Check it out: New and classic book suggestions for babies and toddlers

Choosing books for a child – your own or someone else’s – can be overwhelming, with the thousands of choices on library and bookstore shelves.

Erin Downey Howerton to the rescue.

As children’s manager for the Wichita Public Library, Howerton knows a great kids’ book when she sees it. We asked her to suggest a few books in various categories for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, and she was happy to oblige.

So here you go. Let’s get reading.

Board books (for babies)

Classics:

▪ “Moo Baa La La La” by Sandra Boynton

▪ “My Very First Library” (collection), by Eric Carle

▪ “Llama Llama Red Pajama” by Anna Dewdney

▪ “Orange Pear Apple Bear” by Emily Gravett

▪ “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes” by Annie Kubler

▪ “Sheep Go To Sleep” by Nancy Shaw

New favorites:

▪ “Edgar Gets Ready for Bed” by Jennifer Adams

▪ “HippoOpposites” by Janik Coat

▪ “Pantone Colors” by Pantone

▪ “Hello, World: Solar System” by Jill McDonald

▪ “No No Yes Yes” by Leslie Patricelli

▪ “Baby Loves Quarks” by Ruth Spiro

En Espanol:

▪ “Rapido y Lento” por Britta Teckentrup

▪ “Lucha Libre: Anatomy/Anatomia” por Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein

▪ “Cuauhtemoc: Shapes/Formas” por Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein

▪ “A Vestirse!” por Patricia Geis

Picture books (for toddlers and preschoolers)

Laugh out loud:

▪ “Children Make Terrible Pets” by Peter Brown

▪ “A is for Musk Ox” by Erin Cabatingan

▪ “Let’s Count Goats” by Mem Fox and Jan Thomas

▪ “It’s a Tiger!” by David LaRochelle

▪ “The Book with No Pictures” by B.J. Novak

▪ “That is NOT a Good Idea!” by Mo Willems

New and notable:

▪ “Trombone Shorty” by Troy Andrews

▪ “Journey” by Aaron Becker

▪ “Firebird” by Misty Copeland

▪ “Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors” by Hena Khan

▪ “The Red Book” by Barbara Lehman

▪ “Viva Frida!” by Yuyi Morales

▪ “Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt de la Pena

▪ “Blackout” by John Rocco

▪ “The Adventures of Beekle” by Dan Santat

Enduring favorites:

▪ “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle

▪ “Kitten’s First Full Moon” by Kevin Henkes

▪ “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson

▪ “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats

▪ “Make Way for Ducklings” by Robert McCloskey

▪ “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak

▪ “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” by John Steptoe

▪ “Jumanji” by Chris Van Allsburg

This content was created with support from Impact Literacy, a strategic initiative of the Wichita Community Foundation.

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Check it out: New and classic book suggestions for babies and toddlers."