“Sheep in a Jeep” is a fun rhyming book that tells the story of sheep — you guessed it — driving a Jeep! And the havoc that ensues. It’s short, and a good read that has lasted from baby through toddler as another chosen favorite.

The Slumberkins books focus on a specific emotional education elements like growth mindset, routines, gratitude, change, conflict resolution, etc. Each book also pairs with a stuffy. We loved the Narwhal book and more recently got the sloth book for routines.

“We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” by Helen Oxenbury has become a favorite over time. My daughter will go on bear hunts in our home and enact all the sounds from the various places they have to walk through to find the bear.

“Our Little Adventure to the Farmers Market” by Tabitha Paige is a sweet book, but I think what appeals to me is it feels very calm when reading it. It’s like the cadence and the illustration style makes it feel not rushed and just peaceful. I love the simplicity and beauty in it. Tabitha Paige is also a licensed speech pathologist and it has a section for basic vocabulary for early language development.

“Who Will Tuck Me in Tonight?” by Carol Roth will always have a special place in my heart because it was while reading this book my daughter laughed at me for the first time. It is really a cute story and fun book.

“Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney hasn’t been around that long (published in 2019) but somehow feels timeless, and that it’s been around for much longer. The tale of two nutbrown hares and how much they love each other mirrors what my daughter and I say now and is an endearing read.

If I could choose one author, and one only – it would be anything by Sandra Boynton. I love the unexpected and silliness of her books. I personally would read "Belly Button Book” on my own with it’s catchy song, and books like “But not the hippopotamus” and the sequel “But not the armadillo” are also some of my personal favorites.

“Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown is an undisputed classic. And rightfully so. We’ve read this book so many times, we often look for things in the illustrations on each page — like finding where the mouse went.

Additionally, we’ve also read on repeat “The Runaway Bunny.”

The “If You Give a Pig a Pancake,” and “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie,” and all the “If You Give a…” books by Laura Numeroff, are all very entertaining. I think about them often in terms of “If You Give a Mom Time to Rest…” and what that actually turns into (ie. not rest), and making that it’s own book. Until then, we’ll enjoy this series.

“Good Night, Gorilla” by Peggy Rathmann is so simple, and also so fun. I don’t want to spoil it, but the monkey does get out of the cage at the zoo, unbeknownst to the zookeeper. And the following sneaky events are probably what is so fun to a baby and a toddler alike.