30 Books to read before you're 2!

The books on this list have been selected by the Better Beginnings team of children's literature specialists and are favourites of many babies, toddlers and their families.

Updated January 19, 2024
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I went walking
Machin, Sue
Paper Book
A child discovers a parade of animals in this picture book filled with playful humor and rhyme. This simple, funny read-aloud follows a boy's exciting stroll through the countryside. The boy sees a black cat, then a brown horse, then a red cow, and so on, and before he knows it, he's being...
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Oxenbury, Helen
Paper Book
Beloved for more than 30 years, this award-winning classic from Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury celebrates the joys of an afternoon outdoors with family. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? Join a father and his four...
Press here
Tullet, Herv©?
Paper Book
The longest-running picture book on the New York Times bestseller list! "Tullet's brilliant creation proves that books need not lose out to electronic wizardry; his colorful dots perform every bit as engagingly as any on the screen of an iPad.... The joy is...
Hello hello
Wenzel, Brendan
Paper Book
Named a Best Children's Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Amazon, Working Mother and more: A new picture book from Brendan Wenzel, the New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor-winning author of They All Saw a Cat! Hello, Hello!<...
Dear zoo
Campbell, Rod
Paper Book
Rod Campbell's classic lift-the-flap book Dear Zoo has been a firm favorite with toddlers and parents alike ever since it was first published in 1982. Young readers love lifting the flaps to discover the animals the zoo has sent--a monkey, a lion, and even an elephant! But...
The very hungry caterpillar
Carle, Eric
Paper Book
THE all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life? Carle's classic tale of a voracious caterpillar who eats his way through the days of the week and...
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy
Dodd, Lynley
Paper Book
With cumulative rhymes and sunny ink and watercolor illustrations, this international favorite chronicles the escapades of our hero Hairy and his crew of five kooky canines. In this introductory book in the HAIRY MACLARY series, all the pooches-from big-as-a-horse Hercules Morse to Schnitzel von...
Where is the green sheep?
Fox, Mem
Paper Book
Little ones are sure to be lulled off to a peaceful, sheep-filled sleep by this cozy book from acclaimed author Mem Fox. There are red sheep and blue sheep, wind sheep and wave sheep, scared sheep and brave sheep, but where is the green sheep? The search is on in this cozy, sheep...
Where's Spot?
Hill, Eric
Paper Book
The bestselling puppy is better than ever. Spot's 25th birthday presents are bold, beautiful color covers that give him a great new look. Enjoy Spot in paperback with full-color covers and traditional Lift-the-Flap features. Have more fun with Spot!
Hands can
Hudson, Cheryl Willis.
Paper Book
Hands can do all kinds of things! A rhyming text with eye-catching color photos offers just the encouragement young children need to explore their world -- hands on. Hands can hold things. Hands can mold things.  Hands can catch and hands can throw. ...

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