Holiday Book Gifts: Ages 0 – 2
by Elizabeth Harrison
Books are among the very best gifts for babies and toddlers! They get little ones exposed to and interested in literacy early on, and they offer amazing opportunities for child-caregiver bonding. My most treasured memories with my toddler are those we spent snuggled up together with a book between us. Many books available today offer interactive elements that make reading feel like playing!
Whether shopping for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or “just because”, here are the best books for babies and toddlers.
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Meet Bluey’s Friends
Available from:Kids and their parents alike adore Bluey, and for good reason! The characters are incredibly loveable. In this sweet board book, Bluey fans meet several of Bluey’s buddies, all of whom are different types of pups. This would make an excellent stocking stuffer!
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Touch and Learn: Space
Available from:Journey through outer space and explore the solar system with this touch-and-feel board book. Colorful artwork with seek-and-find objects on every page will make it a favorite for little readers. They’ll also enjoy the companion books Touch and Learn: Ocean and Touch and Learn: Farm.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Peekaboo Christmas
Available from:Help your toddler look for The Very Hungry Caterpillar as he wanders around the Christmas tree. Try to spot him between the ornaments or peeking out from behind the presents. This book makes an excellent addition to your child’s holiday book collection!
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I’m Growing Great
Available from:This book will draw little readers in with its lovely illustrations of Black and Brown hairstyles donning bright-colored blooms. It radiates positivity and joy and makes a delightful read-aloud in springtime or anytime.
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Noisy Babies
Available from:This is the ultimate interactive board book for the littlest readers! It includes three features that babies and toddlers absolutely adore:
1) full-color photographs of other real babies
2) a variety of sounds
3) touch-and-feel elements throughout.
Little ones will engage their senses while connecting with familiar sights and sounds.RELATED: Best Touch-and-Feel Books for Your Baby’s Bookshelf
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Grumpy Monkey
Available from:Jim Panzee is having a bad day and doesn’t know why. The other jungle animals try to cheer him up by offering advice, but it only makes him grumpier. And grumpier. Until his unpleasant feelings explode into a whirlwind tantrum. This #1 New York Times bestselling book shows little readers that everyone has bad days, and that’s okay.
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Dragon’s First Taco
Available from:The only thing better than a real taco is a board book shaped like a taco! This book, designed by the creators of Dragons Love Tacos, makes a delightful gift for the littlest readers. I especially love how the cover art is a removable sticker, allowing littles to make their “taco” look extra realistic.
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Being You: A First Conversation About Gender
Available from:This joyful celebration of gender (in all its expressions) is a fantastic conversation starter with your preschooler. It’s a helpful tool to have on hand when approaching essential conversations like gender and gender identity. Talking about big topics with your child at a young age will help them feel more confident and treat others with kindness.
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Duck & Goose
Available from:Toddlers love these feathered friends. When Duck and Goose find what they think is an egg, they must learn to work together in hopes of hatching it. With a delightful surprise ending, adults and littles alike will love this original story in the Duck & Goose series.
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Who Will You Be?
Available from:The holidays are a great time to gift keepsake books children can grow alongside. This is one of them! Who Will You Be? is full of inspiration for young readers and boasts the most charming, colorful illustrations.
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Little Dinosaur
Available from:An absolutely perfect book to add to the bedtime story rotation! Follow Rumble the Triceratops as he races through the jungle to get to bed on time. The imaginative story and vivid illustrations capture little ones' attention while settling them down for sleep.
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Hair Love ABCs
Available from:Inspired by the bestselling title Hair Love, Hair Love ABCs is an inclusive and empowering alphabet book! The story features Zuri and her dad from the original title, and each letter represents an element or description of Black hair.
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Marvel Beginnings: Hulk's Big Feelings
Available from:Watch as your toddler interacts with Hulk's emotions through this playful and unique board book. A reflective panel on every spread gives littles the chance to “mirror” Hulk’s many expressions, from happy to afraid. This is just one of the fantastic titles from the new Marvel Beginnings collection, written for the smallest Marvel fans.
RELATED: Board Books About Big Feelings for Babies & Toddlers
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Latke’s First Hanukkah
Available from:Latke and his friends enjoy an eight-night Hanukkah celebration in this playful board book! The party grows as the days go on, culminating with all eight candles lit on the menorah and the shamas. This is an excellent choice to make your holiday celebrations more inclusive.
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Uni the Unicorn
Available from:The bestselling Uni the Unicorn is now available as a board book, making it the perfect gift for the youngest readers who love magic, friendship, and unicorns. This book tells the story of Uni, a unicorn who, unlike her peers, believes that little girls are real! The plot will enchant and entertain little ones and their grown-ups alike.
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Tree: A Peek-Through Board Book
Available from:What I love most about this title is its appeal across seasons. Readers watch a tree change through spring, summer, fall, and winter. Toddlers will enjoy exploring the peekaboo holes throughout the book, showing different critters living in the tree each season.
RELATED: STEM-Themed Books for Babies and Toddlers
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Rosita (Sesame Street Friends)
Available from:My toddler has most of the titles in the Sesame Street Friends series, and she loves them all! With minimal text on each page and bright, bold graphics, this series is a toddler favorite. Each title focuses on a different friend from Sesame Street — check them all out! Rosita is a great character for bilingual families.
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Richard Scarry's Sounds of Busytown
Available from:Richard Scarry’s Busytown is simply the best! In this interactive board book, toddlers can press 12 buttons to hear the sounds of bustling Busytown. With many delightful details to explore in the illustrations, it is sure to become a favorite!
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Find Spot at Christmas
Available from:There’s something about Spot that toddlers adore. This title’s interactive nature and sturdy flaps to lift and explore make it a winner with tiny readers. Littles will enjoy searching for Spot, who has gone missing just before his family’s Christmas celebration!
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ABCs of Kindness
Available from:From its pastel color palette to dainty animal illustrations, this book is the sweetest gift for the littlest readers. It’s a fantastic early introduction to social-emotional learning, as each letter teaches readers about kindness.
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First Laugh–Welcome, Baby!
Available from:Even those unfamiliar with the Navajo custom of the First Laugh Ceremony will adore this delightful story. Family members to see who will be the first person to make the new baby laugh. Who will it be? We'll see! A charming tale that so sweetly captures the magic of this precious moment.
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Bizzy Bear: Amusement Park
Available from:This board book is a delight for little hands and has quickly become my toddler’s favorite! Join Bizzy Bear and his buddy as they spend the day at a colorful amusement park. It has fun interactive elements, including sturdy flaps, wheels, and sliders that bring park rides to life. It’s perfect for practicing fine motor skills!
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We Are Afro Unicorns
Available from:Afro Unicorn creator April Showers was inspired to create this series when she realized her favorite emoji, the unicorn, was only available in white. In this first Little Golden Book in the Afro Unicorn line, little readers meet each Afro Unicorn and discover their unique superpowers. Little ones love unicorns, and I love how these books make unicorns more inclusive.
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Maisy's Recycling Truck
Available from:This is the perfect gift for little ones mesmerized by garbage and recycling trucks — we all know one of them! Shaped like a green recycling truck, this book showcases Maisy and Tallulah running the truck, collecting the neighborhood’s recycling on garbage day. Also, check out the companion title, Maisy’s Ambulance.
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Jazzy in the Jungle
Available from:This adorable title features a loveable lemur named Jazzy, who loves to hide. The die-cut windows throughout the book are a true delight, as they provide little readers a peek of at what's to comeing while they hunt for Jazzy. My toddler loves books that involve searching and finding, and this book is no exception!
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More Great Gifts for Babies & Toddlers:
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Adurable: Little Pups in Big Trucks
Also available from: There’s an Elf in Your Book
Also available from: The Christmas Wish
Also available from: We Are Friends: At Home
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Babies Love Animals
Also available from: Roald Dahl 123
Also available from: Here We Are: Book of Opposites
Also available from: Uni the Unicorn: Reindeer Helper
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Spin and Spot Things That Go
Also available from: Eat Together
Also available from: Happy Hanukkah, Pups! (PAW Patrol)
Also available from: Snowmen at Work
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Where Do Diggers Celebrate Christmas?
Also available from: Llama Llama Time to Play
Also available from: Richard Scarry’s 100 First Words
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