Great Books for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers: A Book Gift Guide

 
Toddlers looking at books on the living room floor

It’s no secret that we are obsessed with children’s books over here at Wee Talkers! Books make such great gifts, and with the holidays around the corner, it’s the perfect time to add some new titles to your home. This book gift guide gives you our favourite books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, complete with s links.

We had a really hard time narrowing down this list to just a few books per age group, but these are some go-to favourites that we think will be well-loved by your family for years to come!

Have fun making your list (and checking things off of it).


Shop Small, Buy Local

Our favorite way to buy books is through local small bookstores. We know Amazon is so convenient, but we hope we can encourage you to consider shopping at stores near you!

The links in this post let you buy books through BookShop, an organization that supports local bookstores while still making it super easy to shop, because it’s all online! It’s only for USA readers, though. If you’re in Canada, we recommend buying from Kids Books in Vancouver. Chorus and Clouds, Collage Collage, and Dilly Dally Kids have fantastic options, too.

 

Best Books for Babies

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Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera

This is a twist of the classic song with lots of surprises along the way. We love the vivid paintings and recommend all books by Jane Cabrera.

 
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Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke

This book uses rhythmic text (which is great for engaging babies and toddlers) and relatable humour about life with a baby (which is great for moms reading to babies and toddlers!). It always makes us smile.

 
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Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers

This book is always a hit in our houses. It highlights babies doing what babies do best! (Have you noticed your baby loves seeing faces?)

 
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My Big Animal Book by Roger Priddy

Set this up in front of your baby during tummy time and they’ll have so much to take in! This book will also grow with your child-- Carly’s 5-year-old still looks at it from time to time!

 
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You Matter by Christian Robinson

This is a new book, but we fell in love with it quickly and it’s by one of our favourite illustrators.

 

Best Books for Toddlers

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Today by Julie Morstad

This book lets your child plan out their own perfect day. It’s fun because it’s different each time! There are so many little surprises in the illustrations that make it so enjoyable to read. 

 
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The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman

This book shows children that all families are different, but at the same time, all families have a lot in common. This book grows with your child so well. 

 
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Where Is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox

This classic book uses rhymes and fun illustrations to enchant little ones reading with parents or learning to read themselves. 

 
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From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

Children love copying the animal movements in this book. It’s a go-to in our speech therapy materials!

 
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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? 

Another go-to for our speech therapy clients. The repetition helps your child participate more easily.

 
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Maisy Learns to Swim 

We love the Maisy “first experience” book series. It’s nice for toddlers to see things they are doing in the books they read and it can help prepare them for new experiences.

 

Books Picks for Preschoolers

 
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Cycle City by Alison Farrell

This seek-and-find book is full of colourful illustrations. Have fun looking for (and talking about) different characters on their unique bikes with your little one.

 
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Peace is an Offering by Annette Lebox

A sweet book of poems about peace and how to find it within your community.

 
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Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson

This book is full of kid-friendly recipes and the imagery is so colourful and fun to look at. Your kids will love looking through this book and picking out different foods to try!

 
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Last Stop On Market Street by Matt De La Pena

CJ wonders why his life looks different than his friends’ as he rides the bus with his grandma, who shows him what makes his life fun and special.

 
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This Is How We Do It

Kids learn how 7 different kids from all over the world spend their days and notice the similarities and differences between their own lives.

 

Related: 5 books our Toddlers are Loving

Happy Reading!

There are so many books for kids, and we hope this helps you narrow it down a bit! If you’re looking for even more ideas, check out the comments on this post on Instagram with ideas from other parents or check out our other book picks in the Wee Talkers bookshop.org store or our Amazon shop!

P.S. What are your kids’ favourite books right now? Let us know in the comments below.