Books for Babies and Toddlers

This column features new books for babies and toddlers, ranging from board books to picturebooks. The titles span concept books on colors, counting, and the alphabet, nonfiction about history and the natural world, and stories that tackle big feelings like worry. Together they offer plenty of options for lap reading, read-alouds, and early conversations about the world.

Celebrate the World: Juneteenth. Hannah Eliot. Ilus. Tequitia Andrews. (2026). Simon & Schuster.
This informational board book introduces young readers to the history behind Juneteenth and the ways families celebrate the holiday today. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, enslaved Black people in Texas did not learn of their freedom until June 19, 1865. The book explains this history in accessible language for the youngest readers, then shifts to present-day celebrations such as attending festivals, gathering for barbecues, supporting Black-owned businesses, volunteering in the community, and teaching others about the holiday's significance. A brief timeline helps children place the events in context, and the book closes with an invitation to look toward the future as we "celebrate freedom and unity" and treat one another with kindness. The book takes a clear, age-appropriate approach to a complex piece of history, with warm, vibrant illustrations that bring the pages to life. 

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H is for Hiking. Greg Paprocki. (2026). Gibbs Smith.
This board book is an alphabet journey through the world of hiking, featuring bold, square-shaped images on the end pages. Each letter introduces an animal or object young readers might encounter on the trail, whether it's C is for compass, G is for granola bar, or K is for knapsack. The clean, graphic style of the illustrations makes each item easy to identify, and the alphabet structure gives young readers a predictable frame for building vocabulary around nature and outdoor exploration. Children who have hiked with their families will recognize familiar sights, while those new to the outdoors will get a vivid preview of what an adventure on the trail might hold. This book is a wonderful conversation starter before a family hike, giving children a chance to name and anticipate what they might see and pack. It also connects naturally to outdoor learning and nature-based early childhood curriculum, where educators can pair the book with a nature walk, scavenger hunt, or classroom discussion about preparing for time outdoors.

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Hello World!: USA. Jill McDonald. (2026). Doubleday Books for Young Readers.
This informational board book introduces young readers to iconic American landmarks, including Mount Rushmore, the San Francisco Bay Bridge, the St. Louis Arch, and the monuments of Washington, D.C. The book opens with America's birthday on July 4, describing how we celebrate today with parades, barbecues, and fireworks. Readers learn why the holiday is called Independence Day and how America gained its freedom from Britain. One standout feature is a two-page spread that flips vertically to showcase and discuss the original 13 colonies. From there, the book explains that a brand-new country needs new laws, which leads into the Declaration of Independence. Additional topics include voters, the role of the president, the White House, the 50 states, the red, white, and blue flag, and the Star-Spangled Banner. The compact format makes civics accessible even for the youngest readers.

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It’s an Animal Potty Party. Liz Swenson. (2026). Familius.
Little readers, and perhaps even more desperate parents, will be drawn to this book's cover, featuring a large potty surrounded by animals in party hats blowing party horns. Inside, we learn that elephants, tigers, and crocodiles all pee in the jungle. Swenson then turns the question to the reader, asking, "Where do you go potty?" Of course, it's the potty, though sometimes that means sitting and waiting, and waiting some more. But once you hear a telltale tinkle, it's time to celebrate! The story ends with a boy playing with toy animal figures, once larger than life, now celebrating right alongside him in honor of his potty success. Swenson brings the book to life through a mix of pencil sketches, oil paintings on canvas, and watercolors, giving the illustrations texture and warmth.

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I’ve Got a Dog!: A Happy Little Tune. Sandra Boynton. (2026). Simon & Schuster.
This board book brings one of Sandra Boynton's songs from her music album Frog Trouble to the printed page. Originally performed by country artist Dwight Yoakam, the tune is easy to pick up, and young readers and their grown-ups will find themselves singing along by the second read. The story introduces Hank, a scruffy mutt who is completely devoted to his boy. Wherever the boy goes, Hank follows, and whatever the boy does, Hank does too, including flopping down for a nap right beside him. Hank is an unusual dog in a few ways. He is remarkably smart, though his intelligence comes with a catch as he barks all day and barks all night. He refuses to perform tricks like other dogs, but he has one impressive talent of his own. He can say "no.” The text appears in varying sizes and levels of boldness, signaling to readers when to belt out a line at full volume and when to bring their voices down to a whisper. It is a joyful read-aloud that begs to be performed rather than simply read.

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A Leaf Thief Book: 1, 2, 3, Can You Count Along? Alice Hemming. Illus. Nicola Slater. (2026). Sourcebooks.
In this lift-the-flap board book, readers first meet two friends, Squirrel and Bird, who hear a sound in the tree and set off to investigate. Lifting the flap reveals the source: one woodpecker. As the story continues, the friends hear new sounds on each two-page spread, and readers lift the flaps to discover which animal or plant is making the noise and how many there are. Slater's bright, textured illustrations make each animal and plant a delight to uncover, and the sturdy flaps are well suited to small hands. The result is an engaging sequential counting book that invites young readers to predict, count, and participate as they turn each page. Along the way, the book gently builds number recognition from one to ten, making it a natural fit for toddlers just beginning to count. In a playful nod to the series title, the final pages reveal Squirrel as the leaf thief himself.

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Puffins! Maria Gianferrari. Illus. Maris Wicks. (2026). Roaring Brook Press. 
Using comic-style panels, we watch a puffin soar above the sea before landing rather ungracefully on a rock. We soon learn she has arrived at an island full of puffins, and its nesting season. Father guards the outside of the burrow while Mother keeps the egg warm inside, and they take turns with this duty. Six weeks later, the chick cracks open the egg with its beak. Mother dives deep and returns with five butterfish, but they're too large for the chick. Father searches for sand lance instead, only to have a herring gull snatch his catch. He dives again and brings back a beak full of herring, but the chick is soon hungry again. Parents will smile in recognition at those never-full little bellies. Little puffin grows and grows, eventually learning to dive for her own food. The story comes full circle as she flies over the sea, finds a mate, builds a nest, and lays one egg. Comic-style boxes at the end offer fascinating puffin facts, like how they return to the same nesting site every year and feed their pufflings ten times a day.

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The Worried Book. Howard Pearlstein. Illus. James Munro. (2026). Red Comet Press.
Readers are invited to open a square picturebook with an anxious narrator, the book itself. It speaks directly to the reader, asking, "You are going to read me, aren't you?" This worried book fears readers won't like it, or worse, will use it as a coloring book. It imagines being repurposed as a drink coaster, a paper airplane, or a prop to steady a wobbly table. Maybe it would be safer just sitting on the shelf. But shelf life brings new worries too. What if a monster spots it and picks it up?  The book wishes it could stop worrying, then realizes readers worry too. It describes the physical sensations of anxiety, like a pounding heart and an aching stomach, and recognizes that worry starts in the head and can quickly spiral out of control. The turning point comes when the book wonders what might go right instead, modeling this shift for readers, "What if you read me and DO like me?"  James Munro, the illustrator, shares his own worries at the end of the book.

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Tiny T. Rex and the Itty-Bitty Bun-Bun. John Stutzman. Ilus. Jay Fleck. (2026). Chronicle Books.
Mighty Rex is having a wonderful Easter morning, hunting for special eggs and discovering a basket full of surprises. But in the middle of all this fun, he notices that Mother and Father never get anything on Easter morning. Mighty Rex decides the Easter Bun-Bun must simply be too busy to visit the grown-ups, so he takes matters into his own little claws. Dressed as an itty-bitty bun-bun, Mighty Rex teams up with his sibling Pointy to give their parents an Easter of their own. Together they decorate eggs in all sorts of colors and hide them outside, carefully sorting them by shade so all the pink eggs sit together, all the yellow eggs sit together, and so on. The siblings also fill a basket with treats for Mother and Father, and the story wraps up with one big, heartwarming surprise. The color-sorting play adds a touch of early learning to a tender story about giving back to those we love. 

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Your Truck. Jon Klassen. (2026). Candlewick Press.
Jon Klassen's signature illustration style is instantly recognizable in his newest board book. His ink and graphite drawings, complete with the expressive eyes he famously adds to unexpected objects, bring warmth and personality to every page. This time, those watchful eyes belong to a truck. The book invites you to customize it with your child's name, immediately giving the reader ownership of the truck. Klassen extends this invitation further by encouraging children to imagine what color their own truck might be, turning reading into a moment of creativity and choice.  As the pages turn, the truck grows sleepy and slowly closes its eyes while the sun sets in the illustrations behind it. The gentle winding down of both truck and sky mirrors a child's own transition to sleep, making this a natural addition to any nighttime routine. This book is a perfect match for the truck-loving toddler, especially one who is beginning to learn colors. 

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Chelsey Bahlmann Bollinger is an Associate Professor in the Early, Elementary, and Reading Department at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She enjoys sharing joyful reading experiences with her two young readers at home.