My not so little anymore guy turns two this week. Wow, time sure does fly! Last year, I shared his top 10 favorite board books and this year I thought I’d share his favorite books of this past year. These are some of the best books for 1 year-olds. I will say that many of the books that were on the list last year are still enjoyed almost daily. It’s neat to see things that he notices in those books that he didn’t a year ago.
Best Books for 1-Year-Olds
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We’ll start with his all-around favorite, Mother Goose. We own several versions of Mother Goose books! I plan to use this book as the theme of his birthday cake. Tomie’s Little Mother Goose by Tomie DePaola is just one of the few that we’ve enjoyed.
Little Blue Truck and Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle are two board books that have also received a lot of love. I must admit that they are two of my favorites to read to him also. Little Blue teaches those that he encounters great life lessons.
VROOM! It’s Color Time by McKown, Scieszka, and The Design Garage started an obsession with stop signs and other road signs. Various truck friends encounter different pop-out road signs and learn what each color represents. The pop-out puzzle pieces can be placed on the fold-out pages in the back of the book. The only problem we had was that this book was favorite when my little one still put everything in his mouth. The pieces now don’t fit in the book anymore.
Oh, Curious Geroge, how my son loves thee! This four-book box set (Curious George and the Rocket, Curious George and the Bunny, Curious George Rides and Curious George Goes Fishing) by Rey was in our book rotation almost daily.
My First Colors, Let’s Learn Them All by Davis and Sirett was the first book that truly showed me how quickly my son was recognizing new words. I’d say this was the book he learned how to recognize colors with too. I’ll be keeping this one in the cedar chest as a keepsake for him when he is older!
Not too long ago, I featured author/illustrator Sandra Boynton on the blog. Every little person should have some Sandra Boynton books in their library. My son’s favorite this year was Blue Hat, Green Hat. I love that he “gets” the humor in the story. This is another one that helped him with recognizing colors.
Tails by Matthew Van Fleet is one of the coolest interactive books I’ve seen. It’s a descriptive and playful look at different animal tails. There are lift the flaps, pull tabs, touch and feel and scratch and sniff pages. I will warn you that the pages are heavy-duty, but there are lots of things that could get ripped out. So, if your little one is still in the tearing stage, you might want to wait on this one.
Leaves, Leaves by Salina Yoon is a lift the flap board book that is so beautiful and fun. It simply tells how leaves change colors and fall to the ground. Behind each flap, you will find an animal enjoying the fall season. I beleive it’s now out of print, but try one of Yoon’s many other books.
So there is a look at some of my son’s top picks from the past year. I can’t wait to see what he falls in love with this year! What were some favorite books in your child’s life this year?
Update: My second son has just turned two so I thought I would add some additional books he has loved this past year too!
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle was a very popular book this year. The story is full of farm animals which seem to be a favorite of little ones. We really enjoy lots of Carle books, but this one is at the top of our list.
The Little Dump Truck by Margery Cuyler has great rhythm and repetitive text. Perfect for any little one who loves construction vehicles. My little one received this for Christmas and has been enjoying it since that time.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury is another book full of repetitive text. A classic book that all little ones would enjoy.
My little one is very musical. Old McDonald Had a Farm by Tiger Tales includes lots of classic songs including “Bingo”, “Pop Goes the Weasel” and “All Around the Mulberry Bush”. The illustrations are very playful and cute also.
Printable List of Best Books for a1-Year-Old
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For more books for kids by age, check out these lists.
Ultimate List of Toddler Books
[…] You are now set to head to the library with your toddler! What books will you get? If you are looking for some toddler book ideas, you may be interested in my post, Favorite Books for 1-2 Year Olds. […]