For infants, choose books that are safe, sturdy, and easy to explore with their hands and mouths. Good options include: 

• Board books with real photos of babies and faces 

• Brightly colored books with simple images 

• Books showing familiar everyday objects, such as bottles, balls, pets, chairs, and toys 

• Small books that are easy for babies to hold 

• Durable books that can be touched, chewed, and explored safely

For younger toddlers, choose books that are simple, familiar, and easy to carry around. Good options include: 

• Sturdy board books with thick pages 

• Books showing children doing everyday activities, such as eating, sleeping, playing, or getting dressed 

• Bedtime and goodnight books 

• Books about saying hello and goodbye 

• Books with only a few words on each page 

• Books with simple rhymes, repetition, or predictable phrases

For older toddlers, choose books that help them name, repeat, laugh, and connect with the world around them. Good options include: 

• Books with pictures and labels of many different objects 

• Board books, as well as simple paper-page books Funny or silly books 

• Books with rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and phrases children can remember 

• Books about children, families, food, animals, trucks, and everyday life 

• Books that encourage pointing, naming, and participation

For preschoolers, choose books that tell stories, build imagination, and help children understand themselves and others. Good options include: 

• Storybooks with clear plots and engaging pictures 

• Books about children who look like them, live like them, or share similar experiences 

• Books that introduce different cultures, places, families, and ways of life 

• Books about school, daycare, friendship, sharing, and feelings 

• Books with simple text children can memorize or “read” along with 

• Counting books, alphabet books, search-and-find books, and books that invite interaction

When choosing books for neurodivergent children, focus on books that are accessible, predictable, engaging, and respectful of different ways children learn and communicate. Good options include: 

• Books with clear, uncluttered pages and simple visuals 

• Books with predictable patterns, repetition, and routines 

• Books about emotions, transitions, sensory experiences, and social situations 

• Books with concrete language and direct storytelling 

• Books that include visual supports, such as labels, steps, or picture cues 

• Books that allow children to participate through pointing, matching, repeating, or acting out 

• Books with sensory-friendly themes, such as quiet time, calming routines, or body awareness 

• Books that represent neurodivergent children positively and respectfully 

• Books with different formats, including board books, picture books, audiobooks, large-print books, and interactive books 

• Books that match a child’s interests, such as animals, trains, space, music, art, numbers, or favorite routines