Best Books - 2-4 Years

Julia reads a book on her second birthday.

Between the 200 books in the kids’ library at home and monthly visits starting in January to the awesome Mountain View Library, right now I’ve read close to 500 children’s books. Therefore I feel qualified to inform you which ones are worth getting right now and which you should throw into a flaming pile of dog doo doo.

Speaking of dogs:

After putting leashes on the doggies James and Julia read them a book about dogs.

And the Mountain View Library:

I think James is looking into the briefcase from Pulp Fiction.

Also, here are my previous Best Books posts: Books for 15 months and under and Books for 15 months to 2 years.

Top 10 Books

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (Mo Willems)

This is my absolute favorite book for kids. (Thanks, Sharon!) The sequels are both good, too, but the original is best. The illustration style is really interesting - drawings of Trixie and her family superimposed on photographs of a Brooklyn neighborhood. And the book is so good that apparently it’s become a musical! (Newer versions of the book include a CD of the musical.) There’s a good reason that the entire section of Mo Willems books is always completely cleaned out of the library. I only ever get any if I’ve put them on hold or happen to see them on the cart to be put back on the shelf.

Here’s a sample page from the book. You can see how the drawings are superimposed on an actual neighborhood.

Llama Llama Misses Mama (Anna Dewdney)

My kids love this book and it’s excellent for dealing with separation anxiety, especially when they start going to school. All the other books I’ve read so far in the Llama Llama series are great too, especially Llama Llama Time to Share.

Owl Babies (Martin Waddell)

The drawings in this book (thanks for the recommendation, Sara) are unusual and beautiful with fine cross-hatched white lines that look etched against a black backgrounds. The book comes with a DVD too. This is another good book for dealing with separation. HOWEVER, I think it’s a little scary though so this is better for kids 3 and up, since the baby owls wake up and Mommy Owl isn’t there. Plus, the line “Maybe a fox got her!” is pretty terrifying - even for a grade schooler. 

Tails Are Not for Pulling (Elizabeth Verdick)

This is a great book (thanks, Leslie!), and deals with respecting animals. All of the books in this series are great (Calm Down Time is another good one), and teach without being too teach-y.

We Are in a Book! (An Elephant and Piggie book) (Mo Willems)

The Elephant and Piggie books are all cute (thanks for the recommendation to this series, Lizzie), but this is my favorite so far. It breaks the fourth wall and has the characters address the reader. My kids like to remind me of the time my college friend Bev read this book to her son Alex at our house, and Alex couldn’t help giggling every time Bev read the word “banana.”

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry (Molly Bang)

I really like this book because it deals with a child getting mad and handling their emotions. My kids really like it too. Despite the subject matter it’s not at all teach-y.

The Colors of Us (Karen Katz)

People of all different skin color shades are depicted here, and each is associated with a vivid food description. It makes skin color such a simple concept for kids: we all have skin and some people’s are like chocolate and some are like butterscotch, and others like honey. Of course now my kids will tell me what food people’s skin is like when we’re in public.

Goodnight Moon (Margaret Wise Brown)

I love that the rhyme of this book isn’t in obvious kid book patter (like “da DA da DA da DA”). The rhyme gets changed up and it’s fairly sophisticated. My favorite part is “Goodnight nobody, goodnight mush,”

Woof: A Love Story (Sarah Weeks)

While at the library I tend to gravitate towards books involving since James loves dogs, and this was a lucky random find. It’s really cute - the dog loves the cat but can only communicate in woofs that the cat can’t understand. How will the cat know how he feels?

Belly Button Book (Sandra Boynton)

This book is a simple ode to the awesomeness of the belly button, starring hippos. Not too many books make you want to smile while you read. The fun the author had in writing it is contagious.

Honorable Mentions

Truthfully choosing the last four on the above list were a tough call. On another day any one of these Honorable Mentions below might have made the Top Ten list instead.

We’re Different, We’re the Same (Sesame Street) (Bobbi Kates)

This book illustrates that our eyes, noses, mouths, skin color, bodies, and feelings are both different and the same.

The Napping House (Audrey Wood) (thanks to Tracy for the recommendation)

I know repetitive books are good for kids, but I hate them (the books, not the kids). This is the one exception.

Baker, Baker, Cookie Maker (Sesame Street) (Linda Hayward)

Cookie Monster has the worst business model ever - he hates when people come into his bakery and eat his cookies.

Teacher’s Pets (Dayle Ann Dodds)

This teacher has to take care of 20 pets left behind for show and tell. Clearly she needs a raise.

Jamberry (Bruce Degen) (thanks to Stacy for the recommendation)

It doesn’t matter that there isn’t much of a plot. It rhymes! And there are berries!

Mama Always Comes Home (Karma Wilson)

Also good for dealing with separation, this book extends the metaphor to the animal world where animal mommies have to leave for a while but always come back.

Otis and also Otis and the Puppy (Loren Long)

Mark got the twins the original book which is beautifully illustrated and has a lot of heart. I can’t decide if I like the original or the puppy sequel more.

The Big Orange Splot (D. Manus Pinkwater) (thanks to Maria for the recommendation)

The Neigborhood Home Association must hate Mr. Plumbeam.

Bears on Wheels (Stan and Jan Berenstain)

This is a fun counting book that’s out of print. I’ve included a sample page.

The Monster at the End of This Book (Sesame Street) (Jon Stone)

Mark remembers this book as a child so I gifted him with it so he could share it with the kids. Breaking the fourth wall as in this book is such an innovative concept to little ones.

One Dog Canoe (Mary Casanova) (thanks to Beth for the recommendation)

This book has some repetition which is good for kids. But unlike other books it isn’t so brain numbing that I want to kill myself.

Also, although no individual books from this series would make the list,  my kids really like the My First Little House books inspired by the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder (thanks to Beth for the recommendation). It’s a little tricky to explain why people lived in log cabins and didn’t drive cars. I don’t even try explaining why the kids had to stay inside all day and not play on Sunday or why Laura didn’t go into town or enter a store until she was in grade school. My kids particularly love Sugar Snow and County Fair, mostly because both involve food.

And two of the worst books ever:

Hello, Eeyore! (A.A. Milne)

This book is supposed to be for ages 1-5. It just serves to confuse one-year-olds more than anything else. Good luck explaining lines like “He likes putting his popped balloon into his Useful Pot.” I’m an adult and I have no idea what a Useful Pot is. (Yeah, yeah, I know it’s something from the Winnie the Pooh books but how are the kids supposed to know if it’s not referenced anywhere else in this book?)

Good Night! (Caillou)

Mark particularly loathes any Caillou books, especially Good Night!, and thinks Caillou is a whiny little brat. That’s funny because Caillou really doesn’t whine in the books, and Mark came to this conclusion without ever seeing the TV show. I’ve heard that parents despise it because of Caillou’s epic amounts of whine-i-tude. In Good Night!, Caillou whines (according to Mark) that he wants to play a board game and then is insufferable as he boasts that next time he’ll win.

After visiting the library they can't wait to get to the car to break into one of their books.

Best Books Part II: 15 to 24 Months

We’re finally moving away from gimmicky lift-the-flap books to some with a bit of plot. Here's my first post on books: Top 10 (or 11) Books for Babies 15 Months and Under. Although the books included on the previous list were the twins' favorite books when they were younger, easily half would still appeal to an older toddler. We now must have over 100 books, between purchases, gifts, hand-me-downs, and garage sale finds.

James gets stuck in book quicksand. (22 months)

James climbs to get to the stacks of books. (22 months)

Top 10

Hug (by Jez Alborough)
This book has few words so as a parent telling the story instead of reading it, you’re less likely to get bored. But the main attraction is the really sweet story. My kids loved it so much that “Bobo” was literally their second word, and they’re so cute yelling out “Bobo” whenever they see their favorite little monkey in the book.



James reads about giraffes hugging. (23 months)

Barnyard Dance! (by Sandra Boynton)
The text of this book has a great square dance-rhythm that makes it a joy to read. I put both babies on my legs and bounce them to the rhythm which makes them giggle. When we get to the end they say “more” and I read it again and again until my legs give out. All the Sandra Boynton books I’ve encountered have been good. From Horns to Toes is fun - they learned how to shake and shimmy from that. And Birthday Monsters! is a favorite (Julia gets super excited by the cereal confetti), and I imagine it will become even more popular as they learn about birthdays.



Good Night, Gorilla (by Peggy Rathmann)
This is another book with minimal text so you have to tell them the story. It’s really cute with lots of fun details. (Look for the stuffed animal version of each animal in their cage. I like that the elephant has a stuffed Babar.) Julia thinks the wide-eyed expression of the zoo keepers' wife is hilarious, and says "Eyes! Eyes!"



Wheels on the Bus (Raffi Songs to Read)
This book prompted me to sing the song to the babies. I know you can sing it without the book but they love looking at the pictures while also doing the hand motions. The book clearly takes place in an unnamed European country that may or may not have crazy Frenchies packed into a bus.



Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (by Dr. Seuss)
It's a classic for a reason. The babies love imitating the noises, especially the page with lightning and thunder.




Julia makes my friend Natascha read her Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (20 1/2 months)


Which baby is not one of Natascha's twins?

Just Like Daddy (by Cecilia Johansson)
Each page of rhyming text shows a baby and daddy animal. It's pretty adorable and there's textures for them to feel, too.



The Very Hungry Caterpillar (by Eric Carle)
Again, a classic for a reason. The babies love touching the holes left by the caterpillar eating through the page, and having me name all the food. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (we have the "slide and find" version) by the same author is another good book. In fact James likes it so much he will name the animal on the next page without seeing it, and knows them all in order.



Daddy Kisses (by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben)
This is another cute daddy book. Each page shows a different animal daddy and how it kisses its baby (on the nose, on the eye, on the paw). And then it's fun to kiss your own little one there. Julia learned to "aroooo-ooo" like a wolf because of this book.

The babies usurp Mark's Father's Day gifts: Daddy Hugs and Daddy Kisses. James doesn't seem to be enjoying his Daddy Hug too much right now. (18 months)

Potty (by Leslie Patricelli)
As far as I can tell every book in this series is awesome, but I'm trying to only name one book per author. We also have my favorite, Tubby - which made my last list, as well as Yummy Yucky. This is by far my favorite book to read about the potty, and they laugh and get excited when the baby finally goes - and I quote - "tinkle tinkle toot."



Shake a Leg (by Constance Allen)
This is a good book (featuring Sesame Street characters) to get kids acquainted with different body parts. It's fun to watch them try to flap their arms, honk their noses, and make muscles.

Honorable Mentions

Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! (by Dr. Seuss)
This book also has a nice rhythm. The babies love it - mostly because Daddy likes to rile them up with the “Jerry Jordan’s Jelly Jar” page. Now they skip the beginning and go right to this, their favorite part.



Baby Einstein: My First Book of Numbers
I don't actually read the text. Each page shows a different number and that number of items. So on page one there is one baby, one flower, one marble, one duck, and so on. It's funny to watch the babies imitate me counting.



Put Me in the Zoo (by Robert Lopshire)
The twins love this classic, especially since they're obsessed with colors and the leopard's spots turn a different color on every page.

James is engrossed reading about what color the leopard's spots will turn next. (16 months)

Go, Dog, Go!: P.D. Eastman's Book of Things that Go
This is another beloved classic for a reason. I show with my fingers how the dogs go up the ladder to the top of the tree at the end and it's funny to see the babies mimic me.

James is excited about Go, Dog, Go! Meanwhile, Julia doesn't like sharing a lap. (22 months)

ABC, A Sliding, Pushing, Turning Book! (by Moira Butterfield)
This is a good interactive book that's a bit unique.


James is obsessed with the x-ray on the other side of the water spout. (20 months)

Ten Playful Pups
I call this their "abacus pup" book because there are 10 puppies that can be moved to help them learn how to count.




Julia moving her abacus pups. (17 months)

Gossie (by Olivier Dunrea)
This is a cute little book and one of the first one's they've liked with some plot. I also like Peedie by this author, but Ollie is a bit of a slog.



Spot Goes to School (by Eric Hill)
This is a nice book with flaps (but it's not all about the flaps) that excites kids about starting school. Julia particularly loves this one.

Books that Most Pain Me to Read (a.k.a. I inwardly groan when the babies hand these books to me to read and sometimes I "accidentally" skip pages)

You Can Name 100 Trucks
There's nothing to read, just illustrations of 100 types of trucks. And some of the trucks are really obscure like the grapple skidder.

Julia usually likes You Can Name 100 Trucks but today she shares my opinion on it. (21 months)


James falls asleep while reading the most boring book known to baby-kind. He probably fell asleep somewhere between the foam pumper truck page and the crab loader page. (22 months)

Five Little Ducks
Anything involving counting down *slowly* from five to zero with the same text on every page except for a different number. Kill me.



Humpty Dumpty
It's always been a stupid story, and at this age it's particularly stupid. Who wants to explain what Humpty Dumpty is and what he's doing sitting on a wall?


Naked Humpty Dumpty story time! (Actually, Julia's wearing a diaper.) (18 months)