# Books for Toddlers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2010, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057 "2010-02-15T11:03:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/21 "2010-02-15T18:35:16Z")
Josie loves the Boynton books. My personal favorites are Barnyard Dance, Hippos Go Berserk, Dinosaur’s Binket, The Going To Bed Book, and Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs. She also adores Pat the Bunny, which is a classic, but you can’t really get that one from the library because it’s had a billion little grubby hands on it. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/22 "2010-02-15T18:37:54Z")
[del]Thirding[/del] [del]Fourthing[/del] Fifthing Boynton books. I often pick up a handful of her board books at our local T J Maxx for gifts, and they always go over well. The last kid I gave them to, who is not quite 3, now demands to have [_Birthday Monsters!_](http://www.amazon.com/Birthday-Monsters-Boynton-Board-Sandra/dp/1563054434/) read to her every day. Anyone who likes Boynton books ought to look into the recordings of her songs, many of them sung by unlikely famous people like [Meryl Streep](http://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Understands-Me/dp/B0010SVYEW/). [_Blue Moo_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CKHGBI/), _Philadelphia Chickens_, and [_Rhinoceros Tap_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010SX6N4/). For Valentine’s Day yesterday, my dad, who is wonderful, gave an MP3 of “(I Want to Be) Your Personal Penguin” as sung by Davy Jones (of the Monkees) to my mom, who is also wonderful and who loves penguins. How ridiculously sweet is that? (And how is this relevant to the OP? It goes to show even adults with no toddlers anywhere near love this stuff.) ---
**Author:** ![Maryna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Maryna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maryna)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/23 "2010-02-15T19:12:20Z")
Also: Michael Rosen _We’re Going On A Bear Hunt_, here are the [actions](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytc0U2WAz4s), by the author _Little Rabbit Foo Foo_, traditional, version by Michael Rosen Pushkin’s _The Turnip_, Russian or good translation The most dog-eared book from my daughter’s toddlerhood was our baby manual - loads of photos of babies doing baby things to talk about, look at, draw over etc. She would also sit with “the big book” and “read” it, just like Mummy and Daddy. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/24 "2010-02-15T20:43:46Z")
The _Madeline_ books. I’ve read _Madeline’s Rescue_ roughly 23414 times today. And all of Beatrix Potter. Seconding _Dogger_, too- my son has my copy. Can we talk about books that don’t drive grown-ups mad to re-read constantly? I frigging hate Amelia Bedelia, now. It’s hard to read out loud for the tenth time in a row. Does anyone else know and love the _Frog and Toad_ series? They’re hilarious and beautifully done. ---
**Author:** ![Blisters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Blisters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blisters)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/25 "2010-02-15T20:51:33Z")
The Boy likes several of the ones you mentioned. We also like There Are Cats in This Book [http://www.amazon.com/There-Are-Cats-This-Book/dp/B002MAQSZW/ref=cm\_cr\_pr\_product\_top](http://www.amazon.com/There-Are-Cats-This-Book/dp/B002MAQSZW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/26 "2010-02-16T11:51:35Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > She also adores Pat the Bunny, which is a classic, but you can’t really get that one from the library because it’s had a billion little grubby hands on it. That’s OK - I’m perfectly willing to buy books. The library is really just a try-before-you-buy step with kids’ books, given their habit of wanting their favorites read (and later on, reading them) literally hundreds of times. And when it makes more sense just to buy the book, we just do it. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/27 "2010-02-16T12:35:35Z")
Harold and the Purple Crayon ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/28 "2010-02-16T12:41:23Z")
Endorse the claims for Lynley Dodd 's Hairy Maclary and Slinky Malinki series. [http://www.mallinsonrendel.co.nz/hairybooks.asp](http://www.mallinsonrendel.co.nz/hairybooks.asp) ---
**Author:** ![RedWood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/29 "2010-02-16T15:25:56Z")
Frog and Toad are great! I bet Terry Pratchett’s Where’s My Cow! would be well-received… ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/30 "2010-02-16T15:51:51Z")
My son is 2.5 (today! woo!) and his new favorites are: [Chicka Chicka Boom Boom](http://www.amazon.com/Chicka-Boom-Bill-Martin-Jr/dp/068983568X) (he LOVES this one. We hear him reciting bits of it after he wakes up in the morning.) [Otis](http://www.amazon.com/Otis-Loren-Long/dp/0399252487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266335309&sr=1-1) - we love this one, too. The illustrations are lovely and different from most children’s books. [Too Many Bunnies](http://www.amazon.com/Many-Bunnies-Neal-Porter-Books/dp/1596430389/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266335364&sr=1-1) [Mega Trucks](http://www.amazon.com/Mega-Trucks-Scholastic/dp/0439850568/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266335388&sr=1-1) (although, really, he loves anything with trucks/trains/other vehicles in it) [Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel](http://www.amazon.com/Mulligan-Steam-Shovel-MULLIGAN-STEAM/dp/B001IB25KS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266335449&sr=1-3) Of course he loves a lot of the ones mentioned here already, but I think I’ll also be spending some time on the library website today, after reading this thread! ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/31 "2010-02-16T16:21:44Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > [del]Thirding[/del] [del]Fourthing[/del] Fifthing Boynton books. I often pick up a handful of her board books at our local T J Maxx for gifts, and they always go over well. That’s good to hear. I got my niece _Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs_ and _Birthday Monsters_ for her birthday. Mr. Neville’s little cousin liked _Yummy, Yucky_ by Leslie Patricelli. ---
**Author:** ![McGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@McGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/32 "2010-02-16T17:45:20Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > …Anyone who likes Boynton books ought to look into the recordings of her songs, many of them sung by unlikely famous people like [Meryl Streep](http://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Understands-Me/dp/B0010SVYEW/). [_Blue Moo_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CKHGBI/), _Philadelphia Chickens_, and [_Rhinoceros Tap_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010SX6N4/). > > For Valentine’s Day yesterday, my dad, who is wonderful, gave an MP3 of “(I Want to Be) Your Personal Penguin” as sung by Davy Jones (of the Monkees) to my mom, who is also wonderful and who loves penguins. How ridiculously sweet is that? (And how is this relevant to the OP? It goes to show even adults with no toddlers anywhere near love this stuff.) YES! I know this thread was supposed to be about books, but it’s good to have suggestions for CDs as well, for car trips. In our family, Boynton’s Philadelphia Chickens CD was known as “Markle Cows”, my kid’s attempt to pronounce “Remarkable Cows” which is the 1st track. So many gems on that CD, and you are right: adults love them too - my dad asked for a copy of “15 Animals”. Another good set of CDs is “Beethoven’s Wig”. Circling back to books, Scholastic videos has wonderful versions of a lot of favorite kids’ books. Borrowing the videos from the library seemed to renew interest in reading the books. For example, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom did not catch on with my kid till we watched the video and learned the tune to sing it, instead of just read it. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/33 "2010-02-16T19:10:17Z")
We love anything by Sandra Boynton, as well. Twenty-thirding that vote. Oh, and _Wee Gillis_. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/34 "2010-02-16T19:13:46Z")
Totally off topic, sorry, but I don’t want to start another thread- can you get toddler-okay recording or music playing devices which are USB compatible, or otherwise put-music-and-stories-on-able? I had a Fisher-Price record player when i was small, I know there were cassette decks, and we’re about to have a second kid and would love to have a story/music player that our 2 year old can operate. Ideally one that we could record stuff for and then upload, but whatever. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/35 "2010-02-16T19:44:22Z")
> [@Lissla\_Lissar](#): > > Totally off topic, sorry, but I don’t want to start another thread- can you get toddler-okay recording or music playing devices which are USB compatible, or otherwise put-music-and-stories-on-able? I had a Fisher-Price record player when i was small, I know there were cassette decks, and we’re about to have a second kid and would love to have a story/music player that our 2 year old can operate. Ideally one that we could record stuff for and then upload, but whatever. > Any ideas? I think there are some toddler friendly mp3 players. [http://www.amazon.com/Parents-PM9183J-My-MP3/dp/B000GEDWUK](http://www.amazon.com/Parents-PM9183J-My-MP3/dp/B000GEDWUK) I can’t vouch for how good it is, but it does exist. ---
**Author:** ![Improvisor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/50afbb/32.png) [@Improvisor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improvisor)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/36 "2010-02-16T20:20:37Z")
My 3 and 1/2 year old loves “Goodnight Opus” by Berkley Breathed. It’s got great art work, a great imaginative story, and… Opus. What more could you ask for. > **[Goodnight Opus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Opus)** > > Goodnight Opus (ISBN 978-0-316-10853-9) is a 1993 children's book by Berkeley Breathed featuring Opus the Penguin. > Goodnight Opus is a take-off of the popular Goodnight Moon children's book; this book actually begins with Opus being read Goodnight Moon by a maternal nanny figure while he sits in bed in his pink pajamas. After the nanny falls asleep while reading, Opus goes on his own journey to say goodnight to all sorts of fanciful beings and animals. The entire journey is an ode to imaginati... Breathed’s other kid books: [http://www.berkeleybreathed.com/pages/childrens\_books.asp](http://www.berkeleybreathed.com/pages/childrens_books.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/37 "2010-02-16T20:38:43Z")
Trying to remember books we have that are not already mentioned in the thread: Our kids at that age liked [The Fantastic Mr. Wani](http://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Mr-Wani-Kanako-Usui/dp/1589250540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266352355&sr=1-1) by Kanako Usui, a crocodile who is late to a party. Also the Olivia books by Ian Falconer - my favorite is “Olivia and the Missing Toy”. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/38 "2010-02-16T20:50:50Z")
The Torqueling is two months shy of turning three. Some of her favorites: **Curious George** , and lots of it. **Horton Hatches The Egg** , **The Cat In The Hat** , and **The Cat In The Hat Comes Back** **Skippyjon Jones** **If You Give A Moose A Muffin** and **If You Give A Pig A Pancake** **Madeline** And all those great Boynton books. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/39 "2010-02-16T21:09:13Z")
> [@Lissla\_Lissar](#): > > Totally off topic, sorry, but I don’t want to start another thread- can you get toddler-okay recording or music playing devices which are USB compatible, or otherwise put-music-and-stories-on-able? I had a Fisher-Price record player when i was small, I know there were cassette decks, and we’re about to have a second kid and would love to have a story/music player that our 2 year old can operate. Ideally one that we could record stuff for and then upload, but whatever. > Any ideas? We think we’re about to order [this one](http://www.sweetpeatoyco.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=9). It’s gotten good reviews, and looks like it does the things you’d like it to do. It plays MP3 files, connects to your computer via USB cable, and has buttons just for play/stop, forward, and back. ---
**Author:** ![StillAliveAndWell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@StillAliveAndWell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StillAliveAndWell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057/40 "2010-02-16T22:33:48Z")
Didn’t see it listed anywhere, but my kids loved Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman. As a matter of fact, I loved that when I was a kid, so maybe I influenced their tastes a bit? Definitely not an intellectual read, but fun! Off-topic: my kids wanted the same song sung every night right after a story was read and before the lights went out: I went to the animal fair The birds and the beasts were there The silver baboon by the light of the moon was combing his auburn hair The monkey he got drunk And stepped on the elephant’s trunk The elephant sneezed, and fell to his knees and that was the end of the monk (the monk the monk) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-for-toddlers/529057.md?page=3)