Best Books for Kids by Age: Real Recommendations from Moms
- Erin Byrne
- Jun 30
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 3
Looking for the best books for kids by age? We asked our Chicago mom community: what book does your kid LOVE right now?
Here are all of the answers, organized by age so you can find your new faves! Real kids book recommendations from moms who have read each of these a zillion times.
Happy reading! 💗, Erin + Lucie
The best books for kids by age
Okay, let's get into the books! These are all recs from our community for kids' favorite books at each age. We hope you find your kid's new favorite!
And if we've missed yours, please drop it in the comments or DM it to us on instagram, along with your kid's age - we'll add it!
Ages 0–6 months: best books for newborns
The best books for newborns use bold contrast and a calm, predictable rhythm.
Margaret Wise Brown
A favorite first bedtime book. Quiet, rhythmic and calming (even after the hundredth read).
A timeless favorite from newborn on
Eric Carle
Our kids LOVE this book. As a new mom, it's so special to read your child a book you grew up reading too.
Recommended at 15 weeks
Tana Hoban and others
For newborns, bold black-and-white patterns are some of the only things that hold their focus. High contrast books like this are super useful for tummy time.
Best from birth to about 3 months
Ages 6–12 months: best books for infants
Babies this age start anticipating patterns and reaching for pages. The best books for infants at this stage are rhythmic and repetitive enough to involve them in the read.
Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
This was one of my daughter's first favorites - and one of the first books she eventually memorized and pretend to "read."
A favorite from about 6 months on
Dorothy Kunhardt
Another classic! A touch-and-feel book that gives babies something to interact with while you read to them.
A favorite from about 6 months on
Melissa & Doug
My son loved to pop the numbers on each page. Great for early counting and fine motor as they get older!
Recommended at 12 months
Roger Priddy
Fun or kids to walk around and identify the trucks. My son and I used to do this all the time!
Recommended at 12 months
Ages 12–18 months: best books for new walkers
Toddlers this age love books they can interact with - pointing, making sounds, turning chunky pages on their own. These are some of the best books for toddlers just starting to walk and talk.
Alexandra Day
A wordless picture book where toddlers get to "tell" the story themselves - great for imagination!
Recommended at 13 months
Andrew Knapp
A photo book where you spot the dog on every page. Endlessly re-readable - kids never get tired of finding him.
Recommended at 18 months
Lenny Horst
Silly animal sounds on every page! One of those books kids go absolutely wild for.
Recommended at 1.5 years
Sherri Duskey Rinker
A bedtime staple for truck-obsessed toddlers.
Recommended at 1.5 years
Alice Shertle
My son loved this book!
Recommended at 1.5 years
Brianna Caplan Sayers
Perfect bedtime comfort books for young ones.
Recommended at 1.5 years
Bill Cotter
So cute and interactive. Toddlers love being told what NOT to do. They push it every single time.
Recommended at 20 months
Laura Bityou Beriau
Written by a mom in our community!
Recommended at 18 months
Age 2: best books for 2 year olds
Two-year-olds have strong opinions about their books! If you're searching for the best books for toddlers, these are the ones they'll demand again and again.
Bruce Degen
Joyful, rhyming, berry-filled adventure. Pure fun to read aloud - the sillier you get with it, the better.
Recommended at age 2
Peggy Rathmann
Minimal text and lots of mischief. Kids spot new details in the illustrations every time they read it.
Recommended at age 2
Bess Kalb
Rhymes that are as silly to say as they are for kids to hear.
Recommended at age 2
Adam Rubin
One of the most-mentioned books in our community. Dragons, tacos, and very silly consequences. You will read this one many, many times.
Recommended at age 2
Rotraut Susanne Berner
I love these because each time you can tell a different story and find different things within the books.
Recommended at age 2 (or even younger - they're sturdy!)
Rachel Bright
A fuzzy monster looking for somewhere to belong. Heartwarming and beautifully illustrated - one moms enjoy reading as much as kids do.
Recommended at age 2
Eric Carle
A sweet, simple board book featuring the Very Hungry Caterpillar character, made just for this stage. A nice one to keep in heavy rotation around Mother's Day too. Now that my daughter can read, she still loves this book! It's a special one.
Recommended at age 2
Ages 2.5–3: best books for toddlers
Stories get longer, humor starts landing, and kids want to know what happens next. These are some of the best books for toddlers ready for a bit more plot.
Julia Donaldson
A clever mouse outsmarts a monster - kids love the twist. Once you discover Julia Donaldson, you'll end up with all of them. (Zog, Tiddler, Monkey Puzzle - all worth it.)
Recommended at 2.5 and 5.5 years
Victoria Kann
Pink cupcakes, consequences, and a lesson about too much of a good thing - told with exactly the right amount of drama.
Recommended at 2.5
Rosie Greening
Textured and interactive - completely impossible to resist touching. Multiple FOAM moms recommended this series across different ages.
Recommended at 18 months and 3 years
Anna Dewdney
Bedtime anxiety, mama reassurance - kids feel genuinely seen by this one. A few moms mentioned it gets them every time too.
Recommended at 3 years
Mo Willems
Start with Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and go from there. Genuinely funny - for parents just as much as kids.
Recommended at 3 years
Laura Numeroff
A cascading chain of cause and effect that kids love predicting. A true classic, and the first of a whole series if it's a hit. They have cute accessories too, like a mouse stuffed animal that my daughter loves.
Recommended at age 3
Nicola Edwards
A sweet, snuggly bedtime rhyme. There are several books in this series too - they're very sweet.
Recommended at age 3
Lois Ehlert
A bright, colorful look at a garden growing from bulb to bloom. My daughter loves the rainbow flowers.
Recommended at age 3
Wonderbly
These books make fantastic gifts for holidays - like Father's Day. A personalized version where your own child and their dad's name and job get written into the story. My daughter always laughs out loud at the different "jobs" daddy does, and she had fun picking all of the personalized elements of the book too.
Recommended at age 3
Craig Smith
A viral favorite, packed with goofy wordplay and rhymes making your kid laugh out loud.
Recommended at age 3
Ages 4–5: best books for preschoolers
Kids this age can follow longer stories and connect with characters emotionally. These are some of our community's favorite books for preschoolers.
Jory John
About letting go of perfectionism and being kind to yourself. A FOAM community favorite - parents mentioned reading this one and relating a little too hard.
Recommended at 4 years
Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets [or, 4 book set here!]
Ryan T. Higgins
A T-Rex wanting a pet is as charming as it sounds. Funny, original, and weirdly touching. There are several books in this series and they are all very cute.
Recommended at 4 years
Jane O'Connor
Glittery and dramatic, with a new vocabulary word on every page. Kids love the energy, parents quietly love the learning.
Recommended at age 4
Doreen Cronin
Kids absolutely LOVE this book and it's actually fun to read over and over.
Recommended at age 4
Yuval Zommer
Gorgeous, detailed nature illustrations - bees, bugs, birds. Perfect for curious kids who want to know everything about EVERYTHING.
Recommended at age 4
Cori Doerrfeld
A gentle story about being heard without being told what to feel. Several moms in our community mentioned this one hit them as much as their kids.
Recommended at age 4
Ages 5+: best books for 5 year olds and up
These books for 5 year olds make reading time genuinely fun for whoever's doing the reading. Perfect for kids who are beginning to be able to understand a longer story, or who are starting to read going into kindergarten.
B.J. Novak
This book is ridiculous and my daughter loves it. It might be her all-time favorite book.
Recommended at 5 years
E.B. White
A real chapter book that holds attention across many nights of reading. Friendship, loss, and a barnyard full of characters kids genuinely fall for.
A favorite first chapter book around age 5–6
Drew Daywalt
A box of crayons each write a letter of complaint to the kid who owns them. Clever and funny book.
A favorite around age 5
Andrea Beaty
A relentlessly curious kid who asks endless questions. Great for kids who also ask a lot of questions.
A favorite around age 5
Mo Willems
5 year old kids love these Elephant & Piggie books. The repetition is especially great for kids who are starting to sound out words.
Recommended at age 5
Bobby Lynn Maslen
These were recommended by my daughter's teacher. Simple, decodable books designed for kids just learning to read. Short words and repetition build confidence fast, and there's something so satisfying about a kid finishing their first "real" book on their own.
Recommended at age 5
Whew! Our crowdsourced, work-in-progress list of the best books for kids by age - from newborn board books all the way to early chapter books at 5 and up.
Thanks SO MUCH to all of the moms who sent in your favorites! We'll keep updating this guide as you share more faves in the comments, so please add them (along with your child's age). Enjoy, and happy reading!!
As an Amazon Associate, Friend of a Mom may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. All book recommendations in this guide came from real moms in our community. Enjoy!
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