Best books for toddlers

Board books – these will be robust enough to stand up to multiple readings
Plastic books – while these books are usually a little thin on plot, the very fact that your toddler can enjoy these in the bath more than makes up it
Cloth books – these can be chewed on, slept on, thrown in the wash… what more could you want from a book?
Picture books that tell a story with few words – your toddler will ‘read’ the pictures and you’ll be amazed by what he sees
Nursery rhyme books – it’s lovely to enjoy something old and familiar with your toddler
Picture books that tell a story through rhyme – there’s nothing better than a good rhyme, and if it tells a good story then all the better
Song books – look for ones that have accompanying finger or body actions
Noise-making books – your toddler will love pressing pages that make squeaky sounds
Flap books – these are very popular but do tend to suffer a lot of wear and tear because of all the enthusiastic flap opening
Photo albums – toddlers love to look at pictures of children, so who better to look at than himself?

Don’t give your toddler special books with thin paper pages - it will just be an exercise in heartbreak!

This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include SA Government’s Parenting and Child Health

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