My favorite books for toddlers (and how to do a book rotation!)
Reading books with J is hands-down one of my favorite things we do together. I grew up with a passion for reading - my mom told me that I used to sit on my books at daycare so that the other kids couldn’t take them from me =) - so, it’s only natural that I am hoping to facilitate a love for reading in my son.
Reading to your baby or toddler has SO many benefits. Research shows it promotes cognitive development, facilitates language acquisiton (both expressive and receptive), and provides an optimal bonding experience for caregiver and child. Adding reading time into your toddler’s routine is key. Nap and bedtime routine are great times to read together, but you can also add reading into other parts of the day. Personally, we love adding reading into our morning routine (before or after breakfast) as a few minutes of 1:1 connection time to start the day off on the right foot.
Here are some of my favorite books for the 12-18 month age range (some of these are affiliate links):
Hands Are Not For Hitting by Martine Agassi
Melissa and Doug Poke-A-Dot Books
Potty by Leslie Patricelli
Hair by Leslie Patricelli
Abby’s First Book of Shapes by Sesame Street
Blue Hat Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Now, let’s get into book rotation! Book rotation is the same concept as toy rotation - you rotate out which books are available in your child’s play environment so that they are more likely to focus on the specific books that are out.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Think about where you currently keep (or would like to keep) books out in your child’s environment. For us, there are some in J’s room on his bookshelves and some out in the living room in a basket.
Step 2: Decide where you want to store the books that are not currently in rotation. For us, we use a shelving unit in our playroom in the basement.
Step 3: Take out ALL of your child’s books (yes, all!) and pile them on the floor. This is the only way for you to see what you are actually working with here!
Step 4: With intention, decide which books to put back in each area. Make sure not to crowd the shelves or other areas where you put the books - fewer is often better!
Step 5: Store the remaining books somewhere, out of your child’s sight.
Step 6: Repeat as needed, every 2-3 weeks.
Let me know - does your toddler like any of these books on my list? Have you tried a book rotation? Comment below or let me know by sending me a DM on Instagram!