11 Best board books and sensory books for babies and toddlers

I started to collect children’s books from the time I first got pregnant. Mostly, I chose sturdy board books that were great for little hands (and no paper cuts!). Because I love reading and I want my children to equally enjoy books, I started reading to them even when they were still in my womb.

Now that they are toddlers and preschoolers, I still read aloud to them. As a result, my daughters now beg me to read to them before bedtime.

It’s never too early to start collecting the best board books for infants and toddlers, especially if you want to instill a love of reading in your little one. Here’s a list of the best board books that my own children and I have enjoyed and that I highly recommend to you and your young kids.

Books for babies and toddlers

1. The Going to Bed Book (1982) by Sandra Boynton

If you are looking for bedtime books for babies, this is the perfect bedtime storybook for children who do not want to go to sleep! It features several animals preparing to go to bed. They take a bath, look for their pajamas, brush their teeth, and do some exercises.  After all these, they say goodnight at the end of the story.  Children will fall in love with the rhythmic verses and funny illustrations. This is definitely one of the best bedtime books for babies that your children will enjoy.

Available at fullybookedonline.com (Php210)

2. Goodnight Moon (1991) by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd

This classic by Margaret Wise Brown shows a little rabbit saying good night to everything that he sees in his room. The 30-page book is full of detailed drawings which fade away with every good night until a yawn appears at the end of the page. Little kids will recognize familiar objects, making the book highly relatable.

Available at fullybookedonline.com (Php540)

3. Barnyard Dance! (1993) by Sandra Boynton

If you’re looking for a book that will get your child moving, then this should be a part of your book collection. It includes funny animal illustrations, a catchy rhyme pattern and easy-to-follow dance steps. When reading it, encourage your child to participate by doing the dance steps and by making the animal sounds depicted in the book.

Available at fullybookedonline.com (Php315)

4. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1994) by Eric Carle

This very popular book by Eric Carle is a must-have in any young child’s home library. It is about a caterpillar that eats and eats and eats until it becomes a butterfly. You can use this book to discuss so many different concepts with your child: fruits, days of the week and the life cycle of a butterfly.

Available at fullybookedonline.com (Php186)

5. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1996) by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle

Alongside The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this book is probably one of Eric Carle’s most well-known picture books. While there is really no plot, it can help your child identify different animals and colors on each page. Its rhythmic pattern makes little ones recite along with it as it is being read. Highly recommended!

Available at fullybookedonline.com (Php765)

6. Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! (1996) by Dr. Seuss

Learning the alphabet with this book will be fun and easy for any child. Each page is dedicated to one letter of the alphabet and illustrates several objects that begin with that letter. As in all Dr. Seuss books, the rhymes make it easy for young kids to learn their ABCs.

Available at fullybookedonline.com (Php280)

7. Bear Snores On (2002) by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

Bear wakes up to find the mouse, the hare, the badger, the mole, the wren, and the raven having a party in his own lair. They sought shelter there while he was asleep. Little ones will find the story amusing, and at the same time see an example of someone being caring and generous. Its illustrations are beautifully-drawn and its rhyme pattern is beautifully-crafted that your child will ask you to read it again and again.

Available at fullybookedonline.com (Php288)

8. Maghapon Namin Ni Nanay by Genaro Gojo Cruz, illustrated by Nicole Anne Lim

This is a storybook for babies and toddlers that narrates how a little girl spent her whole day with her mother. Published by Adarna House, this is one of the best board books that highlight the joy of having a mom by your side. 

Maghapon Namin Ni Nanay is written in the Filipino language and is recommended for babies and toddlers. It is a 12 pages book with a size that fits the small hands of your little ones. 

Available at Adarna House Shopee store (Php 250)

9. My Ate and I or My Kuya and I by Ani Rosa Almario, illustrated by Kay Aranzanso

If you have more than one kid, then this book is perfect for your children. This storybook is recommended for babies and toddlers.

If you have an older son, you can choose to read My Kuya and I to your younger kid. On the other hand, if you have an older daughter, then choose My Ate and I and read it to your younger child.

This board book highlights the love between siblings. It also discussed the differences and similarities that they may share. This storybook is one of the best tools to promote and nurture love between your children.

Available at Adarna House Shopee store (Php 250)

10. Magtanim ay Di Biro, Illustrated by Jamie Bauza

Full of colorful illustrations about the life of a farmer – this board book is the best material if you want to introduce the importance of farmers and farming to your kid. You can also use this as a tool to instill values in your child that it is not easy to be a farmer and they can help them at an early age by not wasting food.

Aside from that, since Magtanim ay Di Biro is part of Adarna House’s series featuring children’s songs, your child will surely love to read this one. At the end of each story time, you can also sing Magtanim Ay Di Biro with your kid.

Available at Adarna House Shopee Store (Php 199)

11. Masaya Ako, illustrated by Yasmin Doctor

One of the best things we can impart to our kids is the ability to understand their emotions. This ability can be helpful not only as a kid but also when they grow up as adults. Masaya Ako is one of the best board books you can give your child. It introduces different feelings by naming each one of them. Aside from that, the illustrator uses funny and colorful illustrations to show different facial expressions that fit certain emotions.

Furthermore, you can also use this as material to teach your kid both English and Filipino language. This board book is written in Filipino with English translation. Your kid will surely love to learn how to use both languages in simple sentences.

Available at Adarna House Shopee store (Php 199)

Best sensory books for babies

Since babies younger than one-year-old cannot read, reading for them may help them develop a love for books. Aside from that, you can give them sensory books for babies.

Sensory books stimulate the development of the senses of babies. Unlike board books, sensory books do not only feature illustrations and texts but also sounds, textures, lights, and games. Your little one will enjoy touching and flipping the pages of sensory books.

Since sensory books are specially made for babies, they are soft and smaller to fit the little hands of your baby.

Here are our picks for the best sensory books for babies that are available online in the Philippines:

Kids Melody Sensory Cloth Books Set

The set consists of six different sensory books for babies. Kids Melody Sensory Cloth Books is a set of sensory books with different styles, illustrations, and colors. But all of the six books are made of soft felt cloth that can help stimulate your baby’s sense of touch. All the pages of every book have different colors and illustrations that can stimulate your baby’s sense of sight.

This set may help develop your baby’s:

• Color Perception
• Shape cognition
• Visual training
• Animal cognition
• Action cognition

In addition, attached to every book is a teether that can soothe your baby’s itchy and sore gums. It can also help your baby recognize texture through their tongue.

Available at Shopee (Php350-Php499)

Hello Kimi soft cloth books

These sensory books for babies are handmade with a soft fabric surface that is comfortable for your baby’s little hands. Hello Kimi soft cloth books are made of BPA-free polyester material. These are washable, have no sharp edges, are non-toxic, and are safe for your baby’s delicate skin.

These soft cloth books can be helpful material if you want to introduce nature and animals to your kid. Every page has different illustrations and colors. Your child will surely enjoy flipping its pages as they learn different things with every flip.

Hello Kimi Soft cloth books also have a crinkle feature on both cover pages and a squeaker sound that may help your baby develop audio recognition.

Aside from that, these books can be a tool for the development of the following skills:

• Sensory interaction
• Motor skills
• Sense of sight
• Color cognition
• Texture cognition

Available at Lazada (Php 208)

Reading is one of the best things that we can do for our children. Start your own home library with these treasures.

Additional information written by Jobelle Macayan