Children’s Books we love – ABC’s and 1,2,3’s

Our children have inherited our love of books and we spend many hours each day reading. We are lucky enough to have a big collection of books at home and we visit our library regularly now that it is open again. Below I have listed our favourite counting and alphabet books, they have made the list because these are stories that the children love to listen to over and over again without realising that they are learning. I don’t choose to intentionally teach them their numbers or letters as they are only two and three, instead they learn naturally through storytelling. These are our favourites.

ABC What Can She Be? By Sugar Snap Studios

I adore this book! Firstly it’s all about girls which you don’t get as often as books all about boys and secondly it includes many different cultures and abilities within the pictures. The jobs themselves are varied, with traditional “girl” jobs like hairdresser and gymnast to jobs that are seen as more “boy-like” like mechanics and pilots. When I’m reading this to both of my children or just Brother Bear I simply change the pronouns to ‘They’ or ‘He’.

Dinosaur ABC’s By Dinosaur Train

This book is fab for any little one who loves dinosaurs. Little Bear has always loved them and it was this book that first started teaching her the alphabet. She not only learnt most of her ABC’s but also now knows a lot of different dinosaurs too – and often corrects her Aunty when she pronounces the names incorrectly!

If they want to go a bit deeper into learning about dinosaurs, each one has a little fact file about where it’s from, what it eats and how big it is too.

1, 2, 3 Splosh! By David Melling

This is a delightful counting book about a little duck called SLOSH and his friends getting into a paddling pool. It counts from one to ten while telling a funny little story that makes my two giggle every time.

Where’s Bear? By Emily Gravett

I love this book; and anything by Emily Gravette. It is the cutest little story about Bear and Hare playing hide and seek, but poor Bear isn’t that good at hiding! It counts from one to ten a few times in the story so your little ones learn the pattern without realising it. It’s perfect for teaching without them feeling like you are teaching.

Animal ABC By Jonny Lamberts

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated books we own. Brother Bear adores animals and this book and the stunning paintings in it is the one he chooses to come back to time and again to look at. While he’s looking I simply say the sound of the letter on the page while pointing at it and then we talk about the animal. He’s way more interested in the animals, as he should be at two, but is also slowly picking up his letters along the way.

Not Yet Zebra by Lou Kuenzler and Julia Woolf

This is the sweetest book that we got out of the library a few months back. It’s about a little girl called Annie who wants to paint the alphabet using her animals… but zebra is a bit keen and keeps interrupting. The whole story is adorable and is bound to make you and your children smile.

Alphabet Zoo by Stephen Holmes

This book is so much fun! Each page has beautiful fun illustrations on it that are all matching the letter you are learning about. A shark in the sea with a suitcase full of socks anyone? Or a penguin at a party, in a party hat holding a pineapple? Our little ones get so much fun out of reading this book, it makes them giggle every single time.

What are your favourite numbers and letters books? We are always looking for more ideas and inspiration!

Happy reading,

Livvy and Summer