Top 50 Toddler Storytime Favorites

By Louise Lareau, Managing Librarian
February 19, 2019
Big Fat Hen book cover

It’s no secret that toddler storytime at the Children's Center at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is huge. Toddlerpalooza, as we unofficially call it, is hands-down our most popular weekly program.
Recently, an NYPL patron came in to the Library asking for a list of all of the "toddler" books we use in the program. She mentioned that she can never remember the titles we offer from week to week as she is often busy running after her child.
The five librarians on staff take turns preparing and conducting the back-to-back sessions, and we all have different styles and favorite go-to books. So, after some debate, here is the Children’s Center’s list of top 50 toddler titles, alphabetized by the author's last name. If you cannot find any of these titles on the shelves at your library, please place them on hold.
We hope you find this list useful! Please note that many of these authors have other wonderful titles, and it was hard to only highlight just one…

Top 50 Books for Toddlers

Baicker, Karen.  I Can Do It Too!

Baker, Keith. Big Fat Hen,>

Barton, Byron. My Car

Boynton, Sandra. Moo, Baa, La La La!

Busby, Ailie. On the Go!

Cabrera, Jane.  Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Campbell, Rod. Dear Zoo

Carle, Eric. From Head to Toe

Cimarusti, Marie. Peek-a-Moo!

Cousins, Lucy. Hooray for Fish!

Craig, Lindsay. Farmyard Beat

Crews, Donald. Freight Train

Dewdney, Anna. Llama Llama Red Pajama

Emberley, Ed. Go Away, Big Green Monster!

Feiffer, Jules. Bark, George

Fischer, Scott M. Jump!

Fleming, Denise. Barnyard Banter

Fox, Mem. Where Is Green Sheep?

Gibson, Ginger Foglesong. Siesta

Gravett, Emily. Monkey and Me

Henkes, Kevin. A Parade of Elephants

Hill, Eric. Where’s Spot?

Hort, Lenny. The Seals on the Bus

Isadora, Rachel. Uh-oh!

Katz, Karen. Babies on the Bus

Keats, Ezra Jack. Over in the Meadow

Krauss, Ruth. The Carrot Seed

Light, Steve. Trains Go

Litwin, Eric. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

Lobel, Anita. Hello Day

Long, Ethan. The Croaky Pokey

Manceau, Edouard. Tickle Monster

Martin, Bill Jr. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?

Matheson, Christie. Tap the Magic Tree

Murphy, Mary. A Kiss Like This

Polacco, Patricia. Mommies Say Shhh!

Prince, April Jones. What Do Wheels Do All Day?

Raffi. Shake My Sillies Out

Raschka, Chris. New Shoes

Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. I Used to be Afraid

Shannon, David. No, David!

Sherry, Kevin. I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean

Taback, Simms. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Tafuri, Nancy. Spots, Feathers, and Curly Tails

Thomas, Jan.  Is Everyone Ready for Fun?

Walsh, Ellen Stoll. Mouse Paint

Warnes, Tim. Daddy Hug

Wheeler, Lisa. Jazz Baby

Williams, Sue. I Went Walking

Yoon, Salina. Do Cows Meow?: A Lift-the-Flap Book