Bird BathCover unavailable
Up on BobCover unavailable
Book list
Picture books with simple words: what worked for us
Simple words matter to me, but so does the story.
Updated
Read the guideOUR FAMILY’S READING CHALLENGE
1,000 books.
Read together.
We’re reading 1,000 unique books together before kindergarten. This shelf holds our short, honest reviews along the way: a thumbs up, meh, or thumbs down, and why.
From our own readingShort, personal reviewsBorrowing counts, too
Reading guides
Book lists and comparisons from reading together.
Mix It Up!Cover unavailable
Blue vs. YellowCover unavailable
Comparison
Color books for toddlers: Mix It Up! vs. Blue vs. Yellow
What worked for us at ages 2–2½
Updated
Read the comparisonNever Show a T-Rex a Book!Cover unavailable
Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible HugCover unavailable
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39 reviews
My review
Thumbs downThe words are simple enough, but the story is not good.
Read at about 2½ years
My review
MehThis series is aimed at beginning readers. Like the other Big Dog and Little Dog book we read, I found the story plain.
Read at about 2½ years
My review
Thumbs upI love it! Such a cute book, with lovely illustrations. My child can recognize the words “bird” and “bath”—you guessed it!
Read at about 2½ years
My review
Thumbs downBoth the art style and the story feel very creepy to me.
My review
MehSome of the color examples feel a bit random to me. A blue crab has blue in it, but it doesn’t look obviously blue to me. For introducing colors, I prefer Mix It Up! I’d borrow it if my local library has a copy.
Related book: Mix It Up!
Read at about 2–2½ years
My review
MehI do love cats, but this gives me the same vibe as Frankie. I love Frankie’s art style, though I find that book better suited to visual comprehension than to teaching reading.
Related book: Frankie
My review
Thumbs downI like the art style, but the books feel random to me.
My review
Thumbs downI like the art style, but the story feels random to me. I find it a hard read for a toddler, and I don’t understand some of the references the book is trying to make.
My review
Thumbs downI like the art style, but the books feel random to me.
My review
Thumbs downI like the art style, but, as with the other books in the CAT series, this one feels random to me. I found it very hard to engage with.
My review
Thumbs upA good counting book if that’s what you’re teaching right now.
My review
Thumbs upA little funny, with two particular pages that make my child smile—you’ll see! The ending feels a bit random.
My review
Thumbs downIt was really hard to engage my child with this book, even though they love cars, trucks, and trains.
My review
MehThe sound effects and exclamations aren’t really my thing, and there isn’t much of a story. There are lots of dinosaur names. My child seems to like it, though.
Read at about 2–2½ years
My review
Thumbs upA good book for dinosaur lovers, with cute dinosaurs to introduce opposite words. I find some words, such as “meek,” hard to understand from the illustrations. I wish the authors had chosen different words for those examples.
Read at about 2–2½ years
My review
Thumbs downEven parents have trouble reading and understanding the tongue twisters. Maybe a better fit around age five.
Read at about 2½ years
My review
MehCute illustrations, but with so few words, I find it better for exploring pictures than for teaching reading.
My review
MehCool concept, but neither my child nor I could get into this book.
My review
Thumbs upA great book! The story flows so well, and the illustrations are spot on. My child keeps asking to read it and happily joins in with high fives.
My review
Thumbs upI love this book. The story is heartwarming and feels like something a child might write, which I think makes it relatable to other children.
My review
MehI didn’t get the pun at first, but my child seems to like the book.
My review
Thumbs upA great book that my child and I both love. The sea-creature illustrations are lovely, and it’s well worth a read for anyone who loves the ocean.
My review
MehA fun way to introduce lots of professions, but there are more engaging ways to do it.
Related book: Never Show a T-Rex a Book!
My review
Thumbs upA great, interactive book about mixing colors. My child follows the instructions, rubbing a dot or mixing things up. It’s an early introduction to how red and blue make purple. My child asks to read it again a lot.
Read at about 2–2½ years
My review
Thumbs upMy child loves the colors and illustrations, though I find it hard to use the text to teach reading.
Read at about 1½ and 2½ years
My review
Thumbs upI love it—one of my favorites! It’s full of imagination and a great choice if you’re introducing your child to different professions.
Read at about 2–2½ years
My review
MehI’m not sure I understand the relationship between the puffin and everything else mentioned in the book. My child doesn’t engage with this book either.
My review
Thumbs upI like the illustrations, and the story has something to teach children, too.
My review
Thumbs upI like this book, but my child doesn’t seem to care for it. I think the story is a little too difficult to understand at age 2½.
Read at about 2½ years
My review
Thumbs downI like the art style, but the books feel random to me.
My review
Thumbs downI’m not sure I like the random facts about socks. My child wasn’t interested either.
My review
Thumbs upI like this book, but my child doesn’t seem to care for it. I think the story is a little too difficult to understand at age 2½.
Read at about 2½ years
My review
Thumbs upA great way to teach children to keep trying and that it’s okay to fail. I love the spirit of this book.
Read at about 2–2½ years
My review
Thumbs upA great book! My kid especially loves this one. After reading it, he calls himself Tiny and me Pointy—the highest praise!
Read at about 2–2½ years
My review
Thumbs upA heartwarming story—I love it.
Read at about 2–2½ years
My review
Thumbs upI love this book. The simple words make it easier to help my child learn to read. My child can recognize the word “Bob.” I prefer it to Frankie. The illustrations are great, and my child will try out the bedtime routine after we read it.
Related book: Frankie
Read at about 2½ years
My review
Thumbs upA good book for hat lovers! My child loves hats, and this has been a great read for him. After reading it, he used all sorts of things as pretend hats.
My review
Thumbs upMy child and I both like this book. The illustrations are a little abstract but easy to understand, and the small amount of text helps keep my little one from getting distracted.
My review
Thumbs upMy child and I both like this book. The illustrations are a little abstract but easy to understand, and the small amount of text helps keep my little one from getting distracted.
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Every review comes from reading with my child. Your family may have different favorites.
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