One-year-olds are on the move, and that changes reading. Few will sit through a whole book. Instead they turn pages (often three at once), point at what they know, bring you the same book five times in a row and walk away halfway through. All of that counts as reading.
The books that work best now show familiar things, like animals, trucks, balls and bedtime, in clear pictures with a few words to name and repeat. Toddlers also start to enjoy a tiny story: something is lost, something is found. Wordless and nearly wordless books are great at this age, because the grown-up can tell the story in as many or as few words as the child has patience for.
All the books here were honored by the Caldecott, Carnegie or CBCA prize juries.
Honor1981
Donald Crews
Great for little vehicle lovers
A big red truck makes its way through a city, past traffic lights, tunnels and highways, with almost no words except the signs along the road. For a toddler who shouts 'truck!' at every street corner, this is the book. Grown-ups can add the beeps and vrooms.
1981 Caldecott Medal Honor Book
Winner2012
Christopher Raschka
Great for a first story without words
Daisy the dog loves her red ball more than anything, until another dog breaks it. Told without words, in loose, warm paintings, the story moves from joy to sadness to a happy new friendship. Even a one-year-old can follow it, and older toddlers love telling it themselves.
2012 Caldecott Medal winner
Winner2003
Eric Rohmann
Great for a first funny story
Mouse lends Rabbit his new toy plane, and it gets stuck in a tree. Rabbit's solution, stacking up every animal he can find, is very silly and a little wobbly. Short text, big pictures and a happy ending. A good first book about sharing.
2003 Caldecott Medal winner
Honor2003
Peter McCarty
Great for families with a dog or cat
Hondo the dog goes to the beach for the day; Fabian the cat stays home with the baby. Soft, glowing pictures show both days side by side, and both end up content at bedtime. A calm, cozy book for families with pets.
2003 Caldecott Medal Honor Book
Winner2010
Lisa Shanahan
Great for a gentle adventure
Bear dreams of the sea and sets off with his best friend Chook to find it. A gentle, funny Australian picture book about friendship and a first big adventure, with warm pictures that toddlers love.
2010 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood winner
Winner1978
Allan Ahlberg
Great for pointing and finding
A rhyming I spy book with nursery rhyme characters hiding in every picture. At one, toddlers love the rhythm and pointing at the pictures; by two they can find Tom Thumb themselves.
1978 Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner
Winner1996
Helen Cooper
Great for the bedtime battle
A baby refuses to go to bed and drives off in his toy car into a dreamlike evening, meeting a tiger, soldiers and a band who are all getting sleepy too. Every parent of a one-year-old will recognize the battle.
1996 Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner
Winner1977
Shirley Hughes
Great for a family with an older sibling
Dave's favorite toy dog goes missing, and turns up for sale at the school fair. His big sister makes a sacrifice to get Dogger back. A slightly longer story, perfect for reading to a one-year-old with an older sibling.
1977 Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner
Short. A book you can finish in two or three minutes is ideal. Many toddlers will happily hear a short book three times rather than a long one once.
Yes, but not many. A word or short line per page is plenty. Wordless books are also great, because you can name things and make up the story together.
Something sturdy, bright and easy to love: a vehicle book like Truck or a funny animal story like My Friend Rabbit. Add a note inside the cover; it becomes a keepsake.
See every award-winning book for babies and toddlers