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By Melissa Taylor
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Find and read aloud the best toddler books for 2-year-olds to the growing readers in your life to benefit their brain cells, future literacy skills, and social/emotional growth. Plus, you’ll love the bonding time together with the child you’re reading to–it’s a sweet, sweet time. (Not to mention, it’s fun!)
I loved reading aloud to my own kids and the kids in the daycare where I worked– sometimes, if I didn’t know what else to do, reading a board book or picture book was the easiest and best activity choice!
But how do you pick the best board books and picture books?
I’ve read thousands of picture books over the years and hundreds each month to review on this website, so I can help you find the best read-aloud choices for toddlers–books approved by kids, teachers, and parents!
Top Toddler Books for 2 Year Olds
- Goodnight Goodnight Construction Siteby Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Go Dog Goby P.D. Eastman
- Peekaboo Morningby Rachel Isadora
- Where Do You Poop?by Agnese Baruzzi
- The Going to Bed Bookby Sandra Boynton
- The Napping Houseby Audrey Wood and Don Wood
- The Rice in the Pot Goes Round and Roundby Wendy Wan-Long Shang
- Lola at the Libraryby Anna McQuinn
These curated recommendations and reviews updated for 2024 will help you find a new favorite toddler book for the young readers on your lap with this list of good books you can read to your 2-year-olds– that they will love!
With favorite authors like Todd Parr and Eric Carle, I’ll recommend even more notable authors and good books you might not have heard of before.
Start a reading habit with a bedtime book. Maybe even three before you say good night. Look for books with bold pictures and rhyming, silly humor, and relatable topics. See what appeals to your children and keep reading no matter what.
Toddler Books for 2 Year Olds
Goodnight Goodnight Construction Siteis written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.
As each vehicle at the construction site finishes their job for the day, there is one last thing to do, and then they’ll say goodnight. Gentle rhymes and soft-colored pictures of favorite trucks are the perfect way to lull any child into sweet dreams. Say goodnight to more trucks at the construction site — Crane Truck, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator. Kids will tell you that this is the perfect bedtime story!
Go Dog Gois written and illustrated by P.D. Eastman.
Even though I’ve read this book a MILLION times with my kids, my kids still love everything about it — red dogs, blue dogs, big dogs, little dogs—all kinds of wonderfuldogs—riding bicycles, scooters, skis, and roller skates and driving all sorts of vehicles on their way to a big dog party held on top of a tree.
BUY THIS BOOK ON AMAZON.
Where Is Fuzzy Penguin (Touch + Feel + Look + Find)is written and illustrated by Yayo.
You will LOVE this adorable toddler book! Not only are these cutepenguinswho are happily playing and swimming, but you also get to feel and search for the one who is fuzzy!
Vegetables in Underwearis written and illustrated by Jared Chapman.
Giggle along with this very silly story about the wonders of underwear! Big, little, dirty, clean, we all wear underwear! “Just remember to put your clothes on top.” (Such sage wisdom!)
Old McDonald Had a Truckis written by Steve Goetz and illustrated by Eda Kaban.
Calling alltruck fans— this is the book for you! Because Old McDonald has a lot of trucks — a bulldozer, front loader, motor grader, dump truck, and more. E-I-E-I-O! This is not just a favorite for age 2 readers but also a family favorite sing-along picture book.
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Where Do You Poop?is written and illustrated by Agnese Baruzzi.
My NEW FAVORITE GIFT BOOK for toddlers.In this rhyming and pull-the-tab book, you’ll read all about where and when kitties, birds, hippos, wolves, and mice poop. Pull the tab and see the poop pellets in the wood chips. This was the most popular toddler book of all the books that I gave my dentist’s daughterthat she loved to read over and over again. (Use this book when you potty train!)
Hooray for Fish!is written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins.
Your kids will love the brightly colored fish described with fun words — “spotty fish, stripy fish, happy fish, gripy fish.” There’s so much to look at and describe — this is sure to be a new reading favorite as it’s an excellent toddler book for boys and girls.
The Going to Bed Bookis written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton.
A delightful rhyming adventure of animals on a boat as they prepare to go to sleep. It’s soothing, funny, and perfect for a bedtime story. (And another book I still have memorized 10 years later!) ANY book by Sandra Boynton is excellent — she’s such a gifted writer and illustrator.
Cerca / Closeis written by Juan Felipe Herrera and illustrated by Blanca Gomez.
In this bilingual book, a young girl shows us her world, specifically what things are close to other things. She does this by connecting things together. Earthy colors, an important concept (close), and enchanting illustrations.
Underwear!is written and illustrated by Jenn Harney.
Little Bear is having a hysterical adventure with hisunderwearmuch to his parents’ exasperation. Rhyming, giggle-inducing text pairs perfectly with comedic, expressive illustrations.Potty trainingkids will be able to relate to this story about a little bear who has a lot of *fun* with his underwear.
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Giggly Wiggly Playtime Rhymesis written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Chris Riddell.
I adore this board book! It makes a perfect baby shower gift. Its rhythmic poems are FUN to say and act out. “Jiggle jiggle, we’re all wriggly. Wriggle wriggle, we’re all wiggly. Wiggle wiggle, we’re all giggly…” Or, “Fingers in bed / Fingers wake up / Fingers stretch / Fingers shake up.”
Yummy Yuckyis written and illustrated by Leslie Patricelli.
What a silly and fun story! See if you agree with the author’s assessment of what is yummy and yucky. “Spaghetti is yummy. Worms are yucky.“
100 Dogs: Playful Pups to Countis written and illustrated by Michael Whaite.
“Small dog, tall dog, playing with a ball dog, big dog dig dog, burying a bone.” You’ll love seeing all the different kinds of dogs in this colorful, inviting toddler book that will be a favorite read-aloud!
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Not Now Cowis written by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Troy Cummings.
Perfect for preschoolers, this funny take on the seasons shows the farm animals celebrating each season…with a clueless Cow dressing in the wrong outfits for each season’s weather. Each season is the same — the playful animals do seasonal activities and Cow shows up wearing something not quite right…Toddlers will love this!
The Napping Houseis written and illustrated by Audrey Wood and Don Wood.
One of the most beloved picture books EVER, certainly by my family if not the world,The Napping Houseis a gentle, rhythmic story about the inhabitants of a sleepy house slowly falling into slumber– then waking back up again. Muted blue-toned illustrations enhance this book’s perfectly sleepy ambiance.
The Rice in the Pot Goes Round and Roundis written by Wendy Wan-Long Shang and illustrated by Lorian Tu.
Sing along with this cheerful and exuberant story that rewrites the words to the familiar “Wheels on the Bus” song, making it a story about a large, multi-generational Chinese family sharing a meal together.Seeing the yummy foods will make you hungry for some rice, noodles, and dumplings yourself.
Hello, Friend Hola, Amigois written by 123 Andres and illustrated by Sara Palacios.
Gently narrated in English and Spanish rhyming text, this bilingual book based on a song encourages you to be friends with anyone– no matter the differences. It encourages children to remember we’re all the same.
Please, Baby, Pleaseis written by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee and illustrated byKadir Nelson.
My kids LOVED this book so much — and repeated readings were no problem because so did I. The parents implore their spunky young child to please behave, PLEASE. Great use ofrepetitionand relatable to 2-year-old children …and their parents.
R is for Robot: A Noisy Alphabetis written and illustrated by Adam F. Watkins.
Bright cartoon-like illustrations show expressiverobotsdoing noisy things. “Ick, Jolt, Kapow, La La La, Meep.” An engaging toddler book with gorgeous and entertaining illustrations.
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Global Baby BEDTIMESis written and illustrated by Maya Ajmera.
Toddlers love photos of other kids! In this sweetboard bookabout getting sleepy and going to sleep, each page shows a baby from a different country. Some babies sleep in a cradle, some on their mama’s back, and some snuggle near a sibling.
Go Sleep In Your Own Bed!is written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Lori Nichols.
Each animal goes to bed and finds another animal sleeping in the wrong bed. “Go sleep in your own bed!” the pig orders the cow, the cow orders the chicken, the chicken tells the horse, well, you get the picture. What will happen with the kitten? She gets to stay and cuddle in the little girl’s bed! Giggles all around for this darlingbedime story.
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Things That Go!(Indestructibles) is written by Amy Pixton and illustrated by Stephan Lomp.
Chew-proof, rip-proof, and drool-proof, these paperlike little books are lightweight andindestructible. Learn all about vehicles on the road, in the air, in town, on the construction site, and on the sea. Bright illustrations and interesting information.
You Can Beis written and illustrated by Elise Gravel.
“There are many ways to be a kid. You can be . . .” begins this brilliant book filled with acceptance for a child’s ways of being, including funny, sensitive, noisy, artsy, caring, dirty, strong, studious, helpful, and scared. Gravel shows the possibilities in being yourself and feeling different emotions. Parents reading this book will express their parental love and acceptance of their children.
Everyone Says Please (Except Cat)is written by Jamie Michalak and illustrated by Katie Mazeika.
You’ll crack up at this book showing animals with good manners and a cat who stops and fumes and demands CHEESE. It’s a full-on meltdown until he realizes that Mouse got cheese simply by saying please. So the cat says please, too…and he finally gets what he wants.
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Cuddly Cowis written and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
Cuddly Cow is sleepy and looking for a good, quiet place to sleep. The cows are too noisy. So are the chickens. Where will she go? Includes a sound button which while cute, may get slightly annoying to parents, or at least to me.
My First Baby Signsis written and illustrated by Phil Conigliaro and Tae Won Yu.
Talk about a must-own board book!Parents, you’ll want this for youandfor your little ones. It will first teach and then reinforce the important signs that kids ages 9 months, age 1, 2, and even age 3 can use to communicate with caregivers. This book’s colorful pages show eight essential signs that young children can use to communicate basic needs.
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Up, Up, Up, Down!is written and illustrated by Kimberly Gee.
Lyrical and repetitive, this relatable storyline capturesa day in the life of a talkative toddler and a stay-at-home dadwith evocative, diverse illustrations. Sure to bring a chuckle to both you and your growing reader when you read it aloud.
Monsters in Trucksis written by Laura Baker and illustrated by Nina Dzyvulska.
Toddlersandpreschoolerswill love the exuberant explosion of colors, monsters, and trucks filling every page. The rhyming text shows monsters building, drilling, and working very hard, whether they’re cleaning the street or eating everything they can. 100% adorable.
The Wonky Donkeyis written by Craig Smith and illustrated by Katz Cowley.
This wonky donkey is walking down the road, he hasn’t had any coffee and up to mischief. It’s on this list of the best books for 2-year-olds because it’s asilly (very silly!) cumulative story filled with rhyme and onomatopoeias like “stinky dinky lanky honky tonky winky wonky donkey.”
The I Love You Bookis written and illustrated by Todd Parr.
Read about unconditional love shown in Todd Parr’s characteristic colorful style . . . Your little one’s fingers will want to push and poke the puffy heart cover. It’s a warm-hearted book you are going to read and reread.
Forty Winks: A Bedtime Adventureis written by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Lita Judge.
This large mouse family’s bedtime routine feels familiar and sweet.They get ready with rituals of reading books, whispering prayers, tucking in tight, goofing around, and procrastinating, and it’s a read-aloud delight!
What Can You Do with a Rock is written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Katie Kath.
What an inspiring book to show children the creative ways to play with rocks…You can skip them, drop them, sort them, study them, change them, and so much more. There are many things you can do with a rock. “Skip drop kerplunk.”
I Say OOH, You Say AAAHis written and illustrated by John Kane.
Readers get to participate in telling this very silly story — and they’ll be cracking up the whole time. Meet the narrator’s best friend named OOH, who you’ll scare away. Then you’ll help him find his underpants… Or are they YOURS? What a crack-up! I love it!
I’m Braveis written and illustrated by Kate & Jim McMullan.
Firefighter fans are going to love to read about the life of a brave (and good-looking’) fire engine driving through smoke and heat to a blazing fire. Filled with lots ofdelightful sound effects: CLANG, HONK, WHOOSSSSSH, and EEEEEEOWOOOO for young children.
Can You Yawn Like a Fawn!is written by Monica Sweeney with Lauren Yelvington and illustrated by Laura Watkins.
This gorgeous sleepy-time book shares the nighttime rituals of baby animals and asks if the reader can yawn like them. It’s soperfect for bedtime, Yawn along with this highly recommended bedtime story.
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F is for Fairy Taleis written and illustrated by Greg Paprocki.
Starting with A for adventurous, this beautiful board book captures castles, dragons, jewels, a unicorn, and more with analphabetoffairy talescenes featuring kids and animals for each letter all the way to ZZZZZzzzzz.
Richard Scarry’s Super Silly Seek and Find!
Perfect for toddlers, this is a playful, oversizedseek and findboard book. From the bedroom to the bathroom to outside on a busy street and gas station, your littles will get to look for one or more items such as 3 trash cans, 7 green bugs, and 1 potted plant. Highly recommended to share with the toddler readers on your lap.
Teeny Tiny Farmeris written by Rachel Matson and illustrated by Joey Chou.
This female farmer drives to town with a load of vegetables. But, oh, no! Her truck won’t make it up the hill! And then it gets stuck She needs help and who should help her — the tiny pig and cow and sheep and chickens — the farm friends work together to save the day and get the truck unstuck!
Mommy Snugglesis written by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben.
Animal mothers take good care of their babies. “Mommy swan glides with her cygnet / under her wing.” In this book, 2 year olds will see the animals and learn the names of the adults and babies animals.
Jungleis illustrated by Jane Ormes .
What an adorable toddler book tolearn about animal families!I love the color schemes with neon orange, blues, and greens. For each animal, you’ll read what the daddy is called, the mommy is called, and then lift-the-flap under the mommy to read what the babies are called.
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Roar!is written and illustrated by Katerina Kerouli.
Playful descriptions and lift the flaps show kids the mouthes of different safari animals like a snake, lion, crocodile, monkey, and tiger.“Snap Snap,” it says inside the crocodile. “Such colorful scales, such a flicky tongue, such pointy fangs…Look out, everyone! Hiss Hiss.” A darling, interactive animal book for 2 year olds!
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How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?is written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague.
Mark Teague’s illustrations wonderfully depict these playful dinosaurs doing fun things that kids do all day long — playing with blocks, balls, toys, and teddy bears! Can you count along?
Your Nose! A Wild Little Love Songis written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton.
Perfect for young readers learning body parts,this sweet song in a book celebrates YOUR amazing nose.Sing it your own way or check out Boynton’s version of the song on herBlue Moo album. (We highly recommend it!)
Touch the Brightest Staris written and illustrated by Christie Matheson.
We love this sweet, interactive picture book. Touch, press, pat, and blow as you say good-night to the deer, the tree, the stars, and the owls. Shhh. Breathe in deeply. It’s time to sleep! Your youngest readers will really enjoy this. 🙂
Guess How Much I Love You Here I Am! A Finger Puppet Bookis written by Sam McBratey and illustrated by Anita Jeram.
Play hide-and-seek with the Little Nutbrown Hare finger puppet! Big Nutbrown Hare searches for Little Nutbrown Hare. Wiggle the Little Hare’s puppet hiding in a tree, under a rock, near white flowers, and other places. 2-year-olds love this playful, sweet board book showing a loving relationship between caregiver and child.
The Snowy Dayis written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats.
Not only was this best picture book a favorite from my own childhood, but it still endures today as a must-read classic toddler book! It has finally snowed and the little boy can’t wait to go outside to play…
We Are the Dinosaursis written by Laurie Berkner and illustrated by Ben Clanton.
Laurie Berkner’s popular songis now a super cutedinosaur bookfor toddlers. As you read the song lyrics, follow along with Dax as he and his friends go exploring, marching, picnicking, napping, and roaring. Clanton’s animated illustrations with cartoon-like dialogue bubbles make these dinosaur friends inviting and friendly. A best toddler book for 2-year-olds.
There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knightis written by Penny Parker Klosterman and illustrated by Ben Mantle.
Jaunty rhymes and plenty of silliness make this a read aloud favorite, now in aboard bookversion. This dragon swallowed a knight — and so much more. That’s not polite! Which the dragon realizes when his tummy gets too big. He burps and they all, well, almost all, leave his stomach.
The Underwear Bookis written and illustrated by Todd Parr.
As you read these do’s and don’ts, I predict your kids will crack uplike my kids always did. For example, do put your clean underwear away. But don’t put it in the freezer! Helpful and silly tips will encourage your kids to embrace theirunderwear, especially thosepotty-trainingkiddos.
A Parade of Elephantsis written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes.
My kids and I were immediately attracted to the pastel-colored illustrations of elephants who are going through their day until they fall asleep at night. One, two, three, four, five begins the rhythmic text with over, under…in, out, and marching. Gentle. Perfect for reading aloud at bedtime or anytime. It’s sure to be a new two-year-old read-aloud favorite.
KEEP READING
Picture Books with Predictable, Repetitive Text
Books About Colors
Number and Counting Books for Kids
Books for 3-Year-Olds
Bedtime Stories for Kids
Melissa Taylor
Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.
