Kids' Best Seller Books List
Helps Writers & Readers to Get
The Best Books for Toddlers

This best seller books list of toddlers' favorites is the product of studies into early childhood development and young children's reading preferences. It offers help if you're looking for great reads for toddlers.

It is also a useful resource if you're an author looking for insights into what's hot reading for kids, or seeking that spark of inspiration to start you writing the best toddler book ever.

Best Seller Books List #1: Kids' Animal Books & Stories with Animal Characters

List of Best Selling Books & Approximate Sales Figures
Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit series (150 million): The Tale of Peter Rabbit (45 million); The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (over 4 million); The Tale of Jemima PUddle-Duck (over 3.8 million); The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (over 3 million); The Tale of Tom Kitten (over 3 million); The Story of Miss Moppet; The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher
Mercer Mayer: Little Crittur stories: especially Just Me and My Dad (over 4.7 million); Just Go to Bed (over 3.8 million); Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad (3.5 million); Just Grandma and Me (over 3.4 million); Just for You (3.4 million); All By Myself (3.2 million); I Was So Mad (3 million); I Just Forgot (over 2.7 million); When I Get Bigger (2.7 million); The New Baby (2.5 million); Just Me and My Mom (2.2 million); Me Too! (2.2 million); Just Me and My Puppy (over 2 million); Just Shopping with Mom (2 million); Just My Friend and Me (1.8 million); Just Lost (1.75 million); Just Grandpa and Me (1.75 million); Just a Mess (1.7 million); Just Me and My Little Brother (1.6 million); Just Me in the Tub (over 1.55 million); What a Bad Dream (1.55 million); Happy Easter, Little Crittur (over 1.4 million); Just Going to the Dentist (over 1.3 million); A Very Special Crittur (over 1.2 million); Just Me and My Babysitter (1.2 million); Just a Daydream (over 1 million); Just Me and My Cousin (over 1 million)
Hans Augusto Rey: Curious George series (27 million)
Sam McBratney: Guess How Much I Love You (15 million)
Marcus Pfister: The Rainbow Fish (over 4 million)
Margaret Wise Brown: Runaway Bunny (4 million)
Arnold Lobel: Frog and Toad are Friends (over 2 million); Frog and Toad Together (over 1.7 million)
Dodie Smith: 101 Dalmatians (over 2 million)
Ole Risom: I Am a Bunny (over 2 million)
Else Holmelund Minarik: Little Bear (1.6 million)
Janell Cannon: Stellaluna (over 1 million)

Best Books for Toddlers
Frank Asch: Just Like Daddy; Bear's Bargain
Liza Baker: I Love You Because You're You
Ruth Bornstein: Little Gorilla
Eric Carle: The Grouchy Ladybug
Tanya LinchL Three Little Kittens
Arnold Lobel: Frog and Toad series: Frog and Toad are Friends; Days with Frog and Toad; Frog and Toad Together; Frog and Toad All Year
Laura Krauss Melmed: I Love You as Much...
Virginia Miller: Bartholomew Bear series: On Your Potty!; Eat Your Dinner!; Get Into Bed!; Be Gentle!; I Love You Just the Way You Are
Else Holmelund Minarik: Little Bear; Little Bear's Friend; A Kiss for Little Bear; Father Bear Comes Home; Little Bear's Visit
Martin Waddell and Barbara Firth's Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?

Best Seller Books List #2: Books About Animals

Best Selling Books List & Approximate Sales Figures
Norman Bridwell: Clifford the Big Red Dog series (110 million)
Eric Carle: The Very Hungry Caterpillar (22 million); The Very Busy Spider (over 1 million); Will You Be My Friend?; The Very Quiet Cricket (1.4 million); and Have You Seen My Cat?
Robert McCloskey: Make Way for Ducklings (Caldecott Medal; 3 million)

Popular Toddler Book List
Jim Arnosky: Rabbits and Raindrops
David Bennett: One Cow Moo Moo!
Lisa Campbell Ernst: Cat's Play
Denise Fleming: In the Tall, Tall Grass and In the Small, Small Pond
Wanda Gag: Millions of Cats
Deborah Guarino: Is Your Mama a Llama?
Isabelle Harper: My Dog Rosie; and My Cats Nick and Nora
Gail Jorgensen: Crocodile Beat
Robert Kalan: Jump, Frog, Jump!
Lisa Kopper: Daisy Thinks She is a Baby; Daisy is a Mommy; Daisy Knows Best; Daisy's Babies; and Good Dog, Daisy!
Dianne Ochiltree: Pillow Pup
Eve Rice: Sam Who Never Forgets

Best Seller Books List #3: Meeting Toddlers' Needs for Love, Security and Self-Esteem

List of Best Selling Books & Approximate Sales Figures
Sam McBratney: Guess How Much I Love You (15 million)
Margaret Wise Brown: Goodnight Moon (over 10 million); The Runaway Bunny (4 million)
Robert Munsch: Love You Forever (over 8 million)
Watty Piper: Little Engine That Could (over 5 million)
Sandra Boynton: The Going-to-Bed Book (1.4 million)
Debra Frasier: On the Day You Were Born (over 1 million)

Favorite Toddler Book List
Giles Andreae: Giraffes Can't Dance
Sandra Boynton: Snuggle Puppy
Mem Fox: Time for Bed
Anne Gutman: Daddy Kisses and Mommy Hugs
Barbara Joosse: Mama, Do You Love Me?
Virginia Miller: I Love You Just the Way You Are
David Shannon: No, David!
Lauren Thompson: Little Quack's Bedtime
Nancy Tillman: On the Night You Were Born

Best Seller Books List #4: Helping Toddlers Deal with Challenges

Best Selling Books & Approximate Sales Figures
Mercer Mayer: The New Baby (2.5 million); Just Going to the Dentist (over 1.3 million)

Best Seller Books List
Molly Bang: When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry (Caldecott Honor)
Joanna Cole: I'm a Big Brother and I'm a Big Sister
Ed Emberley: Go Away, Big Green Monster!
Ezra Jack Keats: Peter's Chair
Holly Keller: Geraldine's Blanket
Mercer Mayer: There's an Alligator under My Bed and There's Something in My Attic
Margaret Miller: Now I'm Big
Mary Murphy: Some Things Change
Shen Roddie: Good-bye, Hello!
Ann Herbert Scott: On Mother's Lap
Martin Waddell: Owl Babies

Best Seller Books List #5: Best Books for Kids Ready to Explore New Experiences & Novel Ideas

Best Seller Books List & Approximate Sales Figures
Maurice Sendak: Where the Wild Things Are (Caldecott Medal; 6 million)
Chris Van Allsburg: The Polar Express (Caldecott Medal; over 2.7 million)
Robert McCloskey: Blueberries for Sal (Caldecott Honor; 1.2 million)

Popular Books
Pamela Allen: Who Sank the Boat?
Eric Carle: Little Cloud
John Coy: Vroomaloom Zoom
Julia Donaldson: The Gruffalo; and The Gruffalo's Child
Sarah Hayes: This Is the Bear
Thacher Hurd: Mama Don't Allow
Pat Hutchins: My Best Friend
Crockett Johnson: Harold and the Purple Crayon
Judith Kerr: The Tiger Who Came to Tea
David McPhail: First Flight
Michael Rosen: We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Charles Shaw: It Looked Like Spilt Milk
William Steig: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Caldecott Medal winner)

Best Seller Books List #6: Popular Children's Books About Vehicles

Best Selling Books & Approximate Sales Figures
WV Awdry and Christopher Awdry: Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends series (90 million)
Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (1.7 million); Cars and Trucks from A to Z (800,000)

Best Seller Books List
Byron Barton: Airport; Boats; Planes; Trains; Trucks; I Want to Be an Astronaut
Paul Collicutt: This Train; This Boat; This Car; This Plane
Donald Crews: Freight Train (Caldecott Honor)
Margaret Mayo: Dig Dig Digging
Henry Pluckrose: Building a Road
Roger Priddy: My Big Truck Book
Ken Robbins: Giants of the Highway
Anne Rockwell: Things That Go
Peter Spier: Big Trucks, Little Trucks; Fast Cars, Slow Cars; Here Come the Fire Trucks; Trucks That Dig and Dump
Dan Yaccarino: Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm Off to the Moon!

Best Seller Books List #7: Favorite Funny Stories & Funny Poems

Best Seller Books List & Approximate Sales Figures
Dr Seuss: The Cat in the Hat (over 7.2 million); The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (over 4 million); Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You? (over 2.65 million); There's a Wocket in My Pocket! (over 1.35 million)
PD Eastman: Go, Dog. Go! (3.5 million)
Laura Numeroff: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1.8 million); If You Give a Moose a Muffin (1.15 million); and If You Give a Pig a Pancake (0.9 million)
Sandra Boynton: Moo, Baa, La La La (over 1.5 million); Barnyard Dance! (1.15 million)
Esphyr Slobodkina: Caps for Sale (1.2 million)

Popular Children's Books
Sandra Boynton: But Not the Hippopotamus
Nancy White Carlstrom: Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
Eileen Christelow: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
June Crebbin: Cows in the Kitchen
Lynn Downey: The Flea's Sneeze
Jules Feiffer: Bark, George
Bill Grossman: My Little Sister Ate One Hare
Pat Hutchins: Rosie's Walk
Margaret Miller: Where Does It Go?
Bernard Most: Cock-a-Doodle-Moo!
Peggy Rathmann: Good Night, Gorilla
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers: May I Bring a Friend? (Caldecott Medal)
Nancy Shaw: Sheep in a Jeep
Janet Morgan Stoeke: A Hat for Minerva Louise
Simms Taback: I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (Caldecott Honor)
Mo Willems: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Caldecott Honor); and Knuffle Bunny
Gene Zion: Harry the Dirty Dog series

Best Seller Books List #8: Educational Toddler Books & Concept Books

List of Best Selling Books & Approximate Sales Figures
Roger and Adam Hargreaves: Mr Men series (100 million)
Eric Carle: Very Hungry Caterpillar (22 million)
Dr Seuss: Green Eggs and Ham (over 8 million); The Cat in the Hat (over 7 million); One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (over 6 million); Hop on Pop (5.5 million); Oh, the Places You'll Go! (over 5 million); Dr Seuss's ABC (over 5 million); The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (over 4 million); and Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You? (over 2.65 million)
Dorothy Kunhardt: Pat the Bunny (over 7.5 million)
Richard Scarry's Best Word Book (4 million)
PD Eastman: Are You My Mother? (over 4 million); and Go, Dog. Go! (3.5 million)
Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (1.7 million); Cars and Trucks from A to Z (800,000)
Bill Martin Jr: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (880,000)
Sandra Boynton: Blue Hat, Green Hat (850,000)

Best Seller Books List
Eric Carle: Very Busy Spider and Very Quiet Cricket
Bill Martin Jr: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Al Perkins: Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb

Best Seller Books List #9: Rhyming Songs, Nursery Rhymes & Kids' Poetry

Book Best Sellers List & Approximate Sales Figures
Margaret Wise Brown: Goodnight Moon (over 10 million)
Dr Seuss: Green Eggs and Ham (over 8 million); The Cat in the Hat (over 7.2 million); One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (over 6 million); Hop on Pop (5.5 million); Oh, the Places You'll Go! (over 5 million); Fox in Socks (3.7 million); and Mr Brown Can Moo! Can You? (over 2.65 million)
Ludwig Bemelmans: Madeline (Caldecott Medal; over 1.6 million)
Bill Martin and John Archambault: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (over 850,000)

Good Books for Kids
Allan Ahlberg: Each Peach Pear Plum; and Peepo!
Jez Alborough: Where's My Teddy?; Rain Dance; and Toddler Two-Step
Janie Bynum: Altoona Baboona
Stephanie Calmenson: Good for You: Toddler Rhymes for Toddler Times
Nancy White Carlstrom: Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
Bruce Degen: Jamberry
Patricia Hubbell: Wrapping Paper Romp; Sea, Sand, Me!; and Sidewalk Trip
Ezra Jack Keats: Over in the Meadow
Edward Lear: The Owl and the Pussycat
Kevin Lewis: Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo
Laura McGee Kvasnosky: See You Later, Alligator
David McPhail: Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore
Al Perkins: Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
Charlotte Pomerantz: The Piggy in the Puddle
Jack Prelutsky: Ride a Purple Pelican
Michael Rosen: We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Nancy Shaw: Sheep in a Jeep
Nadine Westcott: The Lady with the Alligator Purse

Best Seller Books List #10: Activity Books & Best Picture Books for Children

Best Seller Books List & Approximate Sales Figures
Dorothy Kunhardt: Pat the Bunny, Golden Books, 2001 (over 7.5 million)
Eric Hill: Where's Spot?, 1980, Putnam (1.2 million)
Debra Frasier: On the Day You Were Born, Harcourt Children's Books, 1991 (over 1 million)
Paul Zelinsky: The Wheels on the Bus, Dutton 1990 (800,000)

Favorite Toddler Book List
Molly Bang: Yellow Ball, 1991, Greenwillow
Clare Beaton's One Moose, Twenty Mice, 1999, Barefoot Books
John Burningham: Hushabye, 2001, Knopf, and Mr Gumpy's Outing, 1971, Henry Holt
Eric Carle: From Head to Toe, 1997, HarperCollins
David Carter: Says Who? A Pop-up Book of Animal Sounds, 1993, Simon & Schuster
Alexandra Day: Good Dog, Carl, 1985, Aladdin
Nina Laden: Peek-A-Who? Chronicle Books, 2000
Paul Strickland: Dinosaur Stomp! A Monster Pop-Up, Dutton, 1996
Simms Taback: I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, 1997, Viking (Caldecott Honor)


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What kinds of stories are most popular with toddlers? To find out, go to Creative Writing Ideas: Write Top-Selling Toddlers' Books

For creative writing ideas to help you write stories in a way that gets kids reading, go to How to Write Stories Kids and Teens Want to Read

Return from Toddlers' Best Seller Books List to Creative Writing Resources: Top Kids' Books

Return from Toddlers' Best Seller Books List to Creative Writing: Write to Win Hearts

Acknowledgments: Publishers Weekly; Wikipedia; Barnes & Noble; Amazon.com; Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson, Crossway Books, 2002; Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt, Zondervan 2002; The New York Times' Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children, 3rd Edition, Three Rivers Press, 2000; Great Books for Babies and Toddlers by Kathleen Odean, Ballantine Books,2003. Also, to all who have contributed reviews, information and advice, Thank You!

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