Picture Books for Wiggly Kids: Books for Littles #1

Recently, I was asked to come up with a list of children’s books that are great for little wrigglers. I’m not in any way an expert, and can only go from my experience with my own kids, but I love children’s books and I’m happy to add my two cents.

First and foremost, I would like to say that each child is different. When my oldest was little, storytime had him sitting in my lap, pointing at the pictures and turning the pages. My youngest likes to run back and forth, sometimes even hanging over my shoulder to look at the pictures. And that’s okay. It’s about spending quality time with your child, sharing your love of books. If quality time looks like jumping up and down dancing to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, well, then, you’re getting exercise. If it looks like a quiet cuddle while reading Peter Rabbit, that’s great too.

But I digress. Here are some books that my wiggly child loves:

Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton: This one is great because it has a little song that can be sung and wriggled to while getting ready for bed. Plus, Sandra Boynton books are always so cute. Jamma, jamma, jamma, pj!

That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems: You can’t go wrong with anything by this author,but this one is my little dude’s favorite. It’s a bit on the macabre side (Spoiler: the fox is outfoxed and the goose makes delicious soup!), but it’s written in a fun way and the dialogue is simple enough that kids with shorter attention spans don’t have time to get bored.

Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp by Carol Diggory Shields, illustrated by Scott Nash: This is perfect for getting your child moving. If you’re like me and have zero compunction about looking silly, dance along.

I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt, illustrated by Cyd Moore: I have to include at least one “I love you” book, and this one is perfect. The hilarious dialogue, combined with the fun illustrations, keeps my little mover interested.

Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles: a Sound Primer by Jennifer Adams, illustrated by Allison Oliver: There are a bunch of board books in this series of “classics”. We love this one and Frankenstein (a body parts book, of course) the most, but they’re all great. This one is filled with fun sounds and cute pictures. It gets a little noisy with my toddler tornado, but it’s a blast.

While this is in no way a complete list, these are some fun ones that my little wriggler loves to at least slow down for. Happy reading, dancing, singing, and cuddling!