Somewhere around two, children start to want a real story: a character who wants something, a problem, and a happy ending. They also have big feelings and very few words for them, which is why books about losing a toy, not wanting to go to bed or being scared of the dark hit so hard at this age.
Two-year-olds love being in on a joke. A book where the pictures show something the words do not say, or where they get to shout 'No!' at a character, will be requested every night for months. Choose books the grown-up enjoys too, because you will know them by heart.
Every book here won or was honored by the Caldecott, Carnegie or a similar prize.
Honor2005
Mo Willems
Great for toddlers with a favorite toy
Trixie goes to the laundromat with her dad and leaves her beloved bunny behind. She is too young to explain, so she does what every toddler does: goes boneless, wails and makes her point. Hilarious for parents, deeply satisfying for two-year-olds who know exactly how she feels.
2005 Caldecott Medal Honor Book
Winner2005
Kevin Henkes
Great for joining in
A kitten mistakes the moon for a bowl of milk and tries everything to reach it. The repeating 'Poor Kitten!' becomes a line toddlers say along with you. Simple, funny and comforting in the end.
2005 Caldecott Medal winner
Honor2020
LeUyen Pham
Great for animal lovers
A bear wanders into a river and drifts off downstream on a log, picking up a frog, a turtle and more animals along the way, until they reach a waterfall. A book about friendship and finding where you belong, with a little thrill near the end.
2020 Caldecott Medal Honor Book
Honor2019
Grace Lin
Great for a curious toddler
Little Star's mother bakes a big mooncake and tells her not to eat it yet. But every night Little Star sneaks a nibble, and the mooncake in the sky gets smaller. A beautiful, gentle way to explain the phases of the moon.
2019 Caldecott Medal Honor Book
Winner1970
John Burningham
Great for silly repetition
Mr Gumpy takes children and animals out in his boat, on the condition that nobody squabbles, flaps or hops. Of course, they all do. A rhythmic, repeating story that two-year-olds can join in with.
1970 Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner
Winner1963
Ezra Jack Keats
Great for a winter gift
Peter's day in the snow, told simply and beautifully. At two, children connect it with their own winter days, and the snowball in the pocket that disappears never stops being a surprise.
1963 Caldecott Medal winner
Shortlist1996
Debi Gliori
Great for a gentle, cozy read
On a wild, stormy night, kind Mr Bear sets out to help his woodland neighbours. A cozy story about looking after each other, by the author of No Matter What, with soft, detailed pictures to linger over.
1996 Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlisted
Shortlist2016
Ross Collins
Great for a toddler who loves to laugh
A mouse comes home to find a huge polar bear sitting in his favorite chair, and nothing will make it move. Short rhymes, a grumpy hero and a great twist at the end. Two-year-olds love being bigger than the mouse's problem.
2016 Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlisted
Short stories with a problem and a happy ending, books with a joke they understand, and anything about their own world: bedtime, pets, toys, vehicles and family.
Yes. Repetition is how toddlers learn language and story. It is a good sign: they have found a book they love.
Knuffle Bunny is perfect for two. His Elephant and Piggie books are usually better a little later, around four to six, when children start reading along.
See every award-winning book for babies and toddlers