My 2 year old loves books, and we use the library to stop him getting bored - I'm not sure what your library is like, but we can order any books we want to our local library for free (as long as they are in the library system), have up to 25 out at a time, keep them for up to 5 months, and there are no late fees for children's books.
In terms of books my kid really likes, these stand out - The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle), Goodnight Tractor (Michelle Robinson), Car Car Truck Jeep (Katrina Charman), A Good Place (lucy cousins), Nibbles Colours (Emma Yarlett), Ten Little Pirates (Mike Brownlow), The Diddle That Dummed (Kes Gray)
That's a lot of books! Ours is 12 for 3 weeks, but that's grand as we go weekly anyway. Same deal though, no fees to reserve items, audiobooks or late fees.
We have a little routine I've mentioned here before. We swap out the books every Friday, with me picking 12 new ones without him seeing. Then over the weekend at some point we'll do 'lucky dip'. We'll snuggle up on my chair (although he's 5 now so getting a bit tight) and we'll randomly pull a book out of the bag and read it. Sometimes we'll get through them all in one sitting. Those books then become our bedtime stories for the week (he gets 3 at bedtime) if they're good, or we use some of our own if not. It's a lovely routine and keeps it interesting
My daughter loves ‘there’s a bear in your book’ by Tom fletcher. It’s interactive without needing flaps to lift or touchy feely bits. It’s also a longer story with more words per page, so it’s a good transition from the interactive style of the ‘that’s not my…’ series to books aimed at older children.
She also really enjoys ‘tap the magic tree’ by Christie Matheson, which is a similar sort of interactive book - although there’s a bear in your book is absolutely her favourite.
The pirates are coming! By Matt Hunt and John Condon
My little girl loves it and keeps asking for it again and again (we got it at Christmas) she now knows it well enough to sit and pretend read it to us which is adorable as she speaks toddler and it's also phonomenal to see just how much she picks up on how we read to her, not just the story. There are so many fun ways to read the words, emphasise certain ones and not others and give people voices.
THE only downside is that now she is obsessed with Pirates, tells me 'I be Tom, and you be Tom' and we play out things in the book. Plus, we live near the coast and anytime we see a boat she shouts at the top of her lungs
PIIIIRRRRRAAAAATTTTTTEEEESSSSS!
And then says 'oh no it not, that a fish boat' and laughs.
My heart can't handle how cute it all is but this book has really got a hold of her.
That and the tiger who came to tea, she regularly quotes 'I know, I've got a very good idea!' when she wants something for dinner that isn't my awful cooking (normally a sausage roll from the bakery).
Good luck!
My 2 year old loves
Dragons love tacos
The cook and the king
The tiger who came to tea
The colour monster
Guess how much I love you
I usually take my toddler to the libary too and just grab a handful of books and anyone she really loves I buy 2nd hand off ebay.
My daughter's top three are probably "In a Minute Mum", "Tyrannosaurus Drip" and "The Case of the Missing Cake".
Every now and then we'll go to The Works and get 10 books for £10, which is good for variety.
My kids (3 and 19 months) love the Julia Donaldson books, We're going on a Bear hunt (was my childhood fave too), Eric Carle books etc.
We also like:
The colour monster
123 do the dinosaur
Meg and Mog
The Tiger that came to tea
Mog
Beatrix Potter
Row row pirate boat
Colours with a ladybird
Numbers with a lady bird
They also like those reference books with the ABC/123/colours/shapes in etc. They both love to learn through those. A couple the really like are by a lady called Dawn Machell.
My little girl is OBSESSED with all the Moomin books-especially the lift the flap ones. There are 2 new ones coming out in August as well.
She also loves a books called Pinkalicious that my sister sent from the states where a girl eats so many pink cupcakes she turns pink. It’s fabulous.
Also I’ve been stocking up for her birthday from online and vinted and I got Bunnies on the Bus and Oi Frog and I’ve had a read through of them and they’re pretty funny
Small by Claire Vulliamy is a book I bought 18 years ago for my oldest son. I now read it my youngest two and they love it just as much. Its a about a boy and his big adventure to Granny's house and his much beloved toy mouse. There is a also a second book (Tom and small) about the first day at school and its brilliant for relieving first day nerves, when the time comes. I highly recommend these.
“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” was a big hit between 2-3 years old. Best bet though is to let them explore in the library.
Any music books are also winners and are worth buying new because they always seem to be out of battery when borrowed from the library.
Yes I do try to take her to the library once a week. Although I find there is always loads of other kids there, and so she always seems to get distracted, so doesn't really settle with any book. I will try out some of the books that people have recommended within this thread.
A few people have mentioned joining a library but it would also be worth checking whether Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is available in your area. I just signed my 2 kids up for it when it was rolled out in East Yorkshire. They get a free age appropriate book every month until they turn 5.
On the recommendations, my 2 year old is a big fan of anything in the Julia Donaldson world. He also likes anything to do with poo/toilets.
There’s one book outside the preferred theme that he pulls out over and over again and we also enjoy reading it for him and looking at the pictures. It’s called In Every House on Every Street.
Anything from Julia Donaldson
The storm whale and it's sequels
My daughter just picked one of these up. It was great - made me cry!
My 2 year old loves books, and we use the library to stop him getting bored - I'm not sure what your library is like, but we can order any books we want to our local library for free (as long as they are in the library system), have up to 25 out at a time, keep them for up to 5 months, and there are no late fees for children's books. In terms of books my kid really likes, these stand out - The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle), Goodnight Tractor (Michelle Robinson), Car Car Truck Jeep (Katrina Charman), A Good Place (lucy cousins), Nibbles Colours (Emma Yarlett), Ten Little Pirates (Mike Brownlow), The Diddle That Dummed (Kes Gray)
That's a lot of books! Ours is 12 for 3 weeks, but that's grand as we go weekly anyway. Same deal though, no fees to reserve items, audiobooks or late fees. We have a little routine I've mentioned here before. We swap out the books every Friday, with me picking 12 new ones without him seeing. Then over the weekend at some point we'll do 'lucky dip'. We'll snuggle up on my chair (although he's 5 now so getting a bit tight) and we'll randomly pull a book out of the bag and read it. Sometimes we'll get through them all in one sitting. Those books then become our bedtime stories for the week (he gets 3 at bedtime) if they're good, or we use some of our own if not. It's a lovely routine and keeps it interesting
My daughter loves ‘there’s a bear in your book’ by Tom fletcher. It’s interactive without needing flaps to lift or touchy feely bits. It’s also a longer story with more words per page, so it’s a good transition from the interactive style of the ‘that’s not my…’ series to books aimed at older children. She also really enjoys ‘tap the magic tree’ by Christie Matheson, which is a similar sort of interactive book - although there’s a bear in your book is absolutely her favourite.
My daughter loves the dragon one!
My little one loves the "10 Little" books! Dinosaurs and Unicorns especially!
The pirates are coming! By Matt Hunt and John Condon My little girl loves it and keeps asking for it again and again (we got it at Christmas) she now knows it well enough to sit and pretend read it to us which is adorable as she speaks toddler and it's also phonomenal to see just how much she picks up on how we read to her, not just the story. There are so many fun ways to read the words, emphasise certain ones and not others and give people voices. THE only downside is that now she is obsessed with Pirates, tells me 'I be Tom, and you be Tom' and we play out things in the book. Plus, we live near the coast and anytime we see a boat she shouts at the top of her lungs PIIIIRRRRRAAAAATTTTTTEEEESSSSS! And then says 'oh no it not, that a fish boat' and laughs. My heart can't handle how cute it all is but this book has really got a hold of her. That and the tiger who came to tea, she regularly quotes 'I know, I've got a very good idea!' when she wants something for dinner that isn't my awful cooking (normally a sausage roll from the bakery). Good luck!
Not what you asked but my personal favourite book so far is 'I want my hat back' - very fun!
I love this book. My daughter finds the SQUAWWWWKKK! bit hilarious
My 2 year old loves Dragons love tacos The cook and the king The tiger who came to tea The colour monster Guess how much I love you I usually take my toddler to the libary too and just grab a handful of books and anyone she really loves I buy 2nd hand off ebay.
I’d take your kid to the bookshop or library depending on budget. Mine loves it now.
You could get a personalised book with their name in it to bring the story to life a bit more
"The book with no pictures"!! It's had every child I've ever read it to, regardless of age, in fits of giggles!
My daughter's top three are probably "In a Minute Mum", "Tyrannosaurus Drip" and "The Case of the Missing Cake". Every now and then we'll go to The Works and get 10 books for £10, which is good for variety.
Nobot: The Robot With No Bottom is a cracking book Also, Doctor Dino, Boom Bang Royal Meringue, Topsy & Tim
My kids (3 and 19 months) love the Julia Donaldson books, We're going on a Bear hunt (was my childhood fave too), Eric Carle books etc. We also like: The colour monster 123 do the dinosaur Meg and Mog The Tiger that came to tea Mog Beatrix Potter Row row pirate boat Colours with a ladybird Numbers with a lady bird They also like those reference books with the ABC/123/colours/shapes in etc. They both love to learn through those. A couple the really like are by a lady called Dawn Machell.
My little girl is OBSESSED with all the Moomin books-especially the lift the flap ones. There are 2 new ones coming out in August as well. She also loves a books called Pinkalicious that my sister sent from the states where a girl eats so many pink cupcakes she turns pink. It’s fabulous. Also I’ve been stocking up for her birthday from online and vinted and I got Bunnies on the Bus and Oi Frog and I’ve had a read through of them and they’re pretty funny
Small by Claire Vulliamy is a book I bought 18 years ago for my oldest son. I now read it my youngest two and they love it just as much. Its a about a boy and his big adventure to Granny's house and his much beloved toy mouse. There is a also a second book (Tom and small) about the first day at school and its brilliant for relieving first day nerves, when the time comes. I highly recommend these.
Mine loves all of the ones in the tales from acorn wood collection
“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” was a big hit between 2-3 years old. Best bet though is to let them explore in the library. Any music books are also winners and are worth buying new because they always seem to be out of battery when borrowed from the library.
The goose books
How about taking a trip to a bookshop or your local library?
Yes I do try to take her to the library once a week. Although I find there is always loads of other kids there, and so she always seems to get distracted, so doesn't really settle with any book. I will try out some of the books that people have recommended within this thread.
A few people have mentioned joining a library but it would also be worth checking whether Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is available in your area. I just signed my 2 kids up for it when it was rolled out in East Yorkshire. They get a free age appropriate book every month until they turn 5. On the recommendations, my 2 year old is a big fan of anything in the Julia Donaldson world. He also likes anything to do with poo/toilets. There’s one book outside the preferred theme that he pulls out over and over again and we also enjoy reading it for him and looking at the pictures. It’s called In Every House on Every Street.
It's a bit sold school but anything by Shirley Hughes. Or Janet and Alan Alberg
Usbourne phonics readers.