The Best Books for a 1-Year-Old Your Baby will Love

Doggies by Sandra Boyton

Sandra Boyton makes lots of apperances on our baby lists because she GETS IT! She makes educational books for babies that are as cute as they are informative.

In this counting book for a 1-year-old, adorable dogs count with barks causing a cacophony of noise.

Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth

This interactive book helps kids count from one to ten with little 3D ladybugs that appear on each page as your progress through the story.

Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang

I love this counting-in-reverse story that starts with 10 toes and ends with a child tucked in for bed. The story features a black father and baby which is sadly a rare site in books for 2-year-olds.

This award winner has been a classic for more than thirty years!

Time for Bed by Mem Fox

Rhyming, animals, and the sweet words in this book make it the perfect companion before bed. I loved setting up a routine that let my kids know that bedtime was coming.

We would take a bath, put on lotion and snuggle up to read a story. I made sure that my voice was quiet and soothing. Even if you have a brand new baby, incorporating a book into your nightly routine is a wonderful way to end the day.

The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

Boynton’s books are filled with humor, bright colorful pictures, and wonderful rhymes.  They are completely addictive. We read these books until they fall apart (which for a board book is difficult to do).  The story makes no sense but that is part of the reason that we love it so much. If you are looking for hilarious bedtime stories for toddlers, Sandra Boyton has a few picks perfect for you, like Pajama Time.

Llama Llama, Night Night by Sandra Boyton

Lots of people know Llama Llama Red Pajama, but it’s a little advanced for babies. This board book bedtime story is much more appropriate and the perfect way to introduce the book series to your baby.

Alphablock by Christopher Franceschelli

Each page in this book is cut into the shape of a letter with chunky pages that are easy to turn.  This huge board book is amazing to hold and a definite favorite.

It’s also the first in a series featuring countablock, dinoblock, and 12 more!

TouchThinkLearn: ABC by Xavier Deneux

I love when books have texture. That added tactile element can make the difference when it comes to engagement for some kids. This book is tactile and a feast for the eyes. 

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Getting kids to eat new foods can be challenging.  These great pictures have fruit and vegetables from A-Z.  And who knows, it might encourage your little one to try something new too.

Each Peach, Pear, Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

This adorable eye spy book has wonderful pictures, featuring nursery rhymes and fairy tale characters.  The rhyming makes it memorable and easy to recite. It’s a perfect book for a 2-year-old.

I Like Fruit and I Like Vegetables by Lorena Siminovich

Any book that introduces children to healthy foods from an early age is OK in my book. Add in the lessons about colors in I like Fruit and also the lesson of opposites in I Like Vegetables and you have two winners. Oh! And did I mention these are textured and perfect for babies to explore with their fingers too?

Indestructibles: Baby, Let’s eat by Amy Pixton

There are so many books for 1-year-olds in the indestructible series.  These books are perfect to take anywhere, read anywhere, and not worry that they will get ruined. 

We love this book because not only does it talk about food, but it is divided into colors as well.  You can read the book and emphasize the foods, emphasize colors, or even talk about which foods are fruit and which are vegetables.

Spot Goes to School by Eric Hill

Spot goes to school in this lift-the-flap book for 2-year-olds. If your child is getting ready for daycare, this is a great story to get them started! Your kiddo can lift the flaps to see what Spot gets up to on his first day of school.

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Little Racoon is heading off to school for the first time but is worried that he won’t feel comfortable in his new surroundings.

Mrs. Racoon teaches him about the kissing hand so that he can have a piece of home in his heart wherever he goes. This is a must-read in my opinion.

Rosie Goes to Preschool by Karen Katz

Rosie, of lift-the-flap fame, is back with a story that introduces kids to preschool and daycare. It’s a marvelous way to go over the steps of the school/daycare experience in an easy-to-digest way for older 1-year-olds.

Pantone: Colors by Pantone

A fun book that has all different color swatches in a given color family with an animal buddy to match. I love looking at all the different shades of colors with my kids. This is a fun one to take out into the world and find the matching colors in the wild!

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

Caldecott Honor-winner, Lois Ehlert, teaches kids about colors in this story about planting a garden and watching it grow.

His artwork reminds me of Eric Carle. It will draw your child into the beautiful garden depicted within.

My Tree and Me by Jo Witek

This book is a lovely journey through the seasons with chunky pages that make it easy for little fingers to grasp. We adore Witek’s story on feelings if you are looking for another book for 1-year-olds!

But not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton

I don’t know what it is about this book that I absolutely loved reading with my kids. It is utterly ridiculous and completely wonderful. One of my oldest son’s first words was armadillo! It really is a perfect book for a 1-year-old.

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

This was Kirsten’s favorite book to read to her kids and as soon as you look at the pictures and start reading it, you will understand why.  The rhythm of the story and the non-sensical rhymes make the book completely captivating. 

Marshmallow Cattails? Waffle and butter lily pads? Yes, please! As a bonus, there is counting as well. No list would be complete without this adorable read.

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy E. Shaw

These sheep are driving and get stuck in the mud. The entire story does not rhyme but there are many rhyming words from the same word family. It is funny and perfect for a young reader. Everyone in my family can still recite every word of this one!

Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

This book is hilarious and a favorite in our house to this day.  The sweet animals and the completely clueless zookeeper are laugh-out-loud funny.  One of my oldest son’s first words was “armadillo” which says something about how amusing this book is.

Baby Beluga by Raffi

Sing along with this classic song as your turn the pages. Beautiful illustrations bring Raffi’s famed song to life. I adored reviewing my own childhood with this picture book. It’s a must-have book for a 1-year-old music lover.

 Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

In this classic of modern children’s literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day. This is one of the most popular bedtime stories for babies ever written.

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

This book subtly reinforces the fact that mama (and dada) come back. It also shows that sometimes animals get anxious feelings. For babies, the white owls and dark night forest are mesmerizing before they can see in color.

This is a great one for working parents. I found I started it early with my little one when I went back to work.

Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book) by Dorothy Kunhardt 

This touch-and-feel book is perfect for little ones to feel the soft bunny and look in the mirror.  It’s such a cute classic that basically launched interactive board books for babies and spawned a million spoof books!

Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boyton

Sandra Boyton is a go-to author and illustrator for a reason. She makes the most fun books for 2-year-olds!

This one is no exception with a group of animals dancing to a rhyme that your own child can dance along to! Your toddler will want to read this on repeat.

See, Touch, Feel: A First Sensory Book to Share with Baby by Roger Priddy

Everything is new for your baby.  Colors, sounds, and sense of touch are all brand new.  I love that this book gives your baby a chance to experience all these new things with great pictures. Each picture has a sensory activity that will stimulate your child’s natural sense of curiosity. As you read to your child, you are helping them develop a language of their senses.

Peek-a-B00-Forest by Lamaze

These interactive baby books for 1-year-old fine motor development are popular for a reason! They keep kids occupied as they practice their motor skills by crinkling pages, pulling down flaps, and petting the critters.

Hug by Jez Alborough

Jackie’s family loves this story! A little monkey is looking for a hug and asking all his little animal friends! When reading this book, ask your little one for a hug every time the monkey does.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

The words of this book run through my head and I cannot read it to my kids without crying at the end.  I adore this book for 1-year-olds about the unconditional love a mother has for her child. “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”

LOOK LOOK! by Peter Linenthal

The simple text mixed with Black and White high contrast photos also makes this a great book to read off the bat. My boys use to point and stare at each image as I repeated over and over again what they were seeing.

Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

This book is filled with repetition which is so good for child language development.  It is filled with onomatopoeia- the best words to convey sounds and sensory input that I just love: squelch, squerch; swishy swashy; etc. On rainy days, I would hide a stuffed bear in the house and we would go on a bear hunt!

I Kissed the Baby by Mary Murphy

This black-and-white board book is perfect for newborns since they can only see black and white initially. Make it interactive by following the tasks talked about in the book – tickling, hugging, and kissing!

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

A charming tale about a mother’s love. This is all about a young bunny who wants to run away and a mother explaining all the lengths she’ll go to find him again. It’s a classic book for 1-year-olds for a reason!

Baby, Boo! by Beth Hardwood

My husband loved to read this to our little one over and over again. It’s peekaboo in a board book. There are black and white photos of other babies, then the baby goes missing and a mirror appears for your child to find themselves. The giggles this book produced from kids were the best!

Mama Mama by Jean Marzollo

A sweet rhyming book about a mother’s love (or fathers if you get that version too.) Featuring mama and baby pairings from the animal kingdom this book allows you to point out new species to your little one.

This Little Artist by Joan Holub

This charming board book introduces babies to famous artists! It’s got colorful illustrations that draw kids in and easy-to-turn pages for little hands.

Mini Masters by Julie Merberg

With enchanting rhymes pointing out details in the paintings, this board book series is perfect for introducing famous artists to your toddler.

I swear this book series is the reason my kiddos loved going to the art museum at such a young age.

Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly

What a wonderful way to explore fears.  As children turn the pages of this book, they are in charge.  They can build the big green monster and tell him to go away.  This book is so helpful for kids who may not be able to express their fears but, it can help them conquer them just the same.