Ages 0-3 – Read Create Grow

Children are always learning. Your baby and toddler are absorbing so much information all the time. Reading nonfiction books help teach your little one about the world, build their vocabulary skills and general knowledge, as well as developing their early literacy skills. Check out this curated list of books your toddler is sure to love, learn and read over and over! *This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Nonfiction Books About Nature for Toddlers Good Night Galaxy (Our World Series) Written Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper | Illustrated by Cooper Kelly Ages 0-3 This is a wonderful series for simple nonfiction board books. Each book in the series offers a “good night” to a unique place, be it country, state or location like campsite or beach. The text is simple, one to two lines per page, and clear but stylized illustrations of the world around us and the solar system. Try this book, and collect the others in the city for your location or favorite places. It’s never too early to start using science words! Buy on Amazon Let’s Go Outside! Written by Amy Pixton | Illustrated Ekaterina Trukhan Ages 0-2 This book features very simple text that helps you and your child look at the real world around you. You can read about the blue sky and then point to the sky outside, or make extra “buzzzz” sounds when you read about the bees. Take some time and read the pictures as well by asking things like, how many birds or fish, then pointing and counting them out. This book has the unique benefit of being chew-proof, tear proof and washable! Buy on Amazon All Aboard! National Parks Written by Haily Meyers | Illustrated by Kevin Meyers Ages 0-3 This is a wonderful short book featuring the United States National Parks. An adorably illustrated train travels from park to park to show us the way to each park. The text is sparse but this leaves room for you to read the pictures and talk about what you see on the page. Buy on Amazon Wild Animals: A Touch and Feel Book Written by Little Hippo Books | Illustrated by Anna Jones Ages 0-2 Babies want to touch everything, so why not integrate the learning of sensory experience into reading? Each page offers a simple statement or two about a certain kind of animal and an illustration featuring a sensory point. Animals that are scaly and rough or soft and fuzzy all make an appearance in this book. Buy on Amazon Nonfiction Books About People for Toddlers Global Babies Written and Illustrated by The Global Fund for Children Ages 0-2 Babies love to see pictures of real things because they are learning about the world, so seeing pictures of things they recognize, especially the faces of other babies, so this is very exciting! This book features babies around the world in their traditional garb. The text is simple and sparse so you and your baby can focus on looking at the pictures and talking about what you see. Buy on Amazon My First Baby Signs Written and Illustrated by Phil Conigliaro and Tae Won Yu Ages 0-3 Babies know what they want far sooner than they are physically able to say it. Usually by about six months old your child understands what they want, they just don’t have a good way of communicating that to you, but what if they did? You could improve communication between you and your child and reduce their frustration in communicating simply by learning some simple signs in American Sign Language (ASL). The book features pull tabs that show you exactly how to make the signs, as well as diagrammed illustrations. Start with one or two and see how your communication with baby grows! Buy on Amazon Where is Baby’s Belly Button? Written and Illustrated by Karen Katz Ages 0-3 Babies love to play peekaboo, so play along with this simple story! As you read the questions in the story and find the answers, tickle your baby along with the story. By doing this you are helping them learn the parts of their body. If your child is a toddler, ask the questions and wait a few seconds to see if they can point that part of themselves, if not, just give them a tickle and laugh along with your baby. Buy on Amazon Babies Around the World Written by Puck | Illustrated by Violet Lemay Ages 0-3 Say “Hello” all around the world with this book. The story is simple, babies saying “Hello” all over the world in many languages, but the cute illustrations feature a diverse group of babies speaking many languages with English translations. This is a simple way to introduce new languages, or even the idea that people in other places may say things differently than in your own family. You can also talk about the many things you see in the pictures. Pair this with Global Babies for a multicultural journey with your baby. Buy on Amazon Nonfiction Books About Music for Toddlers The Story of Rap Written by the editors of Caterpillar Books | Illustrated by Lindsey Sagar Ages 0-2 Babies naturally love music and dance, let’s teach them some history about the music they love to bob along to. Rap has a vivid history, from the rhythms it inherited from African cultures to the percussions of funk, soul and disco, this book covers them in a simple form, as well as the history of some of the prominent rappers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Try the other books in this series for more music genres. Buy on Amazon Hello, World! Music (Series) Written and illustrated by Jill McDonald Ages 0-2 Another story in the prolific Hello, World series featuring music. This book features simple text that talks about different kinds of instruments. Each page features onomatopoeic words that help you read aloud the sound each instrument makes, along with a description of how the instrument makes that sound, written in a way a young child will understand. If you enjoy this book, check out the rest of the series as there is a book on nearly every topic! Buy on Amazon Babies Around the World: Dancing Written by Tamara Barker, Illustrated by Violet Lemay Ages 0-3 All around the world, babies love to dance. Different cultures specialize in different dances, but what are they? Find out here! This book may not be a perfect representation, as some cultures have multiple languages where only one is listed, it makes a start at introducing different cultures and languages to babies and toddlers. Talk about what the babies are doing on each page and bounce along with the rhythm of the words for a fun read along. Buy on Amazon