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DK Touch and Feel (Pop Out Pieces) Books for Children a Winner!

While standing in the children’s section of Borders, it is hard to know what books are going to become your toddler’s favorites and which ones won’t…. Which ones will she carry over to you, babbling in baby language to read to her? And which ones will have her squirming out of your arms before you finish reading the title? Granted, a toddler’s preference for just about anything changes too quickly for you to keep up (i.e. She just loved peas yesterday, so why in the world is she sticking them in her ears instead of her mouth today?)

So, my daughter and I are here to help with suggestions of books that she has faithfully loved for most of her life which really only equals about seven months. She has chosen ten of her favorite books; one at a time, she has come toddling over to me at the computer with a smile on her face and a book in her hand. (You might wonder why I’m still typing and not reading to her…. Maybe she will get her revenge by trapping me in my chair with all of these piles of books surrounding me.)

A few of her favorites are classics, and clearly they have become well-known for a reason. But the others have become music to her ears, and she likes to share what makes her happy with others. These are in no particular order.

1) Hooray for Fish! By Lucy Cousins
Maybe it is just because I like to read this one that makes my daughter love it so much. But isn’t that important, too? The parents must be entertained as well, in order to entertain their child and to tolerate reading the same words over and over again. It is a big, blue book that is almost the size of my daughter. The illustrations are larger-than-life fish, and they look like they were created with poster paints. Adorable! We love the bright colors, and my daughter smiles at the same lines every time this book is read to her. The author, Lucy Cousins, is the creator of Maisy, but I am not so familiar with that character. This book is highly recommended by this household, and I have given it as a gift at several baby showers these days. We bet your child will laugh when you shout “Hooray for Fish!” at the end. (By the way, the ending suggests that the “mom” is who is “loved the best” by the baby fish; my dear husband changes it around to be “dad” when he is the reader. I’m sure Lucy wouldn’t mind.)

2) But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton

This one is also super fun to read aloud. Actually, we love a lot of Sandra Boynton. You certainly can’t miss her array of books at the store. We have a lot of them, but this one and another are our standouts (see #3). In a humorous way, the book addresses the sad state of the hippo, who feels left out and quite lonely. Finally the other animals invite this shy girl into their group and she is thrilled to join. Of course, someone always has to be left out. And that is the fate of the poor armadillo at the end. What makes me love Sandra even more is the dedication at the beginning of the story. She is very clever.

3) Hippos Go Berserk by Sandra Boynton

My little girl must really love hippos or something. Or maybe she just loves the idea of partying…. Yikes. Anyway, in this story, one hippo calls up forty-four of his closest friends, and they, well, go berserk. In my household, when the hippos go berserk, we all go berserk, and usually our daughter gets a little bit of tickling that brings out her finest belly laugh. Again, cute drawings, great words to read that captivate a toddler’s attention, and it is entertaining for parents, too.

4) Goodnight Moon written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd

I don’t fully understand the staying power of this book. But then again, I am not a toddler. We were given this book as a gift. Now my husband reads it almost every night. I never thought that the illustrations were all that great (although I like the use of the yellow in the color drawings – it really looks as if the page is lighting up) and some of them are boring (to me) in black-and-white. Now that I have read it aloud a few times, I have realized how soft and soothing the words sound, so I imagine that is why babies like it so much. But my daughter also finds the pictures really appealing as well.

5) First 100 Words by bright baby

This is the heaviest book of my daughter’s favorites. I know because when she brings it to me, she often drops it on my foot. She loves to point at all the colorful pictures, which are labeled with words, and say, “This?” “This?” “This?” At least, that is what I think she is saying. I oblige her by telling her what each object, person, or animal is. There is no story, but each page has a theme. It is like a book of flashcards, and right now my daughter gets a real kick out of it. I think I got it at TJ Maxx for about $4. What a good deal.

6) Animal Talk by DK books

No matter how cute my toddler is (and she is really cute), it gets old after a while saying, “What does the baby elephant say?” Then I pause, hoping my little girl will do it for me. Nope, no chance. “Braloooooooooooo!” I have to yell, and at least I get a lovely smile of appreciation. So, you have to ignore the fact that your child just shoved this book into your lap for the fifth time in a row, although you have been trying to sneak in But Not the Hippopotamus for ten minutes. What is truly adorable, though, is that now my daughter does the happy chimp: “Ooo ooo ooo,” she says. Overall, it is a very sweet and simple book, especially when you only have to read it five times in one day rather than fifteen.

7) 1 2 3 by DK books

She loves this one because it is just her size, about three inches by three inches. Perfect for her little hands! One rabbit, two teddy bears, three puppies and so on. She really enjoys reading this one without me. But when I’m there, I have enjoyed this book too because I know the baby signs for most of the images and have been trying to get her to learn them. There is nothing especially exciting about this book, really, except that the last page, “Twelve Finger Puppets,” is a little strange. Why finger puppets? Anyone know the sign for that one?

Time for Bed by Mem Fox and illustrated by Jane Dyer

Doesn’t everyone love this one? Like Goodnight Moon, the words are beautifully soft when read aloud. The pictures are sweet. My daughter is definitely helped to sleep with this one.

9) If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond

This one is probably not best suited for the youngest of toddlers. But all of Laura Numeroff’s books are really funny. This one focuses on all that you must do to entertain a pig with a short attention span. Even though it is a little long for my daughter’s short attention span, most of the time she sits still, very amused. Maybe it is because her parents look so amused. I think we will get lots of use out of our Laura Numeroff books as she gets older.

10) Baby Faces by DK books

Toddlers just love other babies, in person or in pictures! This short book shows babies’ faces to represent a myriad of emotions. My daughter is enthralled by all of their expressions. I am sure that there are similar books at the bookstore, and they would probably be equally as good, if not better. Like Animal Talk (#6) above, she brings this one over to me to read a lot so she gives a big thumbs up.

Honorable Mention: An Old Favorite, That Is Now Passé: Doggies by Sandra Boynton

This one really tickled my daughter’s funny bone. Her dad and I read it to her until we were hoarse from making so many obnoxious dog sounds (and one cat sound!). Now I think it may be under our sofa somewhere. It was fun while it lasted, but we all tired of it. You might want to invest in it, but remember that eventually it gets hard to continue topping your best “Bow wow wow wow!” without really wanting to bang your head against the wall.

Another mention: Baby Einstein “Language Discovery Cards”

My little one just loves to spread these flashcards all over the family room carpet. She pants when she sees the one with the dog, and “moos” appropriately for the cow. We’re just not sure why she hates the robot so much. Really, she has truly enjoyed these cards, and I think they are a great learning tool. I think some of the images are bizarre – most are odd-looking toys – but my child thinks they are wonderful. On the back are hints of what to ask your toddler, and the name of the image in about five different languages. I have learned quite a bit myself.