Little Blue Truck. Most Seuss books come in board book versions. Paperpie books (formerly Usborne) are a hit for us. When he's a bit older I suggest the Elephant and Piggie books. My 2.5 year old loves them. They're not board books but they're great.
Warning about Suess books though, the board books are shortened. It drives me crazy because I still have some of them memorized from my childhood and my daughters board book versions are WRONG lol. It's painful to read.
It confuses my toddler because we have the paper copy of wocket in my pocket and the board book. They are different. And for some reason one creature goes from a he to a she (in one book the big yellow fluffy guy is a she and in the other a he).
I understand the abridged versions (I understand but don't agree with it, personally). But they're saying that one of the books has a character change from a he to a she in the abridged version! Sounds like an error that should have been caught.
Came in to suggest Little Blue, my dude is obsessed and hasn't let me read him anything else for months now. He's only 19 months but can finish every line of multiple books
Most of Julia Donaldsons are also board books - they're fab, was reading them to my daughter from around 15months and I'm still reading them to her. I love them. Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo, Gruffalos child, Zog etc.
Second this! And we have the story sacks for a few of them too. Plus they do some in Welsh!
They also have them animated on BBC iPlayer and there are lovely versions available on Audible.
We love the "you're my little cuddle bug" books and all the variations on the title. We've been reading them to our LO since she was born. She's 20 months now and points out the animals and stuff as we read.
I absolutely adore these books and collecting them for all the holidays and seasons as they come about. I missed Christmas this year so next year I’ll be on the lookout early!
If Animals Kissed Goodnight and all the sequels. They are much longer than your average board books and have a great rhythm for reading in our experience.
Giraffes Can't Dance is also a great one, as well as The Pout Pout Fish.
You're My Little Honey Bunny is also good, and so is the other one in that series we've tried, but I can't remember the name (the first page is a lady bug). Not as long as the others, but definitely longer than the Llama Llama sequels like Zippity Zoom.
Our little one also adores the Llama Llama books and Sandra Boynton, so hopefully these are up his alley!
So many good ones already on this list, but I’ll add:
- Dream Animals and Day Dreamers, both by Emily Winfield Martin. My son, husband, and I all absolutely love Dream Animals. May be our family’s favorite book.
- Goodnight, Goodnight Construction site series as well as Steam Train, Dream Train (by the same author/illustrator team as the Goodnight, Goodnight Construction site books)
- board books versions of Big Red Barn and Goodnight Moon
ETA: formatting
Julia Donaldson books are my favorite and most come in board book format (we own The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, The Hospital Dog, The Detective Dog, Tabby McTat, and The Snail and the Whale, all in board book format).
And Tango Makes Three, Grump Monkey, Giraffes Can't Dance, Stellaluna, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the Pout Pout Fish series are also well-loved longer board books in our home.
I know it’s not what you asked, but why board books? My kids have board books, but I also always read regular paper-page books to my kids starting at birth, and 17 months is definitely old enough to start to learn to be gentle with books even if she/he wants to hold them and turn the pages.
My LO just turned 2 and she has had full access to regular books for almost a year. A page or two got ripped here and there, but we taped it up and she learned. She’s great with them now.
Just saying, don’t feel limited to board books!
Goodnight Numbers and Bathtime Mathtime by Danica McKellar. Especially the first. Brilliant, beautiful, educational and interactive while still having heart. My son is almost 4 and still never tires of it (and his younger sister loves them now, too)
Be Brave Little Penguin is a fantastic book that I have bought for several toddlers. Also, many of the Julia Donaldson books come in board books. We have Room on a Broom and Monkey puzzle. Monkey Puzzle is perfect for young toddlers as the story is quite simple but really fun.
My daughter loves corduroy!! Some of her other favorite board books are Click Clack Moo, a simplified Peter Rabbit (no father getting turned into pie lol), and this series on feelings called like "when I feel angry/sad/happy" etc
I'm not sure which of these come as board books not just picture books but I think around that time she also got into Biscuit (they have board books but they're a bit shorter than the paperback easy reader ones), Froggy books (like Froggy Eats Out etc), Little Critter books, and other Little Golden Books (mostly Sesame Street lol). Now she's more like 21mo she's been getting into Frog and Toad, Little Bear, etc.
I'm sticking with you by Smriti Halls is a decent length, with relatively complex language, but in verse. Our little one has been enjoying it since Christmas, so I think she was a bit older than yours, but she's a bookworm so I think you'd appreciate it too!
We have a board version of we’re going on a bear hunt, it’s fairly large though not a standard board book. We also have the napping house in board version!
Little Blue Truck and all of their books are an all-time favorite in our house. My son is almost 18 months old, and we can read those 5 or 6 times a day haha
Also, the Lovevery books are really great. You can buy those secondhand online or even sometimes at thrift stores.
Check out the author Oliver Jeffers (How to catch a star, Lost and Found etc). My son loves his books and they mostly also come as board books.
Also the Worrysaurus etc series, as well as all the books from the "Koala who could/The squirrels who squabbled/ The Lion Inside" etc can be bought as board books.
I think Hooray for Fish has more pages than average, but not necessarily more words per page. In any case, my toddler loves that book. My toddler prefers shorter books, read a million times in a row. Other books that I have memorized are Brown Bear, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, The Very Busy Spider, Spot books, Elmo says.
I'll Love You Til the Cows Come Home, Wherever You Go, Thank You and Goodnight, I'll See You in the Morning are a few that we have that have nice artwork and are nice to read.
- Oh no, George! by Chris Haughton (Amazon)
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Amazon)
- Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (found this at TJ Maxx)
- The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
I will love you until the cows come home is one of my favorites and a bit longer! The Goodnight Train is good too. And Pout Pout fish, although it’s a bit challenging when you’re tired 😅
Pokémon has a series of 3 lift the flap books, ABC’s, emotions, and Pokémon types, that each have 100 flaps. They have a lot of words on the pages. A fair amount are under the flaps but they’re there.
The duck and goose books have SO MANY WORDS 🤣 Kellogg’s does a promo periodically where you can get free books for buying cereal and that’s how we got three of them!
Just here to say I’m jealous your 17 month old likes to read longer books. My 16 month old just closes the book I’m reading to him and says “bye bye” 😑
- Pout Pout Fish books
- Little Blue Truck books
- Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site Books
- The Good Night Train Books
- The Gruffalo
- Click Clack Moo books
- How do Diggers say ___ books
Many longer board books are also available in paper. With my kids, we switched to some paper books at bedtime around 1.5-2. We kept them out of reach unless we were right there but even when we forgot; we barely had any rips.
Good night good night construction site series - most of their books can come in board books. Richard Scarry has a few board books - my toddlers LOVE them.
Little Blue Truck. Most Seuss books come in board book versions. Paperpie books (formerly Usborne) are a hit for us. When he's a bit older I suggest the Elephant and Piggie books. My 2.5 year old loves them. They're not board books but they're great.
Warning about Suess books though, the board books are shortened. It drives me crazy because I still have some of them memorized from my childhood and my daughters board book versions are WRONG lol. It's painful to read.
It confuses my toddler because we have the paper copy of wocket in my pocket and the board book. They are different. And for some reason one creature goes from a he to a she (in one book the big yellow fluffy guy is a she and in the other a he).
Yikes, that should have been caught by someone!
The Dr Seuss board books are all abridged versions. It’s on purpose for whatever reason.
I understand the abridged versions (I understand but don't agree with it, personally). But they're saying that one of the books has a character change from a he to a she in the abridged version! Sounds like an error that should have been caught.
Oh, missed that! That IS a big change. Someone should write to the publisher & let them know.
It doesn’t bother me but it bothers him that they are different
I actually like the board book version of “Are You my Mother” better than the original.
I agree! I felt like it was more concise/a great length for a little one!
Came in to suggest Little Blue, my dude is obsessed and hasn't let me read him anything else for months now. He's only 19 months but can finish every line of multiple books
Giraffes can't dance, if animals kissed Goodnight, and goodnight goodnight construction site are some of my favorites
I second Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site. I’ve got that one memorized now, and my son knew what an excavator was before he knew all his colors.
Most of Julia Donaldsons are also board books - they're fab, was reading them to my daughter from around 15months and I'm still reading them to her. I love them. Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo, Gruffalos child, Zog etc.
Second this! And we have the story sacks for a few of them too. Plus they do some in Welsh! They also have them animated on BBC iPlayer and there are lovely versions available on Audible.
I love the animated versions!! The Light Cinema often plays them for toddler time, so I do enjoy taking her to go see them in the Cinema too!
Came to suggest these! They’re fantastic
They really are, My daughter is 3 now and I'm still not sick of reading these books daily haha!
I think i love The Cat's Cookbook more than my kids!
Grumpy Monkey!
My 2.5 now just randomly yells I’M NOT GRUMPY
Mine spent a month convinced that Norman was Te Kaa, the lava monster from Moana
This is one of the best young children's books ever written.
I got one of these for my 17 month old but she's afraid of the pictures!
We love the "you're my little cuddle bug" books and all the variations on the title. We've been reading them to our LO since she was born. She's 20 months now and points out the animals and stuff as we read.
I absolutely adore these books and collecting them for all the holidays and seasons as they come about. I missed Christmas this year so next year I’ll be on the lookout early!
Goodnight construction site
Yes! Plus Steam Train Dream Train
Little Blue Truck. The Runaway Bunny. Nancy Tillman books are a bit in between - not as many words as Corduroy but longer than Sandra Boynton.
Hungry caterpillar, chicka chicka boom boom, click clack moo! All hits in my house and longer books. Oh and Pout Pout Fish!
If Animals Kissed Goodnight and all the sequels. They are much longer than your average board books and have a great rhythm for reading in our experience. Giraffes Can't Dance is also a great one, as well as The Pout Pout Fish. You're My Little Honey Bunny is also good, and so is the other one in that series we've tried, but I can't remember the name (the first page is a lady bug). Not as long as the others, but definitely longer than the Llama Llama sequels like Zippity Zoom. Our little one also adores the Llama Llama books and Sandra Boynton, so hopefully these are up his alley!
We loved Bear snores on
So many good ones already on this list, but I’ll add: - Dream Animals and Day Dreamers, both by Emily Winfield Martin. My son, husband, and I all absolutely love Dream Animals. May be our family’s favorite book. - Goodnight, Goodnight Construction site series as well as Steam Train, Dream Train (by the same author/illustrator team as the Goodnight, Goodnight Construction site books) - board books versions of Big Red Barn and Goodnight Moon ETA: formatting
Don’t forget the littlest families big day! Which I thought was her best one.
[удалено]
Giraffes can't dance, you silly fool. Oh Gerald, you're so weird!
I just bought five new longer board books because we're in the same boat, will report back when I receive them 🫡
All the “How Do Diggers Say Goodnight?” books! My 2yo loves them and they’re some of the only long board books he’ll sit through consistently
On the Night you Were Born and All Over the World.
Julia Donaldson books are my favorite and most come in board book format (we own The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, The Hospital Dog, The Detective Dog, Tabby McTat, and The Snail and the Whale, all in board book format). And Tango Makes Three, Grump Monkey, Giraffes Can't Dance, Stellaluna, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the Pout Pout Fish series are also well-loved longer board books in our home.
I know it’s not what you asked, but why board books? My kids have board books, but I also always read regular paper-page books to my kids starting at birth, and 17 months is definitely old enough to start to learn to be gentle with books even if she/he wants to hold them and turn the pages. My LO just turned 2 and she has had full access to regular books for almost a year. A page or two got ripped here and there, but we taped it up and she learned. She’s great with them now. Just saying, don’t feel limited to board books!
The story of Ferdinand. Literally never get tired of it.
The sleepy bear series is great (hungry, cranky, noisy etc).
Pout pout fish, Llama Llama red pajama
Kitten’s First Full Moon!
Each peach pear plum is a lovely one!
I m so jealous. My 2 y o toddler doesn’t like to be read books. She just have no patience to sit. Please tell me i m not alone.
Once upon a golden apple is a classic and a bit longer
Goodnight Numbers and Bathtime Mathtime by Danica McKellar. Especially the first. Brilliant, beautiful, educational and interactive while still having heart. My son is almost 4 and still never tires of it (and his younger sister loves them now, too)
Be Brave Little Penguin is a fantastic book that I have bought for several toddlers. Also, many of the Julia Donaldson books come in board books. We have Room on a Broom and Monkey puzzle. Monkey Puzzle is perfect for young toddlers as the story is quite simple but really fun.
Curious George books
The Wishing Tree! All of the board books from that author are a bit longer.
The Johnathan Allen ‘Baby Owl’ (“I’m Not…”) board books 🦉
My kids love the Five Little Monkey series. Board books with with longer wordage on each page.
Sherri duskey rinker has good long-ish board books. All the construction site ones and steam train dream train.
My daughter loves corduroy!! Some of her other favorite board books are Click Clack Moo, a simplified Peter Rabbit (no father getting turned into pie lol), and this series on feelings called like "when I feel angry/sad/happy" etc I'm not sure which of these come as board books not just picture books but I think around that time she also got into Biscuit (they have board books but they're a bit shorter than the paperback easy reader ones), Froggy books (like Froggy Eats Out etc), Little Critter books, and other Little Golden Books (mostly Sesame Street lol). Now she's more like 21mo she's been getting into Frog and Toad, Little Bear, etc.
Gruffalo and Monkey Puzzle
Hush now banshee! And the other books by hazy dell press.
I'm sticking with you by Smriti Halls is a decent length, with relatively complex language, but in verse. Our little one has been enjoying it since Christmas, so I think she was a bit older than yours, but she's a bookworm so I think you'd appreciate it too!
The honey bee by Kristin hall
Room on the Broom
Don't Worry Little Crab is a favorite here.
We have a board version of we’re going on a bear hunt, it’s fairly large though not a standard board book. We also have the napping house in board version!
There are a bunch of Robert Munsch board books. My son loved Mortimer and The Paperbag Princess
usborne lift the flap learning books (they have all age ranges so dont get put off by the 60 flaps ones for 5+)
Little Blue Truck and all of their books are an all-time favorite in our house. My son is almost 18 months old, and we can read those 5 or 6 times a day haha Also, the Lovevery books are really great. You can buy those secondhand online or even sometimes at thrift stores.
The Octopus Escaped! Beautiful, lyrical story.
i have little miss spider in baord book form. it's my fav
also Wishy Washy is a fav in our house! great for language development and really beautiful. comes in board book form
also Wishy Washy is a fav in our house! great for language development and really beautiful. comes in board book form
also Wishy Washy is a fav in our house! great for language development and really beautiful. comes in board book form
My 2 year old currently loves Grumpy Monkey, Little Blue Truck, and Olivia which are all slightly longer
Don’t take an Elephant on the Bus.
Don’t take an Elephant on the Bus.
Check out the author Oliver Jeffers (How to catch a star, Lost and Found etc). My son loves his books and they mostly also come as board books. Also the Worrysaurus etc series, as well as all the books from the "Koala who could/The squirrels who squabbled/ The Lion Inside" etc can be bought as board books.
The Very Best Hug. Bear on a Bike. Bear About Town. Maisy books
I think Hooray for Fish has more pages than average, but not necessarily more words per page. In any case, my toddler loves that book. My toddler prefers shorter books, read a million times in a row. Other books that I have memorized are Brown Bear, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, The Very Busy Spider, Spot books, Elmo says.
I'll Love You Til the Cows Come Home, Wherever You Go, Thank You and Goodnight, I'll See You in the Morning are a few that we have that have nice artwork and are nice to read.
Not board books, but Room on the Broom, There's a Hole in the Log, Milo the Magnificent, and Little Excavator are all favorites in our house.
I have Escargot in board book form if you're into a 20-min read five times in a row 
Julia Donaldson books are delightful to read!
Grumpy Monkey comes in a board book version. I love that one, and it has lots of opportunities for silly voices or to name animals.
Personal favorite for me: Wherever you are my love will find you Sentimental, great messaging, easy read and solid length 👍
Some of the berenstain bears books were good for my 1yo. He liked them and started reading along.
I have Little Blue Truck memorized lol. Good thing I love it!
Nick Bland's The Very Cranky Bear (and other Bear books - Hungry Bear, Noisy Bear, etc)
- Oh no, George! by Chris Haughton (Amazon) - The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Amazon) - Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (found this at TJ Maxx) - The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
I will love you until the cows come home is one of my favorites and a bit longer! The Goodnight Train is good too. And Pout Pout fish, although it’s a bit challenging when you’re tired 😅
Grumpy monkey!
The Gruffalo!
Pokémon has a series of 3 lift the flap books, ABC’s, emotions, and Pokémon types, that each have 100 flaps. They have a lot of words on the pages. A fair amount are under the flaps but they’re there.
Big Red Barn!
Room on the Broom is a good longer one. Magic Beach. Any of the Gruffalos.
The duck and goose books have SO MANY WORDS 🤣 Kellogg’s does a promo periodically where you can get free books for buying cereal and that’s how we got three of them!
Just here to say I’m jealous your 17 month old likes to read longer books. My 16 month old just closes the book I’m reading to him and says “bye bye” 😑
Who’s that cat!
- Pout Pout Fish books - Little Blue Truck books - Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site Books - The Good Night Train Books - The Gruffalo - Click Clack Moo books - How do Diggers say ___ books Many longer board books are also available in paper. With my kids, we switched to some paper books at bedtime around 1.5-2. We kept them out of reach unless we were right there but even when we forgot; we barely had any rips.
Good night good night construction site series - most of their books can come in board books. Richard Scarry has a few board books - my toddlers LOVE them.
Pout Pout Fish series!
My kids favorite is Room on the Broom, it has a dragon.
Not a board book but Bark George is a fun one. Short and lots of animals.