Listmania!
Favorite Books of A "Barely" Two-year Old Boy Until "Nearly" Three! #2
By an Amazon.com customer
Rolie Polie OlieRolie Polie Olie by William Joyce
Buy new: $14.44 / Used from: $0.01
This is a HUGE hit at 32 months and I am not quite sure why. The narrative is a little choppy but he is very taken with it as it describes a lot of the things he deals with everyday. The art is very appealing.
But Excuse Me That is My Book (Charlie and Lola)But Excuse Me That is My Book (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child
Buy new: $11.55 / Used from: $2.67
My son loves this book and randomly every couple of weeks will turn to me and say "But excuse me that is MY book"! He also loves libraries and this book also helped bring home that one tries to be quiet in such places.....
Where's My Teddy?Where's My Teddy? by Jez Alborough
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01
Great rhyming sequence and comedic storyline.
Yo! Yes? (Scholastic Bookshelf)Yo! Yes? (Scholastic Bookshelf) by Chris Raschka
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $4.28
My son loves this book and has it completely memorized! After I read it, he will walk around the house muttering under his breath "Yo! Yes? Yes, you! Me? etc."
Rosie's Walk (Stories to Go!)Rosie's Walk (Stories to Go!) by Pat Hutchins
Buy used from: $0.29
This is a book that I remember from my childhood! And judging from my son's recent requests, it hasn't lost its lustre..... I wish I had rediscovered it a bit sooner as I think my son would have enjoyed it even before he was two.
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? (Stories to Go!)Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? (Stories to Go!) by Nancy White Carlstrom
Buy used from: $0.74
This is the book that got my son thinking about what clothes to wear! A wonderful feel-good story that takes you from waking up to bedtime.
Not a BoxNot a Box by Antoinette Portis
Buy new: $10.79 / Used from: $7.03
This is a great book for sparking the imagination. A cardboard box is now part of our toy repertoire.....
Scary, Scary HalloweenScary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting
Buy new: $6.95 / Used from: $0.64
We got this on audiocasette for the car and he has insisted on listening to this casette everyday while in the car for the last 2 months!
Chickens to the RescueChickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Buy new: $11.53 / Used from: $0.01
I know I mentioned this book in passing in the first half of my booklist but I simply had to give "Chickens to the Rescue" it's very own spot on the list. Simply hilarious - especially the pigs on the last page!
Poppleton In FallPoppleton In Fall by Cynthia Rylant
Buy used from: $0.48
There are about 10 of these books about Poppleton the pig and his friends. My son loves them all but this is the one that set off the recent Poppleton craze! There are 3 very simple and short stories per book.
Dog BreathDog Breath by Dav Pilkey
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.24
Our companion book to "Chewy Louie"! (see part 1 of the list)
Daddy Makes the Best SpaghettiDaddy Makes the Best Spaghetti by Anna Grossnickle Hines
Buy new: $5.95 / Used from: $0.01
There are a couple of themes that resonate well with our household - working parents, daycare and dad cooking. A nice story about the evening routine after coming home with the emphasis on dad. In fact my son rebels now whenever I try to cook spaghetti!
What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? (Caldecott Honor Book)What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? (Caldecott Honor Book) by Steve Jenkins
Buy new: $10.88 / Used from: $1.99
My son pores over these pages trying to fit the close-up view with the view of the whole animal on the following page. I like the fact that the book has potential to grow with him i.e. the detailed section on the individual animals at the end of the book.
Alphabet AdventureAlphabet Adventure by Audrey Wood
Buy new: $11.55 / Used from: $4.75
I recommend this book if your child already has a basic grasp of his letters - it really set my son to thinking more deeply about the shapes and components of letters (the story is about the little letter i that has lost its dot). Great colorful graphics.
StellalunaStellaluna by Janell Cannon
Buy new: $11.56 / Used from: $0.01
We discovered Stellaluna while poking around on a library computer that had a version that "read" to you with animations based on the picture book. After he sat through that thoroughly entranced, I decided to pull the book off the shelf and give it a go - the rest is history! (Definitely the longest and most advanced book we have read to date).
Papa, Please Get the Moon for MePapa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.51
You still might have to regulate your kid on the pages as they fold out in all different directions (and are therefore easily torn) but otherwise this is a great book. This book really clued my son into looking at the phases of the moon - which we now do every night when we take the dog for a walk!
The Wind BlewThe Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $3.12
Simple but engaging.
The UmbrellaThe Umbrella by Jan Brett
Buy new: $11.55 / Used from: $0.99
Classic Jan Brett! Not as engaging as "the mitten" (see my recommendations for 12-24 months) but I like the interspersed Spanish dialog and my son loves the exotic tropical animals.
The Snail and the WhaleThe Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
Buy new: $12.23 / Used from: $3.94
We love Julia Donaldson's books!
Hattie and the Fox (Stories to Go!)Hattie and the Fox (Stories to Go!) by Mem Fox
Buy used from: $0.01
Simple text but a suspenseful read for my toddler! He is all agog until the end when the fox is revealed........
Little GorillaLittle Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein
Buy new: $4.95 / Used from: $0.01
Good for the younger end of the age spectrum as well but this book addresses and calms some of the fears young toddlers may have about growing up. We recently transitioned into potty training and with that has come a distinction in our household between "big boys" such as my 33 month old son and "babies". This book emphasizes that families and friends still love their "big" kids!
Fireman SmallFireman Small by Wong Herbert Yee
Buy new: $5.95 / Used from: $0.01
Easy to read rhyming text about a hard-working selfless fireman and the community that appreciates him!
Dirt BoyDirt Boy by Erik Jon Slangerup
Buy new: $6.95 / Used from: $2.34
My son loves this book and finds the whole premise (little boy who doesn't bathe) hilarious.
Animals Should Definitely Not Wear ClothingAnimals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $1.74
We tried this book at 26 months - no interest on the part of my toddler. But at 34 months this book is one of his two most requested bedtime reads! The text is somewhat sparse so I do some explaining on the side but the humor is right up my son's alley.
SuperHero ABCSuperHero ABC by Bob Mcleod
Buy new: $12.95 / Used from: $0.86
I was a little hesitant about this book as my son has shown little interest so far in superheroes but he does like this book - Volcano aka Vomitman is his favorite!
Never, Ever Shout in a ZooNever, Ever Shout in a Zoo by Karma Wilson
Buy new: $11.55 / Used from: $6.43
We have this on audiotape and he wants to listen to it everytime he is in the car! He especially loves the end where a whole new set of problems is going to arise with the dinosaur and will chime in at the end of the audiotape to tell me about it.
Froggy Gets DressedFroggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Buy new: $5.99 / Used from: $0.01
I haven't heard my son laugh like this in a long, long time..... Great book about the trials and tribulations of getting dressed for the winter conditions outside!
Go Away, Big Green Monster!Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley
Buy new: $7.91 / Used from: $2.70
The cut-outs are extrememly clever. While the message is positive - how to conquer one's fears, it is still perhaps not a book for easily frightened kids. My son asks me to read this book and then goes and stands about 15 feet away while I read the first half (while the monster appears)! He will then join me for the second half of the book when the monster is deconstructed....
Pete's a PizzaPete's a Pizza by William Steig
Buy new: $12.23 / Used from: $3.72
What a great book! My son loves pizza and this story is about an out-of-sorts kid that then gets made into a pizza by his caregivers - we now play this game with my son and he loves it!
Put Me in the Zoo  (I can read it all by myself' Beginner Books)Put Me in the Zoo (I can read it all by myself' Beginner Books) by Robert Lopshire
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $0.01
A big hit at bedtime....
Little Quack's New Friend (Book and Audio CD) (Paperback)Little Quack's New Friend (Book and Audio CD) (Paperback) by Lauren Thompson
We got the on tape version for the car and this month it is the only thing we are allowed to listen to while on the road.... I like the fact that it teaches tolerance for differences in one's friends in a way an almost 3 year old can comprehend.
Green Eggs and Ham (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner Books)Green Eggs and Ham (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner Books) by Dr. Seuss
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $0.01
Classic! Good for entertaining those picky eaters out there.....and to think that I used to believe that picky eaters were the product of bad parenting!! How pride goes before a fall....
My Friend is Sad (An Elephant and Piggie Book)My Friend is Sad (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $3.42
My son was very struck by this book - the premise a sad friend was obviously something he was very interested in. The humor in it may have been a little over his head but was remedied with a bit of repetitive explaining.
Good Night Pillow FightGood Night Pillow Fight by Sally Cook
Buy used from: $0.01
My toddler loves to poor over the detailed drawings depicting all the different bedtime scenarios. Parents should find many scenes to sympathise with too! My son thinks pillow fights are the best thing ever now.... Note - very simple text so the book is what you make of it.
The Paperbag Princess (Story Corner)The Paperbag Princess (Story Corner) by Robert N. Munsch
Buy used from: $9.23
This is a great alternative to the Disney princess phenomenon! A go-get-'em heroine - very pc for little girls. One caveat that some parents may not like is that the princess refers to the good-for-nothing prince character as a "bum" (note that he did deserve it!); my son finds that part hilarious however.
Best Pet of All [Modern Gems Edition]Best Pet of All [Modern Gems Edition] by David Larochelle
Buy used from: $0.01
Cute story about the machinations a child goes through to get a dog. There is a lot here to engage dragon fans as well!
I Stink!I Stink! by Kate Mcmullan
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.75
The vocabulary is a little over his head but my son loves the whole "yucky" humor aspect.
Anansi and the Moss-covered RockAnansi and the Moss-covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel
Buy new: $6.95 / Used from: $0.19
We got the video version from the library and it's great! (We then got the book and audio version after). We now have to employ all three on a daily basis. My son loves it when the animals keel over.....good for shrieks of laughter every time. Also a good introduction to the idea that crime doesn't pay.
Little PeaLittle Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $5.88
Great book for those candy-loving spinach-hating kids! Love the humor and my son does too.