Selecting books for little readers can be difficult, overwhelming, and frustrating. This holiday season, whether you’re shopping for your own children or for gifts, check out Daily Mom’s favorite books for children ages 12-24 months. Our list features books with textures, flaps, and other surprises – along with a few classics – and trust us: you can’t go wrong with these great reads.
12 Toddler Christmas Books
Curious George is a classic and this board book brings George’s adventures to life with fun textures for little hands to explore. George’s disappearance in the zoo also gives kids the chance to spot George on each page while catching a glimpse of the various animals that call the zoo home.
Also a classic, no list is complete without Dr. Seuss. This is one of the wordier books on our list but the rhythm in the words seems to mesmerize little ears and it is a great way to explore the alphabet together.
This lift-the-flap book leads you on an adventure to discover what is hiding underneath mittens, boots, hats, and more. It is a good tool for introducing children to body parts (how often do you come across the word “elbow” in most books?!) and the flaps are well-made so should not come apart in the hands of eager readers.
We don’t always understand why some books are a hit but Huggy Kissy, with just a few words per page, definitely is. Sweet drawings of kisses from mommy, daddy, doggies and more fill the pages and reading it is a great chance to sneak in a few hugs and kisses with your squirmy toddler.
Eve Bunting has written a precious story about growing up and the changes that come with it. When Little Bear realizes he’s too big for his little boat, he’s not sure what to do with himself. Fortunately, he finds a new little bear to enjoy it, teaching young readers about the seasons of life that impact big and little bears alike.
Daily Mom loves the entire Flaptastic collection and Flaptastic: Colors is an especially fun book to explore. Each page opens with a question – “what color is the flower?” – and the answer is revealed by unfolding the page. This book is a great tool for teaching colors and vocabulary as each section features four additional photos of items in each color.
Sandra Boynton books have been delighting children for years and this one is no exception. With fuzzy, scratchy, and bumpy textures throughout the book, little fingers will have a ball discovering what’s on each page.
Follow Little Duck on his adventures from morning to night, from waking up with his mommy to finding his way back to her in the evening. This and stories like it are a great way to expose toddlers to the concept of “morning” and “night” and all the fun to be had during the day.
This beautifully illustrated touch and feel book features animals in the morning and in the evening. Entire pages fold out, revealing furry textures as animals settle in for the night. Young readers will tuck in a little girl on the very last page, making this a great pre-bed read.
Featuring some of the most unique textures of the touch and feel books we’ve seen so far, the photos and materials used in the book are beautiful and always seem to make little ones laugh. Check out the full Bright Baby Touch And Feel series for more like this.
Almost every hour is time for a hug in this clock-based book. The story has a nice rhythm to it and with clocks on each page, readers can begin to discuss the concept of time with little ones. Time For A Hug can also help children understand the different things we do at different times of the day, from brushing our teeth in the morning to taking a bath at night.
With babies on one side of the page and sweet animals on the other, kids lift the flap to find bunny’s ears, teddy’s nose, and much more. The photography is lovely and the textures are ones you don’t often see in similar books, making this a unique read for little ones.
