Bairn's Book Club: 18-Months-Old

At 18-months-old, The Bairn is a big fan of all books about babies and diggers, regardless of writing/illustration quality. He's also a big fan of the hardware store catalog (page 248--fans--is his favorite section) and Rick Bayless cookbooks.  I'm less a fan of the hardware catalog, but I'm right there with him on the cookbooks.

The following are books that both of us enjoy.

Noni the Pony by Alison Lester
I found this on a recommended list for toddlers, and it is perfect for the age group, with rhyming text and bright illustrations.  I wasn't familiar with the author before we checked this out of the library, but apparently she's quite loved in Australia.

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry
The classic.  I found several of the Richard Scarry books on a free rack at our parent resource center last year.  I thought The Bairn might still be too young for them, but I pulled this one out when his digger obsession emerged and he loves it.  He's especially fond of the corn car.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
I checked this book out for me, because it received such great press when it was released a couple of years ago.  Again, I thought it was a bit old for The Bairn, but he requests it all the time.  I simple up the dialogue for him, so all the animals except the rabbit say the same thing to the bear when we read it.  Of course, he doesn't understand the big joke, but he enjoys it anyway.

Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda
This is a brilliant spin on the story of the three little pigs.  The text is simple but clever, so I imagine this could be a favorite for a long time.  The Bairn loves to huff and puff and we both love the drawings.