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Books We Loved
I started introducing books very early. During the newborn stage, she had tummy time books, high-contrast black and white books, and soft cloth books. Slowly, books became part of our everyday routine, playtime, and bonding time together.
One Year
After one year, I introduced first-word books and small learning-library books with topics like fruits, vegetables, birds, farm animals, pets, wild animals transport, shapes, and body parts. She loved pointing at pictures, learning words, and recognizing objects around her.
First Hundred Words
First 100 Words was one of our favourite early books because it uses realistic photographs, helping babies connect pictures with real-life objects. The simple layout introduces everyday words in an engaging way and supports early vocabulary development. We often matched the pictures to real objects around us, which made learning both meaningful and fun.
Hands Are Not for Hitting by Martine Agassi
This was one of the most helpful books we introduced during the toddler years. It teaches gentle behaviour in a simple, positive way by showing children what hands are for. We loved acting out the story while reading, which made the lessons fun and easy to remember. It became a great tool for teaching kindness and positive behaviour in everyday life.
You're My Little Cuddle Bug by Nicola Edwards
This is such a sweet, heartwarming book filled with colourful illustrations and gentle rhyming words. The story celebrates love, cuddles, and the special bond between parent and child, making it a perfect book to read together. The soothing rhymes and colourful illustrations make it a lovely book to come back to again and again.
Llama Llama nighty-nighty by Anna Dewdney
This quickly became one of her favourite bedtime books, especially because she loved Llama, the main character. She really connected with the bedtime routine in the story, particularly the potty time before bed, as it matched her own routine. The gentle rhyming text and comforting bedtime theme made it a lovely book to read together before sleep.
18 Months
Around this stage, I slowly started introducing slightly longer storybooks and more imaginative or emotional stories.
Teeth Are Not For Biting by Elizabeth Verdick
This book helped introduce the idea that teeth are for eating, smiling, talking and not for biting. She loved joining in while we read, finishing the sentence with "biting" and later saying, "Teeth are for... smiling!" Although it wasn't quite as engaging for us as Hands Are Not for Hitting, it was still a helpful and enjoyable way to reinforce gentle behaviour during the teething stage.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
This is one of our favourite interactive books. The repetitive pattern made it easy for her to join in, I'd say, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear..." and she'd happily finish with, "What do you see?" The bright illustrations and engaging rhythm make it a wonderful introduction to colours, and it's a book we never seem to get tired of reading together.
Farm Hullaballoo!
This is a colourful, interactive book that she really enjoys because she can press the sound buttons on the side and hear the different farm sounds. Through the story, she learned more about everyday farm life, like cows being milked, sheep being sheared, hens laying eggs, and tractors working on the farm. The bright illustrations, realistic sounds, and simple story make it a fun book that we come back to again and again.
In My Car: Up, Down and All Around the Town by Susan Rose Simms
This is a lovely book that follows a child's journey through everyday places, making it easy for little ones to relate to what they see. She enjoys pointing out familiar scenes like the park, people walking their dogs, the petrol station, and all the different vehicles along the way. The colourful illustrations and simple story make it a wonderful book for encouraging observation and conversations about the world around us.
Duck & Goose Colors by Tad Hills
This is a simple, colourful book that makes learning colours feel natural and fun. I love how each colour is connected to something familiar, making it easier for little ones to understand and remember. The gentle illustrations, simple words, and charming characters make it a lovely book to read together again and again.
The Snail And The Whale by Julia Donaldson
This is a beautifully written book with stunning illustrations that kept her interested from the very beginning. The story takes children on a wonderful journey across oceans, beaches, icebergs, and many different places, making it feel like a little adventure on every page. Although it's a longer story, we enjoyed reading it a little at a time, and she especially loved looking at the colourful pictures and following the snail and whale on their journey.
Be Brave Little Penguin by Giles Andreae
This is another beautiful book with lovely illustrations that immediately caught her attention. She especially enjoyed following Pip-Pip and his family, and her favourite part was when he finally jumped into the water with a big splash. Since she loves playing with water herself, she really connected with the story, and I loved its gentle message that sometimes all we need is a little courage to take the first step and discover what we're capable of.
The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright
This is another beautiful book with gorgeous illustrations and warm colours that she loves looking through. Her favourite parts are the lion's big roar and the page where the lion gives a little "eek!" when he sees the mouse. Although she's still a little young to sit through the whole story, she enjoys turning the pages on her own, pointing out the lion and the mouse, and exploring the pictures in her own way.
Books slowly became more than just reading time for us. They became part of play, learning, imagination, language development, and everyday connection.