By Christa Protano
If you have a toddler, chances are there is no shortage of animal-inspired baby decor or toys at home. Woodland creatures, jungle friends, safari beasts — children are introduced to animals as soon as they are born, and these creatures quickly become their favorite friends. So while you may not be able to get to the zoo or farm due to social distancing or the wintry weather, your child can still get up close and personal to cows, bears, gorillas and more thanks to these four books.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm (ages 0-2)
Parents can use this board book to help bring this classic nursery rhyme to life and work on those fine motor skills. Each colorful pages features chunky sliders, wheels or pull-outs so tiny hands can engage with the workings of a farm while meeting barnyard friends.
Discovery: Moo, Quack, Baa! (ages 3-5)
“Mom, what sound does an alpaca make?” This book has that answer and more thanks to a 39-button sound module that your toddler can press and play for hours. Just be sure to keep this farm-themed experience away from sleeping quarters, otherwise you may find yourself being woken up by an unsolicited rooster call!
Smithsonian All-Star Readers Pre-Level 1: Adorable Baby Animals (ages 3-5)
My five-year-old is obsessed with all baby animals, which is why I love this pre-level 1 reader. This book features short simple sentence structure and easy vocabulary to keep your preschooler engaged. With lots of photos of just-born critters, this book is cuteness overload.
Expandable Explorations: Wild World (ages 6-8)
Early readers and animal lovers alike with be fascinated by Discovery's All Star Readers: I Am a Penguin Level 1, told from the point-of-view of a penguin. Kids will get an in-depth look at the habitat, diet, and life of a penguin while working on reading comprehension and vocabulary skills.
If any of these titles are a hit, consider bringing the zoo to life at home via these animal paper-bag puppets. They are easy to make and require the bare minimum of art supplies. Win-win.