Early literacy · Toddler books · Reading with babies · Building a book collection at home
So I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while now. I’m someone who thinks a lot about how my daughter is learning… not just what she’s picking up in a structured setting but what’s happening in her everyday world, in her hands, in her curiosity. She’s under two, and yes, we already have a whole basket of books going. I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore homeschooling parent but I do believe deeply that learning doesn’t stop at the school gate. It starts at home, way before any of that even begins. And honestly it starts with books.
Now the collection didn’t happen overnight. Some of these books I bought myself, some are hand me downs from my childhood and my sister’s. A few came as gifts from thoughtful friends. It’s this whole mix of things that slowly came together and I love that about it. There’s no Pinterest aesthetic here. It’s real, it’s lived in, and it works.
And before I take you through everything… can I just say something that I wish someone had told me when I started? The book is almost secondary. At this age your child is not reading the book. They are reading you. The way your voice rises and falls, the faces you make, the pauses you hold… that is the learning. So everything I’m sharing here, I’m sharing with that in mind. These are books that make me come alive when I read them out loud. And that, more than anything, is why they work.
Let me take you through what we have…
The Hand Me Downs — Because Some Books Deserve a Second Childhood
There is something about a book that has already been loved once. These ones came from my own childhood and my sister’s, and now they’re in my daughter’s hands. That continuity feels like something I can’t quite put into words.
The Disney Play Along Piano Book
This one is special. It’s a Disney piano book that comes with a little piano board, made exactly for small fingers. There are numbers marked on the keys and corresponding numbers in the book, so a toddler can actually follow along and play. No prior knowledge needed, no adult required beyond sitting together and enjoying it. It also doubles as a reading book so you’re genuinely getting two things at once. Interactive, musical, fun… this one earns its place every single time. If you’re looking for interactive books for babies that do more than just sit on a shelf, this is one of them.
Flip for Phonics
A full A to Z phonics book but it doesn’t just sit there looking like one. It has activities built in, missing letters, spelling exercises, music… so the learning happens through doing, not just reading. It’s the kind of book that keeps a child engaged because there’s always something happening on the page. A really solid one if you’re thinking about how to start building phonics at home for toddlers without making it feel like a lesson.
My Jungle Pop Up Book
Pop up books hold attention in a way flat pages sometimes can’t, and this jungle one uses that beautifully. It introduces different animals but the real charm is in how it does it… short poems, written phonically, that make the sounds of the language as playful as the visuals. A lovely first introduction to both animals and the rhythm of words. She goes back to this one again and again, mostly because I go a little wild with the animal voices and she finds that absolutely hilarious.
The Real Books — These Come Out Only When I’m Sitting Right There
These are your classic paper books. Thin pages, proper reading experience, and yes, fully capable of being torn by a determined toddler. So these come out only when we’re sitting together. That’s just the deal we have, and it came about the hard way.
We used to have a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle in this category. If you don’t know it, it’s one of the most famous children’s books ever made, sold over 60 million copies worldwide, translated into more than 60 languages. A classic in every sense. Well… she puked on it. Pages went soggy, and that was that. Gone. Another book in this category she got hold of unsupervised and poured water on. So yes, supervision is non-negotiable with paper books, and I say that from very real experience.
But here’s the thing, the ones that survived are so worth it.
Phonic Stories Series by Maple Kids
This was gifted to us by a friend and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Titles like Rocky My Dog, Pam is Big, I Am Billy… the stories don’t follow any grand narrative logic honestly. But that is completely beside the point. The moment I start reading these out loud she is hooked. I think it’s the rhythm of it, the way the phonics are baked into the language, the way the words bounce. She watches my face, listens to every word. These are genuinely good phonics books for toddlers at home and I’d recommend them without hesitation, especially as a gift for a new mum.
PhysicsWallah Story Series
This one I did not see coming. I picked it up purely because of the brand, curious about what PhysicsWallah was doing in the children’s books space, and I was genuinely surprised. It’s a moral stories series, the classics we all grew up on. The rabbit and the tortoise, the monkey and the crocodile, the dove, the elephant and the fox, the grapes. Beautifully done, familiar stories with a timeless wisdom to them.
What makes this series particularly special as a bedtime read for toddlers is the length. The stories are long enough that you can actually build a full narration around them. You’re not rushing through ten pages in two minutes. You slow down, you do the voices, you pause at the right moments. The language is rich enough that your child is quietly picking up new words, new expressions, building vocabulary without it ever feeling like a lesson. It’s just a good story told well at the end of the day. She usually drifts off somewhere in the middle of one of these and honestly that’s my favourite kind of ending to the night.
Board Books — The Ones You Can Actually Let Go
And then there are the board books. Thick pages, rounded edges, built like they knew a toddler was coming. These are the ones you can hand over and actually exhale. No fear of torn pages, no supervision anxiety, no moment of panic when she wanders off with one. If you’re just starting to figure out what books are safe for babies and toddlers, start here. Always start here.
The two we have right now are Monkey Puzzle and The Lion Inside and both are just wonderful.
Monkey Puzzle takes you on this sweet slightly chaotic journey of a little monkey trying to find his mum. The illustrations are rich and full of things to point at. The Lion Inside is a quiet little story about courage and finding your voice… the kind of thing that stays with you well beyond the last page. This is the one she goes back to most. And I genuinely think it’s because of what happens when I read it. I get expressive with this one. I do the voices, I slow way down, I hold the pauses. And she is completely locked in.
Which brings me back to what I said at the very beginning. The reader is the real variable here. The book is just the starting point. How you show up when you open it, that’s what your child is actually absorbing. So pick books that make you feel something when you read them. The rest takes care of itself.
A Few Things I’ve Learnt Along the Way (FAQ)
At what age should I start building a book collection for my toddler?
Earlier than you think. My daughter is under two and we already have a whole basket going. You don’t need to wait until they understand the story. At this age they are absorbing everything, the sounds, the rhythm, the way your voice rises and falls. Start whenever you feel ready and don’t overthink it.
Are board books really better for toddlers or is that just marketing?
From lived experience, yes absolutely. We’ve had casualties in every other category. The Very Hungry Caterpillar did not survive my daughter. She puked on it, pages went soggy, and that was the end of that. Another book she poured water on. The Phonic Stories only come out when I’m sitting right there. Board books though? She can wander off with The Lion Inside and I don’t even flinch. Thick pages, rounded edges, built for this exact stage. Worth every rupee.
Which book would you recommend for a child under two who is just starting out?
If I had to pick just one, The Lion Inside. But here’s my real answer: pick a book that makes you come alive when you read it. Because your child is not reading the book. They are reading you. If you’re animated and expressive and genuinely enjoying it, your child will feel that. That is the learning.
How do you make bedtime reading a habit without it becoming a battle?
We made it the last thing she does before sleep, every single night. She knows the deal now. We read, then she sleeps. It took a little while to settle into but now it’s just how the night ends. No pressure, no performance. Just the two of us, a book, and the quiet end of the day. Consistency is everything here.
Do I need to spend a lot to build a good toddler book collection at home?
Not at all. Half of what we have are hand me downs. Some were gifts. A few I bought intentionally because I knew they’d add real value. You don’t need to go big. You just need to be a little intentional about what you bring in, and the rest grows on its own.
How do I teach my toddler new words through books without making it feel like a lesson?
You don’t teach. You just read, and you read well. The PhysicsWallah series is great for this because the stories are long and rich and you can really get into them. New words come up naturally in context, she hears them in a story, she hears me say them with feeling, and they stick. No flashcards required.
Before I Go — Get These For Your Little One
The hand me downs I can’t link you to because those came from a whole other lifetime of love and dog eared pages! But for everything else in this collection, I’ve put the links right below so you can find them without the hassle.
I genuinely believe the books you bring into your child’s world in these early years matter more than we realise. You don’t have to go big, you don’t have to go expensive, you just have to be a little intentional. And if even one of these finds its way onto your little one’s shelf, that makes this whole post worth it.
Happy reading, mamas.
📚 PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
🔹 SHNMN Busy Book for Toddlers (Alphabet, Animals & Learning Activities)
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🔹 THE LION INSIDE (Board Book)
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🔹 10 Moral Story Books for Kids with Activities
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🔹 Kradyl Kroft Cloth Toy Book for Babies (Rain Forest)
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🔹 Storio 7-in-1 Early Learning Flash Cards (196 Cards)
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🔹 CYNVEXA Talking Flash Cards for Kids
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🔹 Wembley Educational Piano Soundbook for Kids
Tags: toddler books, books for babies, board books for toddlers, phonics books, interactive books for toddlers, bedtime reading routine, early literacy at home, building a book collection, best books under two, reading with toddlers, toddler development, books India, baby books