The Best Rhyming Books for Babies & Toddlers
You know how so many baby and toddler books repeat the same or similar lines over and over (and over 😅)?! Well, that’s on purpose! Rhyming is an important early literacy skill, and it’s one you can start working on from a very young age thanks to rhyming books like these.
Keep reading for a list of our 11 favorite rhyming books. We love these titles for babies, but they tend to grow with your child, too! So expect to be coming back to them through toddlerhood and beyond.
Early Literacy Skills & Milestones
As speech therapists, we often speak to parent groups and families of very young children about reading and early literacy. And while that might seem a little premature—If they aren’t talking yet, why are we worried about reading?!—it’s actually perfect, because learning to read starts long before the school years.
Throughout the baby and toddler stages, children build what we call early literacy skills, which are the foundation for learning to read. Language development is a big piece of this, which is why, as speech-language pathologists, we play a big role in educating parents on literacy!
Rhyming is just one of many early literacy milestones. Here are some others to be on the lookout for:
11 Fantastic Rhyming Books for Babies & Toddlers
Incorporating rhyming books into your child’s day is a simple way to support early literacy development without adding more to your plate. We made this list so you can easily save it and bring it with you the next time you visit your local library or bookstore. (It also includes shoppable links if you’d prefer to order online!)
We want you to know that we didn’t include just any rhyming books, either! We put a lot of thought into making this list with intention.
We focused on books that can grow with your child. We love all these titles for babies, toddlers, and even preschoolers. Many of these books will be classics in your home library for years to come.
We picked books with a rhythmic quality that makes them almost singable. Many of these are so engaging because they’re so catchy!
We only included links are for Bookshop.org. That way, with each purchase you make through them, a percentage of the sales will support local bookstores!
We saved this list to our Bookshop.org page! Want all the books in one place? Save this link for later. It’s a great link to send to family or friends too when they ask what your littles want for their birthdays or the holidays!
Now let’s jump into the book recommendations!
#1 Indestructibles: Rhyme With Me!
Indestructables are a staple in our diaper bags. Exactly as the name suggests, even when little ones gum, bite, or chew the pages, they stand up! No tearing or ruined books. There are tons of versions of the Indestructibles. We put the rhyming ones on this list, but love them all!
#2 Treasury of Nursery Rhymes
This book by Lucy Cousins features simple, classic nursery rhymes. It makes an excellent addition to any child’s home library. Plus, it comes with a CD for car trips!
#3 Clap Hands
We love Helen Oxenbury's books because they include plenty of opportunities for babies to practice imitating gestures and actions. This book also provides tons of exposure to vocabulary for everyday items and daily routines! These books come in a small size, so they’re perfect for tiny hands!
#4 Moo, Ba, La, La, La
Sandra Boyton’s books are always popular in our homes, and this one is no exception. This book is silly, fun, and includes tons of rhymes—three things we love in a book for babies and toddlers!
#5 Sheep in a Jeep
This is a fun book that little ones generally love well past the baby years. It’s so engaging. We love it for toddlers and preschoolers, too!
#6 Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
If you’re not familiar with this book, we apologize in advance for it getting stuck in your head! It’s not our fave personally, but our kids and speech therapy clients sure do love it. And there’s no denying that the repetitive phrases it uses—the very ones that get it stuck in our heads!—are great for language development. (There’s also a spin-off book called “Five Little Monkeys Sitting In A Tree” if you want to shake things up!”
Tip: Once your toddler is familiar with this book, leave off the last word of a repeated sentence and let them fill it in!
#7 Llama Llama Red Pajama
Author Anna Dewdney has created countless books in the Llama Llama series and they are sure to be loved for years to come.
#8 The Little Blue Truck
Whenever we ask the Wee Talkers community on Instagram what their children’s favorite books are, this is always in the top 5! It’s catchy and fun and they have a whole series created around these books now.
#9 Peek-A-Who?
Babies love peek-a-boo, and we love the fun twist on the classic game that this book by Nina Laden provides. There’s a whole series of Peek-a-Who books, and we’ve linked the boxed set here.
#10 Hush! A Thai Lullaby
We love this sweet lullaby book by Minfong Ho and Holly Meade. We’re sure your little ones will, too! It’s a great one for winding down at bedtime.
#11 Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
This classic Eric Carle title is probably our most used book in speech therapy. If you don’t have a copy in your library yet, we highly recommend grabbing one!
Peek Inside Our Book Bags!
Love this list? Well, good news, there’s more where it came from!
We’ve put together a free booklist for you, complete with ALL our favorite titles for babies and toddlers. We curated this list by drawing on our experience as both parents and speech therapists, so you know each title has been tried, tested, and is toddler-approved.
P.S. Have A Toddler At Home?
We think you’ll both LOVE our storytime videos! They’re educational, entertaining, and so engaging. Try watching one together for free: