All My Little Ducklings

This book is good for daycare, and little kids (toddlers) We have a water table with some plastic ducks, and we use these as we read the book and act it out.

My son chose this book at the store when he was 9 months old-- it wasn't my favorite but he obviously really liked it. However, I quickly came around to its charms. Now 2, he and his friends still giggle at the nonsense words. The pictures are wonderful: colorful, bold, and yet with lots of details that make for great toddler conversation. We have tons of books, and this one is very well-worn, and despite being a bit babyish, still a hit.

My daughter absolutely loves anything ducky. This book has become the all time beloved book in our household. Some of her first words have come from trying to imitate the way we read the darling phrases like "scurry, hurry, plunk," "pitter, patter, scatter," and "mumble, stumble, bump." Take the adventure with these ducks and their mother as they wake up, feed and play in the pond, wander through the forest, swim in the pond, and snuggle up in their nest. This is a book I like to give to new parents.

My kids loved the language in this book when they were little and now that they are learning to read this is a great book for them to practice decoding with. All the words follow standard phonics rules and the changes in vowels is really good reinforcement. The pictures are wonderful and support the text just enough to keep them going.

This book, with its yellow ducklings and inventive language, has enchanted every 6-18 month old I know. As a developmental psychologist with an interest in children's literature, this makes my top 5 list for the under-2 crowd.