2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Books for Kids
If there is one thing you learn quickly as an aunt (and I assume as a parent) it’s that when you buy a book for a little kid, you are going to be the one reading it over (and over, and over). So sorry Dr. Seuss but I do not enjoy a 28 page tongue-tied riddle. With the world’s cutest 2 and 5 year old niece and nephew, I’ve invested countless hours researching the best books for toddlers that are super fun for both the kiddos and adults to read (over and over). All of the books on this list I love to read with my niece and nephew, and my nephew can even read them to me now which is the gift that keeps on giving. I would definitely recommend any of these books for kids ages 2-5, or just for any adult whose going to be reading them on repeat.
The Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast Series: This is my hands down favorite book series to read with my niece + nephew and gift to friends with young kids. There are four books in the series. Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are the best of friends. Baron Von Waffle is a hell of a villain.
Dragons Love Tacos: This is a classic. I have been reading this with my nephew since he was super little and it’s still one of our go-to’s whenever I visit. The plot: Dragons love Tacos. They hate spicy salsa. If they eat jalapeños they will burn your house down. Dragons Love Tacos 2 is also a solid read, but not as good as the original. But does involve a time machine, which you can’t go wrong with.
Secret Pizza Party: From the same author as Dragons Love Tacos, this is a story about a raccoon who loves pizza as much as I do. He’s got a few tricks up his sleeve to get himself as much pizza as possible. Another regular read with my nephew. We always try to whisper the “secret pizza party” part of the book, but both end up screaming really loud. Love this book!
Robo Sauce: One more from the Dragons Love Tacos author, this is best enjoyed if you read it in your best Auntie robot voice. Which, I have gotten pretty good at if I do say so myself. Some good life lessons on how you should not turn your friends and family and dog into robots.
Lost in the Library: I’ve given this as a gift to a few friends who are from NYC and love the New York Public Library. It’s a really great story about the two lions (Patience & Fortitude) who love exploring all the stories from the books in the NY library.
The Gruffalo: Don’t judge a book by it’s cover because this one never would have struck me as having such a great story, but this is one my nephew already had and we read all the time. It’s like a Dr. Seuss rhyming book except not such a tongue twister and a lot shorter. There is a related book called The Gruffalo’s Child which is a good read as well.
The Day the Crayons Quit Series: Love this. Every time we read books from the Crayon series it makes me want to write a book. This is written with sass that adults can really enjoy, and some funny storylines about crayons that are fed up with what they are used to color and write letters to the kid who owns them complaining.
How Many Sleeps Till My Birthday?: Another gift I like to give for birthdays, it’s the story of little pip who asks Daddy Grizzle every morning for the few days leading up to his birthday if it’s his birthday yet. Just a cute read especially around birthday time.
Larry Gets Lost in Boston Series: When I moved back to Boston from Raleigh I got this for my nephew along with a stuffed dog that looked like Larry. It’s part of a series where Larry the dog gets separated from his owner Pete when exploring new citiies. When I facetime with my nephew I always hold my phone out the window and ask if he can see Larry & Pete on the streets of Boston, and tell him stories of how I saw them walking around Quincy Market.
Never Let a Unicorn Scribble Series: I recently got this for my niece’s second birthday, and just ordered the Reindeer and Dinosaur versions for Christmas. It reads very much like the “When you give a mouse a cookie” series but is super colorful and a very entertaining.
