One of the pure joys of early childhood is watching children discover the joy of books – even though they can’t read themselves!

For us as parents, it brings us back to our own childhoods, having our own mums and dads read us a book before bed, and bring to life the characters on the pages. So we asked our Mouths of Mums community to come up with a list of books that every parent should read their toddler and give a prized position on kids’ bookshelves.

From the classics to some modern reads, this list is a treasure trove of beautiful yarns to read your little one. We love that Aussie authors feature heavily!

26 Books Every Parent Should Read To Their Toddler

Get your best sing-song voice ready, and make sure the tissues are handy! These children’s books will stir up all sorts of nostalgic feelings, and give you and your toddler a good belly laugh to boot!

Koala Lou, by Mem Fox

Ages: 3 – 6 years old 

This Aussie favourite gets us parents right in the feels – good luck getting through your first read without tearing up! Koala Lou has many siblings, and feels like her mum is too busy to notice her.

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Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown

Ages: 0 – 3 years old 

A gentle bedtime read that has helped many generations of children off to the land of nod. It’s the tale of a green room, a little bunny and his bedtime routine.

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The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister

Ages: 0 – 3 years old

A modern classic tale that brings to life the lessons of sharing through the story of a beautiful fish. However, The Rainbow Fish has recently been embroiled in controversy with some educators unhappy with the content.

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The Snail And The Whale, by Julia Donaldson

Ages: 0 – 3 years old

This isn’t the only Julia Donaldson book on our list, and with good reason. Her books are a beautiful journey, and this one sees a snail hitching a ride on the back of a whale.

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Where Is The Green Sheep? by Mem Fox

Ages: 0 – 3 years old

This is a book your toddler will beg you to read over and over until they know each page off by heart.

Here is the blue sheep, and here is the red sheep.
Here is the bath sheep, and here is the bed sheep.
But where is the green sheep?

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There’s A Monster At The End Of This Book

Ages: 3 – 7 years old 

A sweet, interactive book which begs the reader not to turn the pages – so of course your toddler will be compelled to keep turning the page and see the monster at the end of the book!

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Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney

Ages: 3 – 6 years old 

The Little and Big Nutbrown Hares will tug at your heartstrings and your toddler will fall in love. There’s good reason this book has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide.

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Pig The Pug, by Aaron Blabey

Ages: 3 – 5 years

Pig was a Pug and Im sorry to say, he was greedy and selfish in most every way.

A story of a greedy little pug, who is asked to share his toys. And then something totally unexpected happens …

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Ten Little Fingers Ten Little Toes, by Mem Fox

Ages: 0 – 3 years old 

Australian author Mem Fox features heavily in our list of books, and with good reason. Her tales not only capture the imagination of children, but are loved by parents.

There was one little baby who was born far away,
and another who was born on the very next day.
And both of these babies-as everyone knows
-had ten little fingers and ten little toes.

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Possum Magic, by Mem Fox

Ages: 3 – 7 years 

The hauntingly beautiful illustrations by Julia Vivas bring to life another Mem Fox classic that’s as enchanting as it is loveable. It’s been a firm childhood favourite since its release in 1983.

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The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson

Ages: 2+ years old 

A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.
A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.

A clever mouse and a not-so-clever Gruffalo meet in the woods in this modern classic that’s since been turned into an animated production and stage show.

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We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen

Ages: 2 – 7 years old

This is such a gorgeous book for sparking the imagination of little ones. A family heads off on an ‘adventure’ traipsing through grass, rivers and mud in search of a bear!

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Oh, The Places You Will Go, by Dr Seuss

Ages: 4+ years old

While the concepts in this Dr Seuss book are probably aimed at older toddlers, there’s no harm in reading this to younger kids. It’s a tale of life’s ups and downs, its triumphs and tribulations. And it’s beautiful.

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Noni The Pony, by Alison Lester

Ages: 1 – 4 years old

Alison Lester’s gorgeous words and illustrations bring to life this glorious rhyming story of the nicest pony a child could ever hope to meet.

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Dairy Of A Wombat, by Jackie French

Such a beautifully simple book, Diary of a Wombat is all about the delivery of the sparse words and Bruce Whatley’s endearing images. Yet another classic penned be a beloved Australian author.

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

This simple, creative book has remained a firm favourite for generations – there’s a copy sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! The interactive die-cut pages capture the imagination of toddlers, and it’s one of those books they’ll be ‘reading’ to you before too long!

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Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch

Ages: 3 – 6 years

A touching story that is just as beautiful for parents as it is for toddlers. Yes, they will always be our babies.

A young woman holds her newborn son
And looks at him lovingly.
Softly she sings to him:
“I’ll love you forever
I’ll like you for always
As long as I’m living
My baby you’ll be.”

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Each Peach Pear Plum, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Ages: 0 – 5 years old 

A clever book that captures a toddler’s imagination. The poems give clues to what’s hiding in the illustrations to make it interactive in the most simple way.

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Green Eggs And Ham, by Dr Seuss

Ages: 3 – 6 years old 

A children’s book that has well and truly stood the test of time, Dr Seuss’ silly rhymes and made-up words are a childhood rite of passage.

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Harry The Dirty Dog, by Gene Zion

 Ages: 3 – 6 years old

Such a sweet and simple story that kids find hilarious. Harry is a black and white dog, but hates having a bath, so he does a runner when he knows one is coming. But he ends up getting so dirty, his owners don’t recognise him!

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The Wonky Donkey, by Craig Smith

Ages: 0 – 5 years old

If you can get through this book without being tongue-tied or in fits of laughter, hats off to you! And make sure you listen to the CD with the song on it – you’ll never be able to read the book out loud without breaking into song again!

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Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas, by Aaron Blabey

Ages: 3 – 7 years old

Another glorious book from Aussie author Aaron Blabey with cheeky rhymes and of course the kids will get a good laugh thanks to the mention of ‘bums’.

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The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper

Ages: 3 – 5 years old

Yet another cracking classic book with a beautiful moral. It’s the story of a little engine that overcomes its size to bring children on the other side of a mountain their toy delivery.

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Dear Zoo, by Rod Campell

Ages: 1 – 4 years old

Toddlers just love lift-the-flap books, and they’ve been loving this classic for more than 40 years! There’s a different animal to discover on each page.

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Wombat Stew, by Marcia K Vaughan

Ages: 3-6 years old

This classic Aussie picture book details a dingo’s attempt to cook up a wombat that he’s caught – but the other bush animal hatch a plan to keep him safe!

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Go The F*ck To Sleep, by Adam Mansbach

Ok, this one is a cheeky addition to the list – it’s actually more of a bedtime story for parents who need a bit of a laugh!

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Got a book you think should be added to this list? Add it to the comments below, or head to the Facebook post and let us know which books are missing!