I love reading books with my kids. My toddler (who is almost 2) will sit and read with me forever. He loves to pull me into our family room to sit on the couch and read him a book or just plop on my lap just about anywhere in the house so that we can cuddle and check out a book.
Each Thursday my oldest two kiddos (ages 6 & 3) are off at school for a few hours (one is in 1st grade and one is in preschool), so my toddler and I do a little Tot School and read a lot of books!!
Over the next few months I am going to try and share a themed post featuring our Favorite Books for Toddlers every once in awhile and I'd love for you to chime in and help add to the list in the comments. Today we are featuring Favorite Books about Vehicles for Toddlers!
These posts can become a great resource since we all read different books and most of us love more book suggestions too. I'd love to hear from you!
Last week we read a lot of books about vehicles. Here are a few of our favorites lately...
(This post contains Amazon Affiliate links)
Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry
Cars and Trucks and Things That Go has been a favorite with all of my kids. My youngest loves to spend time talking about all of the different types of cars and trucks in the book and then he really loves searching for Goldbug (a little tiny bug) on each page too. This book is anything but boring since there is no much happening in each photo! I discover something new each time and the photos foster so much awesome vocabulary learning! I loved this book growing up and think it is so fun to read it with my own kids.
Freight Train by Donald Crews
This book is the perfect length for an active toddler. The photos are vibrant and colorful, but simple and the language is also very simple. My toddler likes to read Freight Train again and again and again. He starts to get a little anxious on the second to last page because he isn't ready for it to be done yet. I love how the book labels all of the different types of train cars. My son loves using the correct words for each car and pointing at them as we read. Everyone with a train lover needs this book!
Mighty Dads by Joan Holub
My son and I purchased Mighty Dads for his dad for Father's Day earlier this year. It is an adorable book featuring daddy trucks and their little ones. The book tells about different types of diggers and what they do. We learned a lot of action words as we read the story and we really loved the gorgeous photos drawn by James Dean who is the artist behind Pete the Cat.
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
I don't think I have found anyone who doesn't love Mo Willems and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. My kids think it is funny to run around the house pretending to be pigeons at the wheel 🙂 We even have our own cardboard bus. The voice of this book is totally a hoot and it cracks me up to hear my kids read the story to each other and act it out.
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
We have the Little Blue Truck board book and it is perfect to slip inside my purse or diaper bag and bring along with us to a restaurant or to church. My son loves animals so it is fun to talk about the different animals in the story and how they help the little blue truck!
Huff and Puff and the New Train by Tish Rabe
Harper Collins sent us a free copy of Huff and Puff and the New Train (an I Can Read book) a few weeks ago to review. The story is simple and features a flashy train that challenges Huff and Puff to a race. The story is simple and doesn't use tons of language and my son loves looking at the pictures of the trucks. We take this book to church quite often since the pages keep my son enthralled for longer than most books.
Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman
Trashy Town is always the highlight of reading time. The silly language and the fact that we get to point and touch the trash truck in the book always makes it a highlight! We love the repeated language and my kids love to talk about things that are going to be taken by the trash man!
See any new-to-you books that you want to read? Are any of these already favorites? Have any other book suggestions for us?
If your child loves activities for vehicles, make sure you check out this post featuring 11 Ways to Learn and Play with Cars (or any type of vehicle).
My toddler is currently into My Truck is Stuck!
My favorite is Huff and Puff and the New Train by Tish Rabe
Some favourites from New Zealand:
Construction by Sally Sutton and Brian Lovelock
The Little Yellow Digger by Betty Gilderdale and Alan Gilderdale
I don't think it is still in print (a shame) but you might try your library for HOW MANY TOW TRUCKS CAN A TOW TRUCK TOW by Charlotte Pomerantz.
My toddler and preschooler are both big fans of I Stink by Kate McMullan about a trash truck.
Great selections! We are crazy about Donald Crews, Richard Scary, and Mo Willems. When my oldest son was little, we read a lot of the non fiction books about trucks and trains. My youngest is a huge train and truck fan and we end up reading a lot of the Thomas & Friends books, as well as the classic, The Little Engine That Could.
My son and I love all the books in the Amazing Machines series by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker (available individually or in this 10-book set, complete with a truck-shaped holder: amazon.com/Amazing-Machines-Truckload-Fun-10-Book/dp/0753461544/). They are cute and colorful, with great rhymes and humorous illustrations, but also surprisingly detailed, so they're good for a wide range of ages.