10 Best Books for 2 Year Olds in 2024
Each and every child’s development path is different. It is a truly unique experience for each of them. They all do basically develop in the same predictable steps and milestones, but not always at the same speed or in the same time frames. There are many things that influence their development. The influence comes from their environment, their daily experiences, and the information that is presented to them.
Each child is exposed to different experiences and they also process the information in different ways. The one thing we know about development is the more experience the better. Reading to your 2-year-old is a great way to expose them to literacy at a young age and allows them to increase their vocabulary. The books below are simply the best gift ideas for 2-year-old boy coz they have been specifically designed and written for their age group.
In a Hurry? The test winner after 20 hrs of research
Interactive book with flaps to peek behind
Includes touch and feel elements
Stimulates cognitive development
Promotes adult-child interaction
Improve literacy development
10 Best Books for 2-Year-Olds Reviewed
1. Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book
Interactive book with flaps to peek behind
Includes touch and feel elements
Stimulates cognitive development
Promotes adult-child interaction
Improve literacy development
Flaps are easy to rip
Book is smaller in size (6.1 by 6.2 inches)
Rod Campbell combined a toddler’s love of animals and flap books when he wrote the book Dear Zoo in 1982, since then it has become a classic.
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This board book is designed with bright artwork and a catchy storyline. Children will love lifting the flaps on every page and discovering their favorite animals.
Ease of Use
The book is small and lightweight, thus making it easy for younger children to hold on their own. The compact size also makes the book highly portable, thus you can read your child their favorite story practically anywhere.
Educational Value
Children between the ages of one and four can easily understand the simple text found on the pages. To further increase your child’s sensory development the author has included touch and feel elements throughout the story. Lifting the flaps and turning the pages will increase your child’s fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
2. Cami Kangaroo Has Too Many Sweets
Beautiful illustrations
Your child will learn valuable lessons like listening to parents
The book isn't very expensive
Kids will love the kooky character
Older children may not find the book entertaining
This adorable book tells the story of a kangaroo named Cami who doesn't think anything will happen if she eats too many sweets. But will she get a tummy ache? You and your child will just need to read to find out!
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Cami the kangaroo is about to see just what happens when she eats all the sweets she desires. Children will be entertained and delighted by this adorable story. Beautiful illustrations tell the story of this silly kangaroo and her sugary sweet demeanor. Kids will giggle as they learn the story of what happens when you have one too many sweets.
Ease of Use
Not only is this book on sale, but it also teaches kids valuable lessons! The illustrations are beautifully done and offer a variety of life lessons (like not eating too much candy). It also provides an excellent way for you and your child to bond through reading. That opportunity alone is priceless.
Educational Value
Reading is great for both physical and educational purposes. Kids will build motor skills as they turn the pages, all while associating words with pictures. Additionally, this story has a great message - listen to your parents and don't eat too many sweets! Reading is great for imagining where stories go, building memories and more.
3. Where's Spot?
Board book with full colored illustrations
Interactive flip-up flaps design
Classic story series with traditional features
Many more books in the series to collect
Encourages fine-motor-skill development skills
Flip-open flaps can be damaged easily if pulled too hard
Size of the book is small
If you’re looking for a fun interactive for your toddler, then look no further. The storyline of Where's Spot? is great for teaching your child spatial concepts. For instance, each page asks “Where’s Spot?”, your child will learn the concept of under, in, behind, etc as they lift the flaps on each page.
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Where’s Spot, written by Eric Hill will keep your child entertained from cover to cover. As your child begins the book they will become motivated to find Spot. When the book ends they will be filled with joy as they have discovered where Spot was hiding.
Ease of Use
This board book is composed of twelve pages with flaps for your child to lift. The book is small and lightweight, making it easy for children to enjoy by themselves.
Educational Value
This book will also increase your child’s social skills as it encourages them to engage in conversation. As they lift the flaps they will be increasing their fine motor skills as well as their hand-eye coordination
4. First 100 Numbers, Colors, Shapes
Great size for little hands to hold
Tear-resistant pages are great for rough ones
Exposes them to new vocabulary
Stimulates cognitive Development
Some reviewers feel the images are too small
The “First 100 Numbers, Colors, and Shapes” is a well-loved piece of the Priddy Baby First 100 series.
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This colorful book of 100 very detailed and highly colorful pictures will introduce your kid to the very first words that pertain to numbers, shapes, and colors that he or she will ever need to make through childhood in a more successful manner. And if, in case you’re wondering if the book is tough enough to take abuse, each page is made of high quality toughened board while the cover is sufficiently padded to give your little tot comfortable reading.
Ease of Use
This book is stuffed with new words alongside their accompanying picture. The correlations between images on each page, such as a circle next to a pizza, will help your little one start to make connections between everyday objects as well as some things that they might not see on a daily basis. The small size is perfect for little hands to hold. The tear-resistant pages hold up to even the most tugging toddler which gives parents the peace of mind to allow them to turn pages on their own, a huge benefit at this age where your two-year-old wants to be as independent as they can.
Educational Value
This book is the perfect example of educational and physical development. Exposing your child to a wide variety of numbers, words and colors. Exposing your two-year-old to new vocabulary is the best way to help stimulate not only their cognitive development but also to foster a love for reading. While this book is interactive, it can also be read to your child. You and your child can bond as they learn from this book!
5. First 100 Animals
Constructed of board materials throughout the book
Includes 100 pictures of animals and the name of each
Encourages early literacy development skills
Improves cognitive development
Promotes listening/focus skills
Binding is not well constructed
Book is smaller in size (4.8 by 6.1 inches)
Bring the zoo to your child with the First 100 Animals book! Filled with colorful illustrations of real animals, your child will be able to expand their vocabulary by learning the names that accompany each image.
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Have fun adding the appropriate sound effects for each animal as your little one familiarizing themselves with the different shapes and looks of various animals that they may never be able to see in real life. Like all Priddy Books, the First 100 Animals is made of tear-resistant pages and soft padded cover.
Ease of Use
This is a great way to explore different animals through a brightly colored and easy to read book. Each of the pages of the board book are made from the tough board book materials and the cover is padded which makes it easy to carry and handle for little hands.
Educational Value
Part of the Priddy Baby First 100 series, this book is sure to be any toddler’s favorite when it comes to animals, both domesticated and wild. This book is a great way to encourage early literacy skills, improve cognitive development, and promote listening/focus skills. This colorful board book is a great way to engage with any two years old about animals.
6. Whistle for Willie
Includes POC as main characters
Sweet, simple storyline
Beautiful, full-page illustrations
Warm, light-hearted story
Some parents feel it’s wordy for a board book
Available in a Board Book Edition for those young and excitable hands, Whistle for Willie is the story of a little boy in the city who wishes to whistle and call for his dog. The full-page illustrations are colorful and interesting, and the narrative, though simple, is easy for kids to follow and keeps them engaged.
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Ezra Jack Keats was one of the first children’s book authors to use characters of color as protagonists. This sweet little story follows a little boy as he attempts to learn to whistle. Even when it’s tough, he keeps trying until finally, he has the hang of it. It’s light-hearted and warm and an easy favorite for young kids to return to.
Ease of Use
Some customers felt that this story is a little wordy for a board book, but most two-year-olds seem able to follow the basic steps of the story. Even if they don’t understand each event and nuance, they do love looking for the various characters in the illustrations and understand the overall tone of what’s happening.
Educational Value
Reading to children can help them to improve socially as well as to strengthen their vocabulary and communication skills at a young age. Children’s books use easy language, simple narratives, engaging characters, and bright pictures to hold toddlers’ attention.
7. The Mitten
Sturdy board book edition
Great size for little hands
Story tells of a little boy who has lost his mitten
Brings to life many different animals characters
Promotes early literacy
Board book edition is small in size
Pictures are not on every page
Reading The Mitten with your toddler will make them feel like a grown up as it is full of exquisite illustrations and a beautiful poetic storyline.
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The story begins with a young boy receiving a pair of white mittens from his grandmother for Christmas. He decides to go outside to play in the snow and ends up dropping a mitten in the process. He doesn’t realize he has dropped the mitten and continues to enjoying his snow day. As your child begins to turn the pages they will be introduced to a variety of animals crawling inside the mitten to snuggle. The last animal to arrive is a tiny mouse. The mouse crawls onto another animal’s nose and causes the animal to sneeze. All of the animals go flying out of the mitten and the mitten ends back up with the little boy.
Ease of Use
Not only is this book available as a board book but it can also be purchased for the Kindle, thus making it easy for your child to read this book anywhere.
Educational Value
Your child’s imagination will soar as they see animals as small as a mouse and as big as a bear crawl into the mitten. While there are thirty-two pages, the beautiful illustrations and storyline will keep your child engaged until the story ends. Your child’s vocabulary will increase while listening to this story as it occasionally includes old-fashioned terminology.
8. Duck & Goose, 1, 2, 3
Beloved characters
Beautiful, bright artwork
Covers numbers 1-10
Fun, silly story with educational value
Some parents felt the pages were too convoluted for counting
Duck and Goose are back in an all-new adventure, this time focusing on counting! Join your kids’ favorite characters as they work through numbers one through ten alongside vivid illustrations of all-new artwork. One goose, two ducks, three pals, and ten big ol’ numbers to tackle together.
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Fans of Duck and Goose will love seeing familiar faces along this journey. Some parents felt the book was a little too convoluted instead of just focusing on counting objects, but children two and over should be able to handle the split attention and still get a great deal out of this story.
Ease of Use
The brightly colored artwork is sure to catch young eyes. And the beloved cast of characters (including the return of Bluebird and Thistle) will make counting fun! This book tackles numbers one through ten, which is a great starting place for children heading into pre-school.
Educational Value
Parents can read aloud and kids can help count the objects throughout this book! Little ones will benefit from time spent bonding with their family as well as the educational lessons being drilled when they return to this story again and again.
9. A Little Stuck
Fun, silly story
Easy to follow
Repetitive language and patterns to help young readers
Cute illustrations
Great build and resolution
The board book version is abridged and loses some of the humor
When Floyd’s kite gets stuck in a tree, the only logical solution is to throw something else up there to knock it loose—right? But everything Floyd tosses up there somehow also gets stuck. And his fodder just keeps getting bigger! This wacky tale will tickle families all over.
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If you’re looking for something with an easy but cohesive plot to follow, A Little Stuck is just right. This delightful romp into Floyd’s world only continues to get increasingly more absurd with each page turn. Even in the final hour, when Floyd has a new solution, the author manages to insert a funny twist.
Ease of Use
This book is recommended for children between two and three years of age specifically because of the simple and repetitive language. You’ll see the word “stuck” a lot, which gives kids the chance to recognize it and read it emotively, making for a more fun experience for all.
Educational Value
Reading together helps young children to build stronger bonds with their families, observe social situations from a distance, build empathy, and work on their vocabulary. Plus, as children learn to read aloud themselves, they build confidence.
10. ChickaChicka Boom Boom
Story includes all 26 letter of the alphabet
Cheerful story with rhythmic text
Improves vocabulary and language skills
Develops a child's imagination/creative development
Stimulates cognitive development
Pictures are busy and hard to understand
Storyline does not ‘flow' very well
How do you teach the letters of the alphabet in a way that is not really boring? How about a rhythmic rhyming book that connects each of the letters in one funny yet truly entertaining string of rhymes as they all race towards the top of the coconut tree?
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“Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,” tells the story of 26 characters, each a letter of the alphabet. The letters race to the top of a coconut tree and as each letter climbs the tree bends. It bends more and more until, with the arrival of X, Y, and Z, it finally snaps and they all fall down. Fortunately, a friendly family awaits to catch them. Each of the letters needs help and they describe their wishes in fun, catchy rhymes that are sure to elicit a bout of giggles.
Ease of Use
The easy to read style is perfectly designed to catch your two-year-old’s attention and send their imagination for a spin.
Educational Value
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ties an entertaining reading experience closely together with an educational experience as it improves your little one’s vocabulary and language skills. The colorful illustrations also come as a unique surprise to young kids, enabling them to master the different colors.
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Entertainment Value
We gauged the excitement level or the entertainment value of the book because we want to make sure that it is not only exciting but adds value to reading. When children get excited about a story, it allows them to learn more from the story and also shows that they understand it as well. The panel of experts took all this into consideration and created the list of the best books that displayed both interaction and excitement. We hope that everyone will find a book they love on this list.
Ease of Use
t was quite a challenge coming up with a selection of the best children’s books for 2-year-old kids. This is because 2-year-olds are not really known for having the faculty to read. The pre-reading skills typically occur much later at around 4 to 5 years of age. Of course, there are child protégés whereby at a very young age they could easily be reading verses from a Shakespearean play but this is a rarity. As such, we were left with choosing books that were easy to understand when read by mom or dad and of course, full of graphic illustrations to help drive home the point.
Educational Value
If the book offered some learning interaction with kids, then we evaluated just how much of a kid’s development is impacted by these features. For instance, book pages that function like peek-a-boos are generally regarded as excellent tools for stimulating children’s curiosity while also enhancing their intellectual and cognitive abilities. Textured pages can also provide for a more sensory experience. Add to these a variety of colors, forms, and shapes and you have a really superb learning resource for your child. These are the things that we had to carefully examine in coming up with our list.
Reading is great for a child’s imagination - at any age. Hearing you read a story will spark a fire in your child to imagine and want for more. Flying? Monsters? Taking amazing adventures? All of these things can be seen a book. Books with big pictures can introduce your child to a variety of new ideas, animals, foods and more.
Books can also be educational, and it is never too early to start your child’s love of reading. The books on this list can teach your child the basics of reading, but also counting, memory recall and more. Reading has so many benefits and education and learning are just two of them!
Allowing your child to turn the pages will further enhance their love of reading.
At around 9 to twelve months your baby will more than likely have the dexterity to open board books and turn the pages.
Other Factors to Consider
Origin
We also looked at the bestseller status of such children’s books as we believe, if a title fared pretty well in the world market, then it should be an excellent choice for our young readers. We also took into consideration what other parents think about these young children’s books. It is imperative for us to understand just how well these pieces of kiddie literature were received not only by parents but, more importantly, by the very kids that these books were designed for. While we cannot say with absolute certainty that everyone will love the books in our top 10 list, at least a great majority of you will.
Frequently Asked Questions
q: Where can I find the books on this list in a physical store?
You can find the books on this list at a physical store by searching the internet for the title. Using a search engine to type the title of the book in and the results displayed will show you both places online that carry the book and physical stores around you as well. Checking to make sure they have it in stock or giving them a call is best before heading over to the store.
q: What kind of books are the best for 2-year-olds?
The kind of books that are the best for 2-year-olds at short stories with rhymes that include colorful illustrations. Children will often share the pictures as the adult reads so you want to make sure they are able to see the pictures and the pictures tell the story as well. Interactive books with flaps, sounds, and moving parts are always a fun way to get them learning as well.
q: Are there any safety concerns for books for 2-year-olds?
There are only a few safety concerns for books for 2-year-olds. You always want to review the book and make sure there are no loose materials or accessories that have come apart. You want to make sure there are no choking hazards that could come from the book materials. So making sure there are no choking hazards and also make sure the book is constructed of safe materials as well. The dyes and paints used in the book printing could cause health concerns. Always check to make sure the book is constructed of safe materials as well. You never know when they would like to put the book in their mouth.
q: Why are there so many benefits to reading to children?
Reading to children benefits them in so many ways because it is a crucial part of development during their childhood. Reading to children helps them become better readers as they grow up, it helps to increase their vocabulary, teaches them about the world around them, and creates positive child-adult interaction. All these benefits help create children who want to learn and enjoy learning new things.
q: When should my children be able to start reading?
Children should start to read by the age of 6 or 7 years old. Early readers will start reading around 4 or 5 years old. Reading books to children out loud is one of the best ways to help them learn to read. Make sure that the experience is fun and rewarding. This ensures that healthy literacy-development skills are created and that they will enjoy reading themselves.
q: Does reading to a 2-year-old teach them about the world around them?
Yes, reading to a 2-year-old teaches them about the world around them. To make sure they are getting the most out of the experience, make sure to read a large variety of different kinds of books. Picking books to read that include information about different people and cultures, along with places and events outside the home is the best way for them to learn about the world around them.
Sources
- 10 Benefits of Reading, website ,
- Helping Your Child Learn to Read, website ,
- 5 big benefits of reading to your kids, Blog ,
- Your Two Year Old, Article ,
- 9 Ways to Help Your Child's Language Development, Online Magazine ,