whose Baby Am I? by John Butler.  This is a simple board book; but, in our house, it was an effective one. Our baby loved the minimal language and beautiful illustrations.

Duck & Goose by Tad Hills.  This is a series of the antics of a cute duck and his buddy goose.  They are simple, yet bright and pretty in illustration.