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.
Williams, Sue, 1948-
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.
Rosen, Michael, 1946-
Paper Book
Go on a bear hunt and do the actions with this award-winning picture book classic. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the...
Press here.
Tullet, Herve
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
In this brilliant follow up to the Caldecott Honour-winning They All Saw a Cat, bestselling author Brendan Wenzel presents a chain of animals of dazzling variety. Each one is different from the last, yet each is also linked by at least one common trait: some obvious, some more subtle. As...
Dear Zoo.
Campbell, Rod, 1945-
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, 1929-
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, 1946-
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, 1927-
Paper Book
For more than three decades, children have been looking everywhere for Spot in this classic, first-ever lift-the-flap book. Is he in the piano? Is he under the stairs? After finding other familiar animals, there he is in his basket!  
Noni the pony.
Lester, Alison
Paper Book
Meet Noni, a pony who's as zippy and fun as she is thoughtful and kind. Introducing Noni, the friendliest, funniest, and friskiest pony you'll ever meet! When she's not racing and chasing with her best pals Dave Dog and Coco the Cat, she's busy making sure they feel cozy...

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