Category: Toddler Reads

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Read Black KidLit: Beautiful Black Boy by Sophia Robinson & Ken Daley

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Beautiful Black Boy, by Sophia Robinson/Illustrated by Ken Daley, (Apr. 2026, Orchard Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781338864649

Ages 3-7

Beautiful Black Boy is a celebration of Blackness, inspiring young Black boys to feel confidence and pride. Each spread is an explosion of joy, with affirmational wording to fill readers with positivity: “Beautiful Black Boy, / You are strong. / You can do anything you set your mind to”; “Beautiful Black Boy, / You are full of hope. / Always live your life with an open heart and mind”. Powerful words, like strong, hope, resilient, and leader are bolded for emphasis; each spread incorporates the page’s verse into the illustration, building the words into the background. Bold and bright colors show a full range of active Black children smiling, their gazes turned upward; expressions of wonder and elation on their faces. Robinson’s words pair with Daley’s beautiful illustrations to show children they are seen, appreciated, and loved. A recommended first purchase for picture book collections.

 

SOPHIA ROBINSON was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. She has been an elementary school teacher for over 20 years, where she shares her love of picture books with her students.

KEN DALEY is an award-winning artist/illustrator and veteran educator for over twenty years from Tillsonburg, Ontario. His art and illustrations are inspired by his African-Caribbean heritage, and he has exhibited his work in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. Ken has illustrated numerous children’s books and has received an Américas Award Honor Book and a Kirkus Best Picture Book for Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings.

Posted in Toddler Reads

Twirl board books are ready for Spring!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

How adorable are board books? And now that I’m living Nana Life, I’m enjoying them even more. These books, by the way, are all granddaughter-approved; fun additional notes in the reviews.

Baby Animal Mazes, by Susann Hoffmann, (Feb. 2026, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9782408061951

Ages 2-4

Baby animals need our help! Baby Duck, Baby Bear, Baby Fox, Baby Rabbit, and Babies Blue and Orange Bird have places they need to go, but their paths are missing big pieces from them: fortunately, readers have those pieces and can connect the paths by choosing one. So much fun for toddlers and preschoolers, this sturdy board book has three easy-to-remove pieces with different pieces to connect the mazes in the book. It’s an exciting introduction to problem-solving and foundational math skills. Pieces store easily in the book for the next time. Each spread provides a little story to each baby animal’s dilemma and cheers players on. Illustrations are bright and colorful, perfect for young learners. Sunshine (my nickname for Granddaughter) is only 10 months old but enjoyed playing with the maze pieces and was happy to see the animals, so if your little is younger than 2, show them the book! The board book pages will hold up. If you’re using this in a public library or school library, better to keep this one for storytime reference or playtime, when it’ll be cleaned up and put back afterwards. It’s great fun for a Family Place play area or storytime!

 

Clack-Clack, Little Crab! (Clickety Clack), by Amy Blay, (March 2026, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9782408061807

Ages Birth-3

Little Crab wakes up and wants to play with friends! This board book proves to be great fun for littles of all ages with side pulls on each spread that make a clacking sound, just like Little Crab’s claws, and a reveal of a new underwater friend. The text plays with sounds like “swish swosh”, “scritch, scratch, scritch”, “splish, splash, splish”, “plip, plop”, “WHEEEEEE”, and, naturally, “click-clack”. Each pull of the side handles awakens sleepy snails, starfish, and fish, ready to play with Little Crab. Bold and colorful illustration pair with activity-driven text; combined with the sound and activity of the click-clack side pull, this is a feast for toddler senses. Clack-Clack, Little Crab! is a companion to Crack-Crack, Who is That? (2022). The pulls and pages are sturdy and will hold up to a lot of pulling and play, so put this in a circulating collection and watch the kids light up. Sunshine thoroughly enjoys this book and has figured out pretty quickly how to pull on the side pulls to get the “click-clack”.

 

 

Big Brain Puzzles: Plant Pandemonium!, by Camille Pichon, (March 2026, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9782408061814

Ages 6+

A board book for bigger kids! Plant Pandemonium! contains 45 different garden challenges within its 10 pages: puzzles involve lifting flaps to grow a group of plants; sliding puzzle pieces together to help earthworms dig underground tunnels, and pulling tabs to organize a group of butterflies’ flying order. Each challenge has three levels to complete, giving readers a wealth of brain teasers to develop math and reasoning skills. The pages are sturdy but a cautionary suggestion to keep this out of your board book sections; littler hands risk tearing flaps and pulls. Little ones can use the book for play and exploration (Sunshine did – she likes the worms best so far), but for repeated use, you’re going to want to keep a separate copy in your Nonfiction sections for kindergarten and elementary students’ use. This is a fun one; I hope we get more Big Brain Puzzles in the future.

 

T. Rex (Ultimate Discovery), by Raphaële Glaux/Illustrated by Amélie Falière, (March 2026, Twirl Books), $10.99, ISBN: 9791027613885

Birth-3

Okay, this is the one I was waiting for: is it Sunshine’s favorite, or is it mine? BOTH. Ultimate Discovery is a spin-off of Twirl’s Ultimate Spotlight series, just perfect for littler learners. Here, a T. Rex teaches readers about their prehistoric life, from hatching to hunting. Each spread has sliding panels that reveal a baby T. Rex hatching from its egg; opening and closing their massive jaws, and allowing a Triceratops to charge at them. Descriptive text is brief and enticing, providing interesting details about the dinosaur; additional vocabulary runs throughout, including names of other dinosaurs, names of flora, and dino attributes. Sunshine loves playing with the slides and I’ve managed to get one “RAHR!” out of her so far. This one will hold up to multiple reads; put it in your board book collections. Kids love dinos!

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

My Left Right Book is a concept adventure

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

My Left and Right Book, by Siirsel Tas/Illustrated by Gökçe Akgül, (June 2025, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764369322

Ages 2-6

Learning left and right is a fun-filled romp with this handy picture book that takes readers on an adventure while teaching them their left from their right. From the bold, large text to the fun, bright illustrations, readers will pick this book up for multiple reads. Starting with illustrations of smiley hands on left and right pages to allow readers to match their hands to the ones in the book, the story progresses to the need to know one from the other in case the reader gets lost in a forest and has to ask directions from a bear, withstanding wind and rain, and finally, the silliest challenges to test your left and right knowledge. The interactivity makes this a great readaloud choice. Back matter includes handy cut-out bracelets, but PLEASE scan and print them to (hopefully) save your book in circulation or keep the bracelet printouts on hand to distribute during storytimes and keep a copy in storytime reference. All in all, a fun book that takes on a concept that can sometimes frustrate new learners.

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Baby and Toddler reads!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve got such a cute collection of baby and toddler books, most tested with my storytime kids and/or my little grandgirl. The grand is only a couple of months old, so the best reaction is the big eyes and kickie feet, but that means the world to me. Without further ado, here we are, new books for lapsits.

Animals Everywhere: A Lift, Look, and Find Book, by Stéphanie Babin/Illustrated by Robert Barborini, Marie Caudry, Jessica Das, & Marie Kyprianou, (Aug 2025, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9791036381454

Ages 3mos-5

Twirl is on my short-list of go-to baby and toddler reads. They put out such fun and interactive stories, and they’re nice and durable, standing up to multiple reads. Animals Everywhere is so much fun, because it’s got lift the flips AND gatefold pages, really laying out a fun experience for emerging readers and lapsitters. The book takes readers to six areas where animals abound: In the Country, On the Ice, In the Forest, On the Farm, In the Rainforest, and In the Backyard. There are seek and find challenges on each spread, inviting readers to look for different animals. There are lift the flaps that give readers a peek at who’s sleeping or playing in each area, and gatefold spreads open, showing readers the full area where people and animals interact together. Brief text provides a little bit of information on each area the animal inhabitants. Pages are sturdy, but if you’re putting this into circulation, buy two; the gatefolds are going to take some abuse. Absolutely adorable for board book collections!

Want to print some seek and find coloring pages for post-storytime activities? You can’t go wrong by visiting Highlights, the grandma/grandpa of seek and find!

 

The Greatest Gift by Emma Dodd, (May 2025, Candlewick Press, $17.99, ISBN: 9781536241174

Ages 2-6

Emma Dodd’s parent-and-child/caregiver-and-child books are just beautiful. Her verse is heartfelt, the interaction between adult and child animals is so gentle and loving, and the foil-accented pages bring a touch of magic to every read. Here, an adult zebra frolics with their child and speaks about all that they wish they could give: “I would give the world to you, / if I only could. / I’d give you the sun, the moon, / and everything that’s good”; “I’d give you the mountains / and the glittering stars up high / shining far above us / in the dark night sky”. The savanna stretches out before them as they cross streams, run through fields, and snuggle together. The adult concludes their verse by stating that the greatest gift they can give the gift of love. It’s a comforting sentiment and statement about love and the desire to give our kids everything, but the knowledge that we will always give them love. I always recommend Emma Dodd’s books because she always manages to figure out a new way to tell children what’s in their parents’ and caregivers’ hearts.

 

 

Our Gorgeous Baby, by Smriti Prasadam-Halls/Illustrated by Eve Coy, (March 2025, Candlewick Press), $8.99, ISBN: 9781536239324

Ages Birth-3 years

Narrated by an elder sister, Our Gorgeous Baby is a sweetly amusing celebration of a new baby: “Our baby’s eyes are not brighter than the sun. / And no, she’s not as light as a feather. She weighs a ton!” Sister is always with her baby sister as she makes messes, acts silly, wakes everyone up at night, and has the stinkiest diapers! Our Gorgeous Baby is a humorous warts-and-all look at the truths of having a new baby in the house: and how we adore every second of them. The rhyming verse makes for an easy readaloud and the mixed media illustrations are warm. A good addition to board book and new baby collections.

 

 

Maisy Big, Maisy Small: A Book of Rhyming Opposites, by Lucy Cousins, (Jan. 2025, Candlewick Press), $15.99, ISBN: 9781536236293

Ages 2-5

I love a good concept book, and who doesn’t love Maisy? Maisy Big, Maisy Small is a rhyming book of opposites that will be a winner on shelves. The bright colors and bold outlines are a beacon to young readers, and the big, bold black lettering is so easy to read. There are tons of sight words in this book that will add to readers’ burgeoning vocabularies. Cousins gets joyfully creative with her interpretations: “Maisy Stripes” and “Maisy Spots” show Maisy covered in stripes and spots; “Maisy One” shows a singular Maisy on the page against a bright yellow background; “Maisy Lots” show a cheerful plethora of Maisies across a bright blue background; “Maisy Round” features Maisy with a round belly and legs, “Maisy Square” shows Maisy as she may look on a Minecraft screen. The book is just fun, and that’s the point of learning. An excellent choice for concept collections.

Need more Maisy? Visit Maisy’s Fun Club for coloring sheets and activities.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Bubbeleh, you have to read Sweet Babe! by Robin Rosenthal!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sweet Babe! A Jewish Grandma Kvells, by Robin Rosenthal, (Feb. 2025, Tundra Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781774884324

Ages 2-5

This adorable book packs the excited punch of an over-the-moon Bubbe (that’s grandma, in Yiddish) into every page. Bubbe is so happy to be with her grandchild! The story gives a view into grandma time, as Bubbe plays with and exclaims over the wonder that is her adorable grandchild: she nibbles on fingers and toes, delights over cheeks, and marvels at the obvious brilliance that baby displays. Boldly outlined and colorful, with huge, easy to read fonts to communicate Bubbe’s euphoria on each page, this is a book that you’ll want to read again and again to any and every baby you see. Sweet Babe! is so relatable and so enjoyable that you’ll want to read it just to feel good. Need help navigating the Yiddish terms? There’s a glossary at the end. An absolute must-add to picture book and storytime collections.

 

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads

Three Board Books for Spring and Easter

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It is no secret that I love board books. Having a new grandbaby to share all these great new board books with? GOLD. Here are a few I’ll be tucking into her Easter basket – and reading at Spring storytimes!

Egg Hunt with Max and Moo, by Susie Lee Jin, (Jan. 2025, Schiffer Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764368851

Ages Birth-3

Max and Moo are having an Easter egg hunt, and you’re invited! Fun lift the flaps and a playful story show the two joining their friends preparing and enjoying the egg hunt. Doubling as a concept book, Egg Hunt helps reinforce colors as readers discover the eggs and the friends they’ll discover on the way. Characters from Max and Moo’s previous adventure, Peek-a-Moo!, show up here and will delight readers who are familiar with them. Bold, colorful illustration with bold, black fonts make for easy reading. Durable flaps will hold up to multiple reads. A fun read for holiday and board book collections!

Visit Susie Lee Jin’s website for fun and free downloadables and more about her books.

 

Oh So Sleepy Head to Toe, Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama, (April 2025, Scholastic), $8.99, ISBN: 9781546139409

Ages Birth-3

This is more of a bedtime story, but there are adorable animals, including a bunny, so Spring it is! Animal friends are all getting ready for bed, and it’s up to readers to soothe them to sleep. Rub Little Sheep’s fuzzy tummy; smooth Little Pup’s blanket, pet Little Bunny’s ears: touch-and-feel pages and the repetitive “Goodnight” on each spread will soothe and relax readers and provide a gentle bedtime routine. If you’re holding a pajama storytime, encourage your attendees to repeat the behaviors on their own stuffed friends. Gama’s illustrations are adorable, with bright colors and cartoony animals, all curled up under their covers. A final directive to readers to “Wiggle your toes. Stretch your arms. Close your eyes” provides more interactivity and leads them into their own slumber (or the close of your storytime). Don’t miss this one.

 

Spring ABC, by Jannie Ho, (Jan. 2025, Candlewick Press), $7.99, ISBN: 9781536237689

Ages Birth-3

It’s a Spring alphabet! Filled with Spring images, this ABCedary is sure to be a hit. Cheerful, colorful illustrations will capture any reader’s attention, with playful alphabet choices like Apple Blossoms and Daisies; Ho thinks up creative ways to highlight other letters, like G, choosing the word “grow” and showing a worm next to a series of growing saplings; X for Extra Eggs, and Z for Zipper, showing the zipper of what could be a spring jacket. The book is well-constructed, with hardy pages that will hold up to multiple readings. A concept books essential, make sure to put this in your collections.

Spring ABC is the fifth book in Jannie Ho’s ABC series – visit her website to find out more!

 

Posted in Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Tactile Board Books for Little Hands

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bedtime Kisses, by Élisabeth de Lambilly/Illustrated by Mélisande Luthringer, (Feb. 2025, Twirl Books), $10.99, ISBN: 9791027613267

Ages Birth-3

A group of babies get bedtime cuddles in this adorable graduated, die-cut board book. Baby squirrels, monkeys, kangaroos, whales, and humans all run through a bedtime routine with their parent: a soothing hush from Mama Squirrel, closing eyes with Papa Monkey, tickles, cuddles, and kisses from Daddy Kangaroo, a warm snuggle with Mommy Whale, and a loving hug and kiss from a human parent to child. The board books are sturdy and pages get larger in size with each mammal; die cuts are chunky and the shapes allow for little fingers to trace and explore. This book will hold up to multiple readings and the gentle illustrations are warm and show affection between caregivers and babies. Colors are soft and cheerful. A very cute addition to board book and bedtime story collections.

 

Look! What is That?, by Tristan Mory, (Feb. 2025, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9782408056018

Ages Birth-3

There is so much to enjoy about this interactive board book! A baby wanders onto the scene, with no idea that they’re being watched! A mouse, bear, rabbit, bird, pig, and wolf all wonder aloud and take guesses as to what this strange little creature could be until a parent arrives on the scene, answering the question. Sturdy pull-tabs pop up from the top and right side of the book, making for a fun interactive storytelling and solo play. A fun introduction to animal descriptions as the animals puzzle things out: “…it doesn’t have a beak… and it has no feathers! It’s not a bird”. The characters’ expressive eyes draw readers’ attention right away, and the bright illustrations keep readers engaged. The pull tabs and pages are sturdy and will hold up nicely. Developing motor skills and teaching readers about animals? Look! What is That? is a fun addition to collections that readers will ask for again and again.

 

My Hand is the Sun, by Christine Naumann-Villemin/Illustrated by Géraldine Cosneau, (Feb. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9782408056025

This is a board book that’s begging for an art storytime activity. A narrator considers different things their hands can be: an apple tree, a hen, an octopus, a lion, a flamingo, a butterfly, a garden, or a heart. Handprints form the basis for the illustrations, with a glossy allowing readers to touch and glide their own hands over the book’s, and place their hands over the illustrations to see how their own hands fit. Thoughtful illustration shows readers how to add to their initial handprint to create, for instance, a flamingo’s long neck or an octopus’s waving arms. Fun sound effects for each spread allows for an interactive storytime where readers can crunch apples, cluck like chickens, bloop like an octopus, or roar like lions. This book is another great addition to storytime and board book collections: it’s a program and book, all in one!

Extend the storytime with a handprint craft: if you don’t want to bring out paints to do handprints, you can always trace and cut handprints on colorful paper. Simple Everyday Mom has some fun ideas, or you can take inspiration from My Hand is the Sun.

Posted in Toddler Reads

High-contrast board books for babies

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

During baby’s early months, babies aren’t able to focus on objects further than about 8-10 inches away. High contrast black and white images also help babies strengthen their focus; adding high contrast board books and images to your storytime collection will be a great resource for new parents and caregivers!

Animals at Home, by Xavier Deneux, (Feb. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791027613274

Ages Birth-3

High contrast meets pop-up die cuts in this adorable board book! Six animals show off their comfy homes: a bear in its den, ants in their anthill, and rabbits in their burrow are just a few of the animals babies will discover. High-contrast black and white images have a splash of color for interest as baby’s sight becomes stronger, and pop-up, die-cut images add an interesting third dimension that little fingers will love exploring. Simple prose on each spread gives readers an introduction to animals and their habitats. Simple and playful images pair with fun book design to make Animals at Home another fun addition to board book collections at the library, in the classroom, or at home.

InfantZoo has free high-contrast printables for you to share with your families or have available for post-storytime activities. Young Wonderer has a good piece on why black-and-white images are good for babies, with a breakdown of baby’s first year in development.

 

 

Uh-Oh! Rabbit, by Jo Ham, (Sept. 2023, Candlewick Studio), $10, ISBN: 9781536233179

Ages Birth-3

Learning about opposites was never so much fun. A rabbit learns that what goes up must come down, whether on a ski slope or a see saw. The story follows an amusing, repetitive pattern: Rabbit attempts an action, there’s an “Oh-oh!” moment, Rabbit learns: one “Rabbit up” spread shows Rabbit sporting bright yellow goggles and preparing to dive into a pool where another Rabbit relaxes on a float; “Uh-oh!” shows Rabbit in mid-air, heading right for the relaxing Rabbit; “Rabbit down” shows the goggled Rabbit clinging to the float in the middle of a big splash as the other Rabbit swims away. High contrast black and white images add pops of bright yellow for visual interest, and the two-word spreads tell readers all they need to know. Easy to read and with a stylish layout, this is a fun addition to concepts and high-contrast collections.

Uh-Oh! Rabbit was a Children’s Book Council pick for Building a Home Library.

 

Yippee! Rabbit, by Jo Ham, (Sept. 2023, Candlewick Studio), $10, ISBN: 9781536233186

Ages Birth-3

A companion to Uh Oh! Rabbit! (and Oops! Rabbit, also published in 2023), Yippee! Rabbit illustrates “Go” and “Stop”, with a brief pause for a triumphant “Yippee!” in between cause and effect: Rabbit runs with a kite (“Rabbit go”), the kite sails through the air (“Yippee!”), the kite wraps itself around a tree (“Rabbit stop”). Rabbit also attempts to swing, use his scooter in the rain, and leap off a chair, all with entertaining results. Endpapers show high contrast blue and black renderings of Rabbit’s activities across all three books. Jo Ham creates a fun way of illustrating concepts using spare text and humor while breaking each action down into three steps and teaching readers cause and effect. The high contrast art will appeal to babies, and the fun stories will sustain readers as they grow.

 

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Have you seen Jon Klassen’s board books yet???

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Every time Jon Klassen comes out with a new book, it is a cause for celebration. The recently released Your Places board book series, comprised of three books, is a cause for great joy here in Mom Read It Land!

Your Forest, by Jon Klassen, (Feb. 2025, Candlewick Press), $8.99, ISBN: 9781536230833
Ages 2-5

 

Each follows a storytelling rhythm that would be a home run for flannel storytimes and play storytimes, assembling the three scenes – Forest, Farm, and Island – spread by spread. Each story begins with the sun rising; each ends with the sun setting, and an invitation to think about what the reader will do tomorrow. Klassen puts the reader at the center of each story’s universe: “This is your sun. It is coming up for you”; “This is your cabin. It can go in the trees”. Each story includes a classic Klassen playful touch, including the nice forest ghost who “only comes out at night”‘; the “magic fire that never goes out”, and the “good truck that can go in the barn”. All of the components of each story have Klassen’s trademark eyes. Creating a comfortable, safe space for readers, the Your Places series is just perfect for toddlers and pre-readers. Grab some toys and let them assemble their own spaces as they read with you.

Your Farm, by Jon Klassen, (Feb. 2025, Candlewick Press), $8.99, ISBN: 9781536230826
Ages 2-5

The Your Places series has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus and they are Indie Next picks.

 

Your Island, by Jon Klassen, (Feb. 2025, Candlewick Press), $8.99, ISBN: 9781536230819

Ages 2-5

Posted in Toddler Reads

A baby lays it all out in I’m a Baby!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m a Baby!, by Terry Pierce/Illustrated by Volha Kaliaha, (May 2025, Familius), $9.99, ISBN: 9781641709507

Ages Birth-3

An adorable baby takes readers through their day, from wakeup to bedtime, with key moments like the diaper change, a walk, the dreaded nap, bath time, and bedtime. The family cat shows up on spreads to give readers an extra chuckle is the cat’s expressions let readers know what they think. Readers will get belly laughs out of the baby fighting off a nap (the cat has no such issues), splish-splashing in the tub as the wet cat dashes to safety, and wearing a bowl of food (the cat isn’t thrilled). The short rhyming text is playful and easy to read; bold orange lettering over the light backgrounds make this a great lapsit read. Cartoony characters with expressive faces will grab a little one’s interest for sure. Fun for lapsit storytime, sibling storytime, or anytime! Learn more about Terry Pierce and her books at her author website.

For a fun lapsit storytime, pair I’m a Baby! with This Baby, That Baby by Cari Best and Rashin Kheiriyeh, or Mem Fox’s classic, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. I posted a successful Baby Storytime I held in June, if you want some more ideas.