The Perfect Books for Babies and Toddlers

The Perfect Books for Babies and Toddlers

By Kinderling Kids Radio

Reading is a wonderful activity for babies and toddlers. It stimulates their creativity as well as cognitive and language development.

It’s never too early to introduce your baby to reading, as long as you find some age appropriate books.

Jaquelyn Muller  is a child literacy advocate and author of two children’s books. She shares a few amazing age-appropriate book suggestions and some great tips on how to support reading in each development stage. 

Four - 12 months old

What do babies like at this age?

Being close to their parents or carers

Watching facial expressions and hearing their parents’ voices

Listening to sounds and music

Looking at books with baby faces and bright colours

Hearing the same stories and rhymes being repeated

Touching and tasting books How can you support reading at this age?

Smile and hold your baby close so they can see your face and the book

Copy the sounds your little one makes e.g. “da-da-da”

Help your baby bounce and move to the rhythm of your voice or music

Talk or sing about what you’re doing when you’re around the baby

Notice what your bub is looking at and name it

Share stories with your baby in the language you feel most comfortable with

Start a book at the front — you don’t have to finish it; a few pages is a great achievement!

Repeat words from the book when playing with your baby (e.g. “Splish, splash, scrub-a-dub” when in the bath)

Make animal noises

Book suggestions:

Peepo Baby - Sebastien Braun

Where is Baby? - Sally Rippin

Tickle, Tickle - Helen Oxenbury

W is for Wombat. My First Australian Word Book - Bronwyn Bancroft

I Went Walking - Sue Machin & Julie Vivas

 

12 - 18 months old

What do babies like at this age?

Sitting close, seeing the book and your face

Looking at and listening to the world around them

Moving to the rhythm of stories, nursery rhymes and music

Touching objects with different textures (soft, smooth, prickly)

Hearing the same songs, books and stories over and over again

Feeling and holding the book and helping to turn the pages

Looking at books about family, food, animals and colours How can you support reading at this age?

Ensure your baby can see your face and the book you’re sharing

Play and laugh with your baby

Give them different textures to touch and talk about what they feel like

Sing songs that your baby can clap, dance and move to

Talk about what your child is doing or pointing to

Tell their favourite stories and rhymes over and over again

Name the pictures your little one touches or points to in the book

Keep books at home to share with your kids

Do actions to the story

Take your baby to the library to look at books and join in reading sessions and activities

Book suggestions:

Count My Kisses, Little One - Ruthie May & Tamsin Ainslie

Old MacDonald had a Farm - Mandy Foot

Where is the Green Sheep? - Mem Fox & Judy Horacek

Dear Zoo - Rod Campbell

 

18 - 36 months old

What do toddlers like at this age?

Pointing to and naming things they see

Reciting the same rhymes, songs and stories over and over again

Listening to songs and stories with his or her name in them

Filling in the words in songs and stories they know

Reading about animals and making animal noises

Choosing the book and helping to turn the pages

Talking with you about the games they are playing

Talk to your toddler about what they are doing as they play

Help your child notice words, sounds and letters in everyday life (e.g. street signs, grocery packaging)

Sing simple songs together, make your own music and dance to the rhythm

Find words that rhyme in stories and song

Play and have fun — you don’t have to read the whole book

Encourage your toddler to turn the pages and talk about what he or she sees (e.g. “Show me the snake.”)

Share books, read-along storytelling apps and eBooks wherever you are

Carry books when you go out

Visit a library, borrow some books

Book suggestions:

Giraffes Can't Dance - Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Elizabeth Rose on Parade - Jaquelyn Muller

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes - Mem Fox & Helen Oxenbury

The Wheels on the Bus - Penny Dann

 

3 - 5 years old

What do toddlers like at this age?

Naming the things they know

Talking, singing and moving to music

Hearing words that rhyme

Making up their own stories and drawing the pictures

Listening to stories about themselves, families, friends and going to school

Reading alphabet and counting books

Helping to tell a story or song they know How can support you reading at this age?

Point out signs, grocery packaging and other words and pictures when you shop

Help your child to draw and talk about the drawings they make

Make up actions to go with the words of songs

As you read, run your finger under the words

Talk about the story and ask questions e.g. “What is the bird doing?”

Help your child find the first letter of their name in the book

Share eBooks and apps to help your child learn about sounds and letters in words

Have children see you read books you enjoy

Visit your local library regularly and borrow books

Book suggestions:

Can I Cuddle the Moon?  - Kerry Brown & Lisa Stewart

I Love you 5 Lollipops - Jaquelyn Muller

Dig Dig Digging - Margaret Mayo & Alex Ayliffe

K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo - Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

 

Content by Kinderling