50 Best Books for 2-Year-Olds: 2024 Picks

This book features a child who writes a letter to the zoo asking them to send a pet. The zoo sends a pet, but each animal is returned for being too large, scary, tall, or naughty. Will they find the perfect pet?

This interactive book offers small clues to help your baby guess which animal is under the flap. With repetitive phrases, large text, and bright illustrations, it encourages pre-readers to participate.

The book’s touch and feel elements are significant for sensory development, motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. Additionally, we’ve found it’s also a great resource for teaching animal sounds. It’s a must-have for 2-year-olds, and our little boy loves it!

This colorful book is an excellent way to introduce your 2-year-old to numbers, shapes, and colors. The simple text connects pictures to their names, so your child can learn letters and phonetics at the same time as images.

The book also contains illustrations your child may identify in their everyday life, fostering cognitive development and helping expand their vocabulary.

Looking for a fun way to teach your child the alphabet? You’ve got to check out this fantastic board book! It’s excellent for teaching your little one without boring them.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom takes your child on a wild adventure with the 26 letters of the alphabet. They race to the top of a coconut tree, causing it to bend and groan under their weight before finally snapping, sending the letters tumbling down!

Your child will love this fun and engaging story, and you’ll love how it helps improve their letter recognition and alphabet skills.

Our parents bought this book for us, and we didn’t hesitate to do the same for our kids. The book begins with a beautiful illustration of a brown bear and the question, “Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?”

The story goes on, with the bear asking the red bird the same question, and the red bird doing the same with a duck, etc. The questions continue, and your child will have to turn the page to see what’s next.

The vivid illustrations teach your child colors and animals, even at this tender age. The rhythmic and predictable text is easy to grasp, and soon, your child will be “reading” or singing along as they turn the pages.

This is a delightful and totally recommendable alternative to smart screen gadgets. If your child loves pressing buttons as much as ours, take them away from smartphones and light switches, and bring them to this exciting book. The first page has a single yellow dot that turns to two yellow dots on the second page when pressed.

It’s a magical journey as the numbers, sizes, and colors of the dots transform from page to page. Your child can press the dots, shake the pages, and tilt the book, letting them participate in the storytelling adventure. Plus, it will teach them primary colors and numbers while captivating their imagination.

Do you need help potty-training? This adorable book helps teach children about using the potty. A baby goes on a journey to find out where to go and eventually succeeds on the toddler potty.

This heartwarming book is an incredible tool to prepare your toddler for the potty. Try mimicking the faces the baby makes, and encourage your toddler to act out the different parts of the story. In time, they will be excited about moving away from wearing diapers and onto the potty!

This is one of our son’s absolute favorite books! Since he could hold a book, he has loved the bright pictures and colors. As he grew, he learned to identify various objects and, eventually, learn their names, making this an even more exciting book to pick up!

Help your baby expand their vocabulary and improve communication skills with this amazing book. It’s filled with pictures and phrases that cover various topics, including colors, vehicles, farm animals, and even vocabulary for bedtime.

Sally, the dog, is on a mission to find her puppy, Spot. She looks for Spot inside clocks, under the stairs, behind doors, in the piano, and in other hiding spots. Where can he be?

As part of the widely popular “Spot” series, this delightful book teaches spatial concepts, such as under, in, and behind. The best part? Your child will have fun lifting the flaps to look for Spot.

If your child has trouble winding down for bed, this humorous book might be just what they need. It tells the story of a group of wild animals who spend the evening together on a boat, watching the sunset, and then preparing for bedtime as a team.

Together, they tidy up, change into their cozy night clothes, and brush their teeth before engaging in playful exercises. Eventually, they drift off to sleep, gently rocked by the boat.

Your little one might be inspired to follow the animals’ lead and snuggle up for a comforting cuddle before closing their eyes.

Toddlers like to give us the fear when they put all sorts of disgusting things in their mouths! The baby in this book does the same. But don’t worry, it’s an excellent opportunity to teach them what’s yummy and what’s yucky, all while having a good laugh.

If the baby eats something good, like blueberries or sandwiches, the caption reads “yummy.” If they eat worms or crayons or drink mom’s coffee — you guessed it! The caption is “yucky.”

The last two pages contain more examples of yummy and yucky things, a perfect chance to remind them what we eat and what we don’t.

Are you ready for a fun and educational adventure? Take a trip to the farm and explore the sights and sounds in the barn. The book is about farm animals, such as horses, cows, hens, pigs, ducks, goats, and many more.

One page asks, “Who says…?” On the opposite page, hidden under a flap, is the animal that makes the sound. The pictures are beautifully illustrated, and your 2-year-old will have a blast imitating the various barn animals.

Introduce your little one to the very famous and very hungry caterpillar. When he hatches from his egg, he is on the hunt for something good to eat, but he ends up with a terrible stomachache.

This interactive book with finger-sized holes and lots of flaps is a great learning exprience. Put it to use to teach your child all about what foods are healthy and what foods might lead to a sore belly!

Kindness is a crucial life lesson, and a child is never too young to start learning all about it. This stunning illustrated book teaches a child how they can be kind. With interactive flaps, they can uncover the answers to each question.

For instance, “What does kindness feel like?” is answered with “A warm glow inside, like a secret smile.” Two-year-olds might not fully understand the idea of kindness, but this enjoyable book creates a fantastic learning experience for them.

It’s also an excellent opportunity for families, including older children, to read together.

Nerdy parents, this one is for you! Encourage your child’s love for literature early on with this delightful board book. Follow along on a fun adventure through famous literary characters, starting with Aladdin and ending with Zebec from Treasure Island.

Two-year-olds will love the vivid illustrations and quirky characters. As they grow, your child will learn the names of beloved fictional people, which will absolutely impress the grandparents!

“Wheels on the Bus” is a favorite song in our home! By now, your little one might know all the actions, such as wipers, going up and down, and babies crying.

But this Little Stars edition has a new twist in town! This one follows silly animals, such as giraffes saying, “Ready, set, go!” or lions diving in the sea. Enjoy quality time with your toddler and watch them master concentration skills as they spot the differences between this book and the original song.

Swing along on an adventure through the beautiful jungle. With 3D pop-up illustrations, this book will excite your toddler for years to come.

They can follow the monkey as it swings from tree to tree. Watch the snapping crocodile as it swims through the river. With new illustrations to spot every time, this book won’t bore your toddler for a while. Plus, the pop-up feature is something a little unique to enjoy.

This adorable book is perfect for snuggling up with your toddler. Each page showcases a number from one to 10. You can copy each action, such as one big hug or eight big smoochies blown in the air!

We love this book for encouraging affection. Since we started reading it to our son, he now loves cuddling and kissing everyone! It’s also a great book to teach counting skills. Plus, your toddler will adore the cute characters, including monkeys and foxes.

Based on the hit song by Louis Armstrong, this book shares the beautiful lyrics with your toddler. Alongside stunning images of various weather elements and animals, this bright and vivid book is great for toddlers.

Whether you’re cuddling up before a nap or reading it to kick-start your day, this teaches your child a lovely message and a fantastic song. Share your love of literature and music with your two-year-old.

Do you need to prepare your two-year-old for siblinghood? It’s understandable if you’re feeling anxious about the transition!

But this book can help! In the story, the mother bunny introduces Peter to his new baby sisters. However, Peter soon realizes that babies aren’t that much fun as they sleep a lot and don’t play with toys, much to Peter’s disappointment!

But through the story, Peter learns how to have patience and interact with his baby sisters. If you’re expecting a new addition to the family and are worried about your two-year-old, this heartwarming book can help prepare them for the big adventure.

This timeless story has touched millions worldwide, telling an emotional story about a mother’s love for her son and his love in return.

Parents of two-year-olds will relate to the toddler’s chaos as he pulls books from the shelf and then flushes his mother’s watch down the toilet! But the book will tug at the heartstrings of exhausted parents as the mother visits her sleeping son every night before singing him a beautiful song.

This is a great book for reading over and over again with your child. The comforting lullaby is perfect for sending your toddler to sleep before you kiss them goodnight and try not to tear up!

There’s something about the rhythm of this book that sparks joy in toddlers! Our son reads this book multiple times a day. He loves the sound of the words and the different pictures of the babies.

This book follows eight babies: one born in the hills, one born in a tent, one born in a town. They’re all diverse and unique, but they all have 10 little fingers and 10 little toes.

Finally, you meet the baby at the end, which represents your child. Together, you can sing this little rhyme while kissing your baby’s fingers, toes, and little nose.

If your little one struggles with paper or card flaps, this book offers a great alternative: felt flaps! These soft cloth flaps are so easy to flip open, revealing the fun images beneath.

Each page features a question encouraging your child to uncover who or what is hidden under the flap. You’ll find a witch, a cat, a dog, a bird, and many more exciting creatures! It’s a wonderful story to read together with your toddler.

If you’re looking for a way to help your child relax and wind down, this book could be just what you need. It follows the story of Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hair before nighttime. Big Nutbrown Hare asks the little one to guess how much he loves him.

This emotional and heart-warming story showcases the love between parent and child. It’s also a relaxing bedtime story. Your little one can witness the two cozy hares cuddle up together before falling asleep under the moon.

This touchy-feely book has a range of bright imagery, various textures, and five colorful parrots. Your child will go on a journey to find their parrot, but first, they will have a fun opportunity to touch different feathered friends. They’ll find ones with soft feathers, fuzzy tails, and more!

If your little one likes this book, there are dozens more in the series, such as That’s Not My Dragon and That’s Not My Zebra.

Babies and toddlers love these sensory books! Available in a variety of animals — including a lion, dog, penguin, and more — it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn various textures. Discover soft fur, bumpy textures, squashy noses, and more interesting features.

It’s excellent for reading together with your toddler, but it also promotes independent reading since they can explore the various textures and animals by themselves.

This timeless book boasts stunning illustrations and a rhythmic rhyme which toddlers love. Filled with gorgeous images, it’s the perfect book for playing I Spy throughout each page.

This book features fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters such as Cinderella and Robin Hood. Over time, your toddler will love spotting their favorite characters in this book as well as television shows and movies!

Board books are a clever invention for toddlers as they’re sturdy and perfect for little ones who still explore things with their mouths. But now is still a great time to introduce paperback books, including Little Unicorn’s Birthday.

This colorful book features beautiful unicorns, mermaids, and other magical creatures as they wind down from a birthday party and get ready for bed. Between the sparkly illustrations and rhyming verses, this book will help your two-year-old settle down and fall asleep.

The first time we read this book, we laughed so hard we cried! We weren’t expecting the hilarity within the pages! Follow along with the wonky donkey as you learn all about his quirky personality.

The funny rhyming scheme will make your toddler giggle, but parents will be laughing, too! There’s no wonder this is a best-selling sensation across the world.

Can your toddler help Mole find his spectacles? He’s left them somewhere silly, but he can’t remember where! Through the lift-the-flap story, your little one can search high and low, inside cupboards and under floorboards. Great for kids who love to explore new things!

Toddlers will also love the rhyming verses in this book, which create a fun and lyrical rhythm to the story. Whether you read it together or your toddler sits with it quietly, it’s sure to be a delightful experience.

As toddlers grow, they will discover the world around them and the creatures that inhabit it. This includes learning which animals make great pets. This book uses playful textured tails to introduce a variety of animals, how they act, and what they do.

With bright images and soft tails to touch, your little one can work on their sensory skills. This book style engages young children, even those who haven’t been that interested in books up until now. If you’re looking for a fun and educational book, this is worth considering!

Your toddler can push, pull, and slide the various pieces of this book to help the kids inside celebrate a party! They can decorate the cake, swing the pinata, and set fireworks off.

The Campbell push and pull books are designed for toddlers, making this a perfect gift for your two-year-old. These books build vocabulary and develop fine motor skills as your child has to use their little fingers to maneuver the pieces.

Your two-year-old may or may not still be napping. But even if they protest a nap, you can encourage quiet time with this musical book. With an easy-to-press button, the song plays a different soothing classical song on each page.

Whether your child chooses Gymnopedie No. 1 by Erik Satie or Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D, they can enjoy a few minutes of melodic songs while looking at the animals in the river.

All aboard! Tag along with the train driver as she moves throughout her working day as a train driver. With the unique and exciting flaps, your toddler can help her get dressed, collect passengers, and whizz through a tunnel.

This book is a little more advanced than traditional lift-the-flap books, making it a great option for two-year-olds and older toddlers! If they like this book, there are more in the series, such as Farmer, Firefighter, and more adventures.

Does your little girl want to see how princesses go to the potty? Then this is the book for her! The charming story revolves around a young princess named Polly, who is excited to learn how to use the potty.

The book also features a button that plays a cheerful sound, which can motivate toddlers. The story also includes a section on selecting new undergarments and a potty, which can make the experience even more enjoyable for your child.

This silly book is perfect for toddlers at Christmas time! It’s a funny twist on the classic Christmas carol. Instead, your toddlers will see halls decked with cows and holly, giggling pigs, and more festive silliness.

The perfect book for lovers of farm animals, Christmas-time, and sing-alongs, this story is great for reading together as a family before putting out Santa’s cookies.

Join Pookie as they spend Thanksgiving Day with their family. Together, Mom and Pookie prepare for the festivities: they make the yummy food, play on the swings, and express gratitude for the blessings in their lives.

If your toddler isn’t sure about this holiday, this is the perfect book to showcase what an exciting gathering it is! Like Pookie, your little one will probably be most eager to sink their teeth into some scrumptious pie!

Fans of Sesame Street will love this book! You can count on this book to provide hours of fun with its 60+ lift-the-flap pictures. Elmo and his buddies can take your child on an adventure, teaching them all about opposites, numbers, letters, and more.

Not only is this an exciting and interactive book, but it’s highly educational, making it an excellent learning tool. Plus, parents love it because the flaps are super sturdy, making it a great choice for repeated use.

Biscuit is ready for bed. Snuggle up with your toddler and read through this classic story which features the loveable yellow pup: Biscuit. With a padded construction, this book is perfect for babies, toddlers, and older kids.

Join Biscuit as he delays bedtime, asking for more snacks, stories, and kisses. Eventually, he settles to sleep, and your toddler will hopefully follow suit!

Celebrate Father’s Day with this adorable book which follows Biscuit on Father’s Day. Together with his big sis, they make a card, go for a stroll, and look for birds. You can even read the book together on Father’s Day before setting out on your own fun-filled journey.

Toddlers will love that this book includes big flaps to unfold. Underneath, you’ll find more details to the story where Biscuit and his family are playing, exploring, and of course, munching on biscuits!

Can your little one help Winnie the Pooh find his friends? First, you need to look for Piglet, lifting the flaps to try and find him. Once Piglet has been found, can your little one help him find Eeyore?

This exciting hide-and-seek adventure continues as your toddler uncovers the flaps to locate the friends! This book encourages fine motor skills while teaching them famous characters.

Discover the world of insects from the comfort of your own home! This book incorporates sounds, colors, and fun facts to teach little ones about various bugs.

Little ones adore the vivid illustrations and fun prompts. For example, one page encourages your child to point to ladybug’s spots, which teaches them about the unique feature of this bug.

Encourage a little feminist starting today! This board book is easy for toddlers to hold, but it’s filled with important information about 23 remarkable women who made a huge difference. In this book, they’ll meet Amelia Earhart, Malala, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and many more incredible heroes.

Each page features one woman, what they’re known for, and a famous quote that they said. The illustrations are so fun, too! This book is sure to be a favorite, and you’ll want to read it again and again.

Is your little one ready to join the animals on a silly adventure? This book features silly monkeys, tall giraffes, and wild donkeys! In this “I-Can-Do” story, your toddler can copy all the animal’s actions, providing a fun and exciting learning experience.

Whether your child wants to copy or sit and listen quietly, no problem. The illustrations are relaxing and gorgeous, allowing your child to take a breather from their busy day!

This interactive board book introduces your little one to the joy of baking. Perfect as a little gift or stocking stuffer, this book takes kids on an adventure as they gather ingredients, pour them into the bowl, and clean up after themselves!

While it’s interactive, nothing on the pages moves or changes. Therefore, your child has to learn to use their imagination. But the good thing is: they can turn this book into reality by cooking with you in the kitchen!

It’s never too early to introduce your wee one to the iconic story, Where the Wild Things Are. This story follows little Max, whose bedroom magically transforms into a forest. He goes on an epic adventure to meet the wild things, a gang of quirky monsters.

If your little one is scared of monsters, this book proves that there is nothing to be afraid of. Monsters can be really nice, fun, and quiet! And most importantly of all… it’s all in your imagination.

Whistle for Willie is a sweet story about young Peter, who is desperate to learn to whistle. But we think, above all, your two-year-old will love the vivid and soft illustrations. They’re bright and beautiful, featuring various characters, dogs, and locations.

Besides the illustrations and fun story, it’s a fun chance to teach your toddler how to whistle! Will they be able to create a little melody like Peter?

Join Ladybug as she spends her day with her animal friends. Together, they go on a magical adventure through the finger trails and glittery pages. With an easy-to-follow rhyming scheme and interactive prompts, this book will teach your toddler seven different colors and introduce them to fun animals.

Can your little one help Ladybug find her perfect pair of boots? This exciting and fun-filled story is great for reading aloud to your child and helping them work on their fine motor skills.

If your little one struggles to listen to a story, this book might be a game-changer! Featuring delightful finger puppets, you can involve your little one in the tale. It follows a mother and baby elephant as they snuggle and play together.

Parents can animate the puppets, or if your toddler is feeling adventurous, they can try it themselves! This fosters imagination and fine motor skills, as well as creates a special bonding experience for moms and babies.

This heartwarming book explores the love between a mother and her babies. It takes you through Mother’s Day as she makes breakfast, goes shopping, and kisses her babies. The underlying message is how special these everyday moments are when a mom can share them with her babies.

Reading this book with your little one is a beautiful way to express your affection. As the baby llama snuggles up to its mother at the end of the story, take a moment to give your own toddler a warm, loving hug.

The first thing you’ll notice about this book is the gorgeous illustrations. Up next is the fun rhyming scheme that takes your toddler through a great adventure with a little blue truck. It passes by a bunch of friends, like a pig, chicken, horse, and more animals.

This book teaches the power of friendship as the buddies team together to help a dump truck who is stuck in the mud. Your little one will learn the value of treating people with kindness thanks to this joyous story!

Repetitive bedtime routines can help toddlers wind down to sleep. Why not introduce Goodnight Moon into your child’s routine? It might help with settling them into deep, long sleeps.

Your child will love following the young bunny as it bids goodnight to every item in its green bedroom – from chairs to bears, kittens, mittens, and more lovely details. Your little one can say goodnight to all the things in their room, too, before cuddling down to catch some Z’s.

Can your toddler search for the owl in this interactive lift-the-flap book? Instead of rigid paper flaps, this book features felt flaps which are easy to pull back.

Take an exciting journey through five gorgeous illustrations featuring charming woodland creatures. On the final page, there’s a mirror to let your child see their own reflection!