How to Choose Audiobooks (Or any Books) for Toddlers and Links Galore
- Sarah Boots
- Feb 29, 2020
- 3 min read
(If you missed the first part of this mini series How to Introduce Audiobooks to toddlers, find it here.)
When choosing books for this age group, you'll want to look for simple, predictable text and also well written rhymes. Toddlers will most likely want to listen to the same few books over and over again, rather than a bunch of different ones. But most of all, pay attention to which stories captivate your child. If their face lights up, and they show pure delight, then you know you've got a winner.
I hate to put an age limit on books because some of these books my 6-year old still enjoys. In fact, the best stories are enjoyed by all age groups! So just keep in mind that this is a general list of titles that may interest your little ones--you'll know what's best for them.
Places I Love to Find Audiobooks
Hoopla (or any type of Library app like Libby or Audible)
YouTube (an actual gold mine as you will see below)
Like I said in the previous post, don't get stuck on a library app. YouTube is an AMAZING resource for "audiobooks." And here's another word about YouTube: sometimes there are several of the same title, so you might have to poke around for the best one. You'll find that some of them are cheesy and some of them are awesome. But most likely, your child will care less about the quality and will just enjoy the story.
Individual Titles With YouTube Links
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle (Hoopla/YouTube)
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon (Hoopla/YouTube)
Another Children’s Listening Library: The Fairy Tale Edition (Hoopla)
Bailey at the Museum by Harry Bliss (Hoopla)
Bee-bim Bop! By Linda Sue Park (YouTube)
Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton (YouTube)
Brown Bear & Friends by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle (Hoopla)
But No Elephants by Jerry Smath (YouTube)
Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie dePaola (Hoopla/YouTube)
Chicken Little (Hoopla/Youtube)
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (YouTube)
Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan and Janet Ahlberg (Hoopla)
Go, Dog. Go! By P.D. Eastman (YouTube)
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Hoopla/YouTube)
Gossie by Olivier Dunrea (YouTube)
Hop on Pop by Dr. Suess (YouTube)
Hush by Minfong Ho (YouTube)
Jamberry by Bruce Degen (YouTube)
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (Hoopla/YouTube)
Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler (YouTube)
Mogie by Kathi Appelt (Hoopla)
Mr. Gumpy’s Motar Car by John Burningham (YouTube)
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham (YouTube)
Nursery Rhymes Collection (Hoopla)
One-Dog Canoe by Mary Casanova (YouTube)
One-Dog Sleigh by Mary Casanova (YouTube)
Pancakes, Pancakes! By Eric Carle (YouTube)
Pelle’s New Suit by Elsa Beskow (YouTube)
Quick as a Cricket by Don Wood (YouTube)
Richard Scarry’s Best Mother Goose Ever by Richard Scarry (YouTube)
Selections from Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes (Hoopla)
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang (YouTube)
The Full Moon at the Napping House by Don Wood (YouTube)
The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson (YouTube)
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (YouTube)
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood (YouTube)
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson (YouTube)
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Hoopla/YouTube)
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone (Hoopla/YouTube)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (YouTube)
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen (YouTube)
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats (Hoopla/YouTube)
Audiobook Series To Check Out
Berenstain Bears Series (Several titles on Hoopla and YouTube)
Curious George Series (Several titles on Hoopla and YouTube)
Disney Storybook with Audio series (Hoopla)
Farmer Browns’ Barnyard Tales by Doreen Cronin (all on Hoopla and YouTube)
Frog and Toad Series (Hoopla and YouTube)
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Sight Series (YouTube)
Paddington Series (Hoopla and YouTube)
Peter Rabbit or World of Beatrix Potter (several titles on Hoopla and YouTube)
Winnie the Pooh Read-a-longs (YouTube)
Our Favorite Read-Aloud Story Channels on YouTube
Brightly Storytime with Miss Linda (Follow Linda on Instagram here.)
The Cozy Chair with Rebekah Wesfall (Follow Rebekah on Instagram here.)
Bonus: Beetlemuse This channel is full of old cassette tapes, so it is not specifically geared towards kids, but there are a lot of gems on here if you look. Just a word of caution, there are probably a lot of cassettes I wouldn't recommend, so be sure you know what's playing. We like to listen to the old Disney cassette tapes on this channel.
Other Great Authors to Check Out
Allan and Janet Ahlberg
Doreen Cronin
Dr. Suess
Eric Carle (Some Hoopla Titles)
Ezra Jack Keats (Several Titles on Hoopla)
Julia Donaldson
Martin Waddell
Paul Galdone
Sandra Boynton
Tomie dePaola (Some Hoopla Titles)
Check out these Publishers on Hoopla
Twin Sisters Digital Media
Weston Woods
I plan to do a completely separate post on all you need to know about Hoopla, but for now, don't forget to search for authors, voice actors, publishers, etc., not JUST book titles.
If you have any titles to add, please let me know!!! I would love to add them to this list!
The little guy and I have already started listening to some of these on YouTube, and he just loves them! He keeps asking for more. ❤️ Thanks for the recommendations!