Best New Books for Toddlers

Except, the Pigeon’s not so sure about that.

Besides, he took a bath last month! Maybe.

It’s going to take some serious convincing to try and get the Pigeon to take the plunge.

Inside a tent it’s cozy. But what is going on outside? Is it dark? Is it scary?

Not if you have your trusty flashlight!

Told solely through images and using a spare yet dramatic palette, artist Lizi Boyd has crafted a masterful exploration of night, nature, and art.

Both lyrical and humorous, this visual poem — like the flashlight beam itself — reveals that there is magic in the darkness.

We just have to look for it.

Accept Hervé Tullet’s irresistible invitation to mix it up in a dazzling adventure of whimsy and wonder.

Follow the artist’s simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear, mix, splatter, and vanish in a world powered only by the reader’s imagination.

Tullet — who joins such greats as Eric Carle and Leo Lionni as a master of his craft — sets readers on an extraordinary interactive journey all within the printed page.

Tullet prompts plenty of giggles in addition to a profound understanding of colors, and once again displays his unique genius and vision in a work that is a glorious and richly satisfying companion to Press Here.

With a featherlight touch and disarming charm, Jon J Muth — and his delightful little panda bear, Koo — challenge readers to stretch their minds and imaginations with twenty-six haikus about the four seasons.

The most inventive and irresistible book of the year spans a mere 26 letters (don’t they all!) and 112 pages.

From an Astronaut who’s afraid of heights, to a Bridge that ends up burned between friends, to a Cup stuck in a cupboard and longing for freedom, Once Upon an Alphabet is a creative tour de force from A through Z.

Slyly funny in a way kids can’t resist, and gorgeously illustrated in a way readers of all ages will pour over, this series of interconnected stories and characters explores the alphabet in a way that will forever raise the bar.

Street photographer and storyteller extraordinaire Brandon Stanton is the creator of the wildly popular New York Times bestseller Humans of New York.

To create Little Humans, a 40-page photographic picture book for young children, he’s combined an original narrative with some of his favorite children’s photos from his blog, in addition to all-new exclusive portraits.

The result is a hip, heartwarming ode to little humans everywhere.

In the heart of the city, among the taxis and towers, a small boy travels uptown and down, searching for his friend.

Readers will certainly spot the glorious beast, plus an array of big-city icons they can count.

Is the dragon taking the crosstown bus, or breathing his fiery breath below a busy street?

Maybe he took a taxi to the zoo or is playing with the dogs in the park.

Steve Light’s masterful pen-and-ink illustrations, decorated with meticulous splashes of color, elevate this counting book (numbers 1–20) to new heights. Maybe the dragon is up there, too!

In this interactive and engaging read-aloud, bestselling author and award-winning artist Patrick McDonnell creates a funny, engaging, and almost perfect story about embracing life’s messes.

Little Louie’s story keeps getting messed up, and he’s not happy about it!

What’s the point of telling his tale if he can’t tell it perfectly?

But when he stops and takes a deep breath, he realizes that everything is actually just fine, and his story is a good one — imperfections and all.

Blizzard is based on John Rocco’s childhood experience during the now infamous Blizzard of 1978, which brought fifty-three inches of snow to his town in Rhode Island.

Told with a brief text and dynamic illustrations, the book opens with a boy’s excitement upon seeing the first snowflake fall outside his classroom window.

It ends with the neighborhood’s immense relief upon seeing the first snowplow break through on their street.

In between the boy watches his familiar landscape transform into something alien, and readers watch him transform into a hero who puts the needs of others first.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the big city, the big crowds and bigger buildings, Little Elliot leads a quiet life.

In spite of the challenges he faces, Elliot finds many wonderful things to enjoy — like cupcakes!

When his problems seem insurmountable, Elliot discovers something even sweeter — a friend.

When Maple is tiny, her parents plant a maple tree in her honor.

She and her tree grow up together, and even though a tree doesn’t always make an ideal playmate, it doesn’t mind when Maple is in the mood to be loud — which is often.

Then Maple becomes a big sister, and finds that babies have their loud days, too.

Fortunately, Maple and her beloved tree know just what the baby needs.

MOOSE? Yes, Moose! When a movie director tries to capture the life of a moose on film, he’s in for a big surprise.

It turns out the moose has a dream bigger then just being a moose — he wants to be an astronaut and go to the moon.

His forest friends step in to help him, and action ensues.

Lots of action. Like a lacrosse-playing grandma, a gigantic slingshot into space, and a flying, superhero chipmunk.

This refreshing and sweet story of friendship reminds believers and nonbelievers alike that sometimes wishes really can come true.

In this clever twist on the age-old belief that there’s no such thing as unicorns, Uni the unicorn is told there’s no such thing as little girls!

No matter what the grown-up unicorns say, Uni believes that little girls are real.

Somewhere there must be a smart, strong, wonderful, magical little girl waiting to be best friends.

In fact, far away (but not too far), a real little girl believes there is a unicorn waiting for her. 

This is the story of four puppies: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston. Gaston works the hardest at his lessons on how to be a proper pooch.

Gaston fits right in with his poodle sisters. But a chance encounter with a bulldog family in the park — Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and Antoinette — reveals there’s been a mix-up, and so Gaston and Antoinette switch places.

The new families look right… but they don’t feel right. Can these puppies follow their noses — and their hearts — to find where they belong?

From Kadir Nelson, winner of the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Awards, comes a transcendent picture book in the tradition of Margaret Wise Brown about a lost little bear searching for home.

This simple story works on so many levels: as the tale of a bear who finds his way home with the help of his animal friends; as a reassuring way to show children how to comfort themselves and find their way in everyday life.

And on a more philosophical level, as a method of teaching readers that by listening to your heart and trusting yourself, you will always find a true home within yourself — and that even when it feels like you are alone, you never really are.