Happy New Year! If you are looking for something to start in the New Year that will bring you and your child closer as well as build your child’s vocabulary and imagination, look no further. 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a nationwide initiative to encourage reading to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. To learn more about how to start the program, visit the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten page on our website. It can be daunting to try to find books that your child will love. The following book recommendations are meant to highlight newer and seasonal books in the collection that are high interest and appropriate for different developmental ages. For more book recommendations, check out RPL’s Bookologist service and our Storytime at Home blog series.
Babies (0-18 months)
Black & White in Color by Tana Hoban
This board book has two great features for young babies: stark black and white images of everyday objects, as well as real pictures of baby faces. The accordion fold out is perfect for standing up on its own for baby to look at during tummy time. It is a great follow up to Tana Hoban’s contrasting board book, Black and White.
Leo at Lunch by Anna McQuinn
Leo is the younger brother of Lola from the popular series by Anna McQuinn. In Leo at Lunch, Leo goes out to a restaurant with his Nana and Daddy. This is a great board book for babies and toddlers to see real life situations portrayed in a book.
Toddlers (18 months-3 years)
Animal Countdown by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Each page offers a guessing game for little ones by showing a snippet of an animal–can they guess which one it is? Lift-the-flap and count how many animals you see! Use this picture book to build inference, counting, and animal vocabulary all at once. The backmatter includes extra information about each animal species, all of which are endangered or threatened in some way.
Baby Animals Trying: A Celebration of First Moments by Aimee Reid
I love this picture book because it has three tiers of involvement. On each page there is an animal illustration with one sentence of lyrical, rhyming text. There is also an extra fact included about that animal, if you wish to give your child more information. Then, the backmatter includes even more factual information about animal milestones. For this reason, this book would be appealing for many ages.
No is All I Know by Chris Grabenstein
Oliver is a toddler who constantly says “No!”. He says no to food, toys, games, sleep, everything! One day his cousin comes to visit, and his cousin loves to say “Yes!” Oliver realizes that, in many cases, it is way more fun to say “Yes” than “No”.
Whose Prints? by Kari Allen
Go on a snowy adventure with your toddler as you help them guess what animal made tracks in the snow. The board book has die-cut pages so you can turn the page to reveal the animal. This is the perfect book to share on a chilly January day.
Preschoolers (3-5)
Bella Ballerina by Sharon M. Draper
Bella Ballerina is thrilled when Madame informs the class that they will be practicing for a ballet performance. But once she’s on stage, she is nervous about messing up. Will she overcome her stage fright? The perfect story for any budding dancer practicing for the big show!
How to Tantrum Like a Champion: Ten Small Ways to Temper Big Feelings by Allan Wolf
Children this age are still trying to control big emotions, which often leads to a temper tantrum. This book is meant to be read with a preschooler. It walks through what a tantrum feels like before it happens and steps to take to try to calm their bodies before it gets out of control.
The Ogre Who Wasn’t by Michael Morpugo and Emily Gravett
Princess Clara loves to run around barefoot, collect tiny creatures, and do somersaults in the garden. When she finds an “ogre” in her shoe one day, she tells it all of her secrets and wishes. Little does she know, the “ogre” is special and able to grant her wishes.
Snack, Please! by Georgie Birkett
Gertie is a mouse who loves to eat–in fact, she likes to eat all day long! She askes her dad for snacks throughout day but, unfortunately, they spoil her appetite for dinner. When Gertie gets to help in her grandmother’s community garden, she is too busy working to ask for snacks. Afterward, she realizes how fun it is to make a meal with her dad and eats the whole thing!
