The best books for babies and toddlers

The benefits of reading to children from a young age are well known, from helping parents and babies to bond, to contributing to improving language skills and preparing children to start reading alone. But what to look for in a baby book? Firstly, babies and toddlers won’t just look through a book, they’ll chew it, drop it and cover it with sticky fingerprints, so a durable format is a must! So for very young little ones, board and cloth books are perfect for babies and toddlers to explore independently without fear of ripped pages. Secondly, books with bright, simple illustrations that babies and toddlers will recognise, and interactive elements such as lift-the-flaps and different textures to touch, will help to keep young children engaged. Here, we’ve put together a selection of books that babies and toddlers are sure to love.

 

Say Hello to the Gruffalo

The perfect introduction to the Gruffalo, Say Hello to the Gruffalo has chunky board pages and interactive peepholes through which you can meet the much-loved characters from the deep dark wood. Bright colours and Axel Scheffler’s instantly recognisable illustrations provide hours of entertainment for babies. 

 

Gruffalo, What Can You Hear?

Ideal for those who are out and about, this is the perfect book to entertain babies in buggies, car seats or highchairs. Explore the deep dark wood with the Gruffalo in Gruffalo, What Can You Hear? – part of a charming range of baby books featuring Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler’s beloved creation.

 

Brilliant Bugs

Explore a forest, a pond and the steamy jungle in the latest book in our popular First Explorers series for children aged one to four. Each scene has chunky push, pull and slide mechanisms for little hands, creatures to spot and fun facts to learn. Beautifully illustrated, this book encourages gentle early learning.