We all understand the importance of reading aloud to our children from infancy: cognitive and language development, increased attention span, vast vocabulary, emotional intelligence…
The best way to do it? Start reading to your kids ASAP.
To make it easy, we’ve compiled the best books for kids so you don’t have to read about reading anymore. You can skip the research and go directly to reading to your kids.
All of these books support positivity, empathy and kindness. This list contains books without any negative connotations, inappropriate subject matter or questionable messaging so that you can feel confident picking up any of these and reading it to your young child’s impressionable mind!
All of these books are from Amazon, they all have a 4+ rating and most are available through Prime!
We start with board books for babies and toddlers, and then move on to books for preschoolers & kindergartners, so if you have kids in the older age bracket, feel free to skip the first few.
Here we go –
Editor’s Note: Also check out our gift guides!
Board Books for Babies & Toddlers
The Monster at the End of This Book
A tiny board book version but with all the same action. Get in touch with your sillier self and your child will be begging for more! An innocent Grover is trying to convince you, the reader, not to keep turning pages with a “love yourself” message as the sweet ending.
Press Here
So much fun — an interactive, shake-it-up surprising book that’s so simple but enchanting. My son has loved this from babyhood and he still grabs it to read on his own just for fun at age six!
Moo Baa La La La
The best board book, according to my 14 month old (and thousands of other parents on Amazon). A fun read with lots of animal sounds and silliness!
Little Blue Truck’s Christmas
This is a “panel” book, so the pages aren’t as thick as a regular board book, but it’s definitely a good rhyming Christmas counting story for young kids and the last page lights up. (My six year old still loves this book)!
I Love You to the Moon and Back
An enchanting classic that will have you and your baby sharing a lot of love and snuggles before bedtime.
The Going to Bed Book
A sing-song night time rhyme that’s perfect for bedtime. There’s just enough fun in it to keep your toddler’s attention while the animals get ready for bed and then drift off to sleep at the end.
Goodnight Moon
A wonderful classic that should be on every bedside table: lovely images that switch from color to black and white, fun rhymes and beautiful in its timelessness.
Very Busy Spider
The images in Eric Carle’s books are unique and eye-capturing. This book has many farm animals and the spiderwebs are raised a bit so there is a great tactile element to this board book.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
Colors, animals and captivating imagery. A simple, repetitive story sure to delight all young kids!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
A little science alongside a rollicking story about a hungry caterpillar with beautiful illustrations, holes and differently shaped pages for curious baby hands to explore.
Baby University
For babies on up to elementary school kids, these have simple illustrations and the books break down complex science concepts into baby sentences. Great for science-driven parents!
Bright and Early Board Books by Dr. Seuss
The perfect starter set of baby Dr. Seuss books for rhyming and silliness!
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site & Steam Train, Dream Train
Two great baby board books in one package! For the planes, trains and automobile type kids, these construction rhymes are sure to please.
Busy Noisy Farm
A story, farm animals, simple counting and buttons to push = a toddler’s dream come true!
First 100 Words
Brightly colored with great photos, this is the ultimate way to introduce common words to your baby and toddler.
Corduroy
A slightly longer board book that touches on emotions and problem-solving.
The Napping House
A bigger classic board book with lots of beautiful illustrations and repetition for toddlers to thrive on.
One Love
Based on Bob Marley’s song “One Love,” this board book simplifies the lyrics and shares love on every page. It’s a feel-good book!
What a Wonderful World
Read or sing along to this beautiful board book! Celebrate the beauty of the world and of the art within this story every time you pull this book out.
Welcome Little One
A story depicting the love of bringing home a baby — it’s a “love letter” to your baby that you can read and share!
Llama Llama Little Library Collection
Llama llama’s little library has four board books for babies in it and each book is only about 6 pages long. Perfect introduction to the llama llama books.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
A fun, silly story about a family’s walk in the woods with much repetition for toddlers. Your kid will LOVE if you act it out as you’re reading too: stomping, splashing, running and hiding is sure to entertain them as you read!
Big Red Barn
Introduce farm animals with fun and sweet illustrations, a sing-song rhyme and all the animals go to bed at the end, making this a great story for any time of the day!
Where is Baby’s Belly Button?
A lift-the-flap, fun and interactive way to teach body parts to young children. Be prepared to read it many, many times.
Babies in the Forest
Follow Ruby and Rusty the baby foxes as they explore the forest — with thick lift-the-flaps that are durable and easy for babies to open. This is a favorite of my one year old!
All the World
For the artistic family! This board book is peaceful, emotional and beautifully illustrated. The rhyme is melodic and there are not too many words involved. Great for discussions on emotions as kids get a little older.
Peek-a-Who? (Lift a Flap)
Fun rhymes, bold photos! Great for toddlers and young kids who like to interact with their books with fun peek-a-boo flaps.
Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?
If your child loves trucks, tractors or things with motors, this might be the bed time story you need. It’s melodic and has a nice flow, so it’s enough to keep a toddler’s or preschooler’s interest while still guiding them towards sleep.
Room on the Broom
Not just a board book–there are slides, flaps and other maneuverable parts in this fun story. This is an abridged version for babies and is not the full book version.
Poke-A-Dot: Wheels on the Bus Wild Safari
Some toddlers, like mine, are squirmy and won’t sit down to read a book with me. This is the one where he WILL! Because of the snappy buttons (they pop back and forth), he loves poking as I count and read. It’s like an introduction to fidgets and reading all-in-one.
Little Blue Truck Leads the Way
A nice spin-off of the original. This is a bigger board book and the story follows little Blue in the city encouraging everyone to be patient and nice to one another.
Barnyard Dance
This book is FUN. If you have any kid from 0-5, this is a great book to read, sing and dance along to.
Nature Friends Lift-a-Flap Board Book Set
This four book set is big and the flaps are chunky so babies can be rough with them. Four nice stories about animals, bees and the high seas!
Everything is MAMA
There are only a few words in this book, and half of them are “Mama!” Mama is trying to teach baby new words, but baby just keeps calling for Mama. It’s cute with nice images, but don’t expect a story line.
Thomas and Friends Board Book Set
This is a small-sized set that’s wonderful for train-loving toddlers. The plots are very simple and the books are great for small hands.
Good Night, Gorilla
Think of this as a storyteller’s book–you get some words, but not many. Mostly you follow the illustrations to a funny ending. It’s a good alternative night time book!
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
