Books Like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom for Babies and Toddlers

Five little ducks go swimming, but when the mother duck calls them home, only four little ducks return. Children will love singing along with the familiar song, counting down from five, until the last page, when all the ducklings return home. The Sing Along With Me! series is perfect for introducing nursery rhymes to your little one. Scan the QR code on the book to listen to the song as you read.

Near the old red barn sits a big silver tub, and it’s where all the animals go for a nice, clean scrub. However, the cow, pig, and duck dislike baths so much that they run away to the city. But the city is strange, the food tastes weird, and then they are captured and put in an animal jail! At last, Mrs. Wishy-Washy pulls up in her truck and returns the animals to their barnyard life. From then on, the three animals have no trouble jumping into the tub for a scrub.

A young boy and his teddy bear look out the train window as it chugs along, slow, then fast. They pass blinking red lights, a barn and a house, a star in the sky, a billboard, and a bridge. When the boy reaches his destination, he finds his grandmother waiting for him. This mostly black-and-white book features a repeated refrain and onomatopoeic words that kids love.

Leslie Patricelli’s books are pitch-perfect! A diaper-clad baby is sometimes happy, sometimes sad. And sometimes they get mad, mad, MAD! Even with screaming, crying, and lying on the floor, it’s hard to expend all that anger. With a breathing technique and several mad-deflating tools (laughing, naps, bubble baths, yoga, and pillow punches), this SEL book is ideal for families in the thick of managing toddler meltdowns.

Follow Llama Llama through his daily routines with this two-in-one board book. After dinner, Llama Llama’s bedtime routine includes a bath, PJs, and a cozy book before he snuggles down and turns out the light. In the morning, he wakes up, brushes his teeth, and gets dressed. After breakfast, he grabs his bag and starts a new day. These rhyming board books have been adapted into a Netflix series!

Old boats. New boats. One-or-two boats. Sailing on the pages of this book, readers will find container ships, tugboats, kayaks, and sailboats. Some boats light up at night, while others dive deep. With a familiar Dr. Seuss-like cadence, this board book is perfect for water-loving kids. Have a land-lover on your hands? Go, Bikes, Go! is equally charming.

In this imaginative picture book, dandelion petals turn into a man’s scruffy mustache, and an ice cream cone becomes a dog’s muzzle. With simple text and bold colors, beautiful die-cut shapes morph from one thing into another in this quick but satisfying read. Also, check out Agnese Baruzzi’s non-rhyming picture book, Opposite Surprise.

A mother takes her young daughter in her arms and reads her a bedtime story about the many places birds can nest, so long as it’s near their mothers. Whether in a tall fir tree, on the cliffs near the sea, on top of a telephone pole, or down a hole, birds nest in numerous places, but always near their mothers. The mother reassures her child that, like the nesting birds, she will always have a “nest” at home with her. The back matter of this sweet picture book contains detailed information about the birds pictured in the illustrations.

A mouse is quite perturbed that Bear is sitting in his chair. He tries everything to get Bear to move, but not even an unexpected scare can budge Bear from the chair. Furious, Mouse finally decides to leave. Only then does Bear get out of the chair and return home, where he finds a mouse in his house. This hilarious picture book is a perennial favorite among toddlers!

Some gifts are treasures that fit in a pocket (a shell, a feather, an eraser). Others are moments of being alone, or singing a favorite song, or holding hands in a crowd. Saying “sorry” when something goes wrong, giving someone a flower, and offering a safe place to land are all beautiful gifts to give. Wrap yourself in this sweet, gentle hug of a book.