Learn more about our team & our review process here.
Toys Tested:41
Winners:16
Brandon Walsh
Are you a book person? Do you happen to have a toddler?
Are you considering reading your toddler to sleep?
Are you on a quest to find some engaging books that also happen to be objectively good?
You’re in luck then— this is just the place. The Dads at DadsAgree, well, we agree that reading to the little ones at night is a great way to put them to sleep.
In a hurry? Here's The Dads CHOICE FOR Best Book Set For Toddlers!
Bedtime Classics Value Pack »
Now, we dads were very excited when we stumbled across the bedtime classics value pack. Dads, raise your hands if you had any one of these books read to you when you were a kid?
GO CHECK PRICE »There’s nothing more fun than sharing this most basic nightly ritual with your little tyke, helping them learn and, hopefully, fall asleep. We, the Dads, went out to find the best toddler books in 2020 because we know you want to give your child a fun reading experience.
You may have gone hunting online for book sets for toddlers and been overwhelmed by the choices. Yes, there are many, many books sets out there for toddlers, and the options can be overwhelming. We decided we’d test out these book sets ourselves (with the kids!) and see which ones we thought were the best.Â
TOP-RATED BOOK SETS FOR TODDLERS – REVIEWED
Because there are so many books on the market today, we wanted to be sure we could distinguish the best from the not-so-good. We put our thinking caps on and came up with some ranking criteria, just to be sure we were giving you the best book set options for your toddler.
The dads knew that the number one criterium is toddler attention retention. In other words, do kids really like the book? All of the books we chose were books our toddlers thought were fun, funny, interesting, or sweet.
We also knew dads of the world aren’t just concerned with the skills their toddler is learning. We dads also care about what the toddler is learning. We wanted to be sure the book’s moral lesson, in the event there was one, resonated with that of our dads’ value systems. Now, sometimes, books are just about cars or machinery, and that certainly checked out fine with most of our dads.
Besides the primary considerations above, we added some secondary rating criteria that we know would interest dads. We paid attention to price because a book set’s cost, in our experience, didn’t always correspond with its quality.Â
Because dads want to give their kid the very best, sometimes vendors can take advantage of the natural paternal instinct. Take it from us, the book sets we’re recommending are affordable and enjoyable — the best of the best!
Finally, we paid attention to the diversity of dads at DadsAgree. I have a little boy who likes trucks, but every dad and every toddler is different, so we tried to deliver our best picks across genre lines. You’ll see classics, newer books, toddler books with activities — basically every corner of the toddler book set market.
1. Bedtime Classics Value Pack
Now, we dads were very excited when we stumbled across the bedtime classics value pack. Dads, raise your hands if you had any one of these books read to you when you were a kid? Some of us had, and it was really fun to see that these books still have an audience in 2020.
Read Our Full Review2. Sesame Street Classics: 6 Little Golden Books
Like Dr. Seuss, the world Jim Henson created has decades of staying power in the cultural consciousness. The characters in these books are so iconic that they become childhood classics.
Read Our Full Review3. Frozen Little Golden Book Library
Frozen may not be every dad’s favorite film, but we often have found toddlers across the world love Frozen. This box set is a very exciting gift for the Frozen lover in your household.
Read Our Full Review4. Where’s Waldo? The Magnificent Mini Boxed Set
As the franchise themselves put it, “Finding Waldo is Never Easy.” We dads believe no introduction is necessary, but just in case it is, we typed one up. Where’s Waldo? is one of the few toddler books with activities that made it onto our list, because kids really love the hide and seek aspect of Where’s Waldo.
Read Our Full Review5. Baby University Board Book Set
Okay, so we dads thought this book set was hilarious when we first came across it. Can you imagine? Quantum physics for babies? We just had to check it out. We were really pleasantly surprised when this book set came, because the books are actually pretty nice! They do an awesome job explaining these crazy concepts in simple ways to your tot.
Read Our Full Review6. Jeremy Tankard Bird Collection
Jeremy Tankard, the author-illustrator extraordinaire of the bird series has all his excellent works together in one 4-book box set.
Read Our Full Review7. Very Busy Things That Go Box Set
If your little kid is one of those kids that just loves to look at trucks, cars, and everything mechanical, this is the book for him (or her!). My little boy has a Hot Wheel addiction, and he just went crazy for these books.
Read Our Full Review8. The Crayons: A Set of Books and Finger Puppets
Okay, how cool is this? We’ve never seen a box set come with little finger puppets for your toddler or young one, and we love it. The Crayons is a well-known children’s book franchise from the fecund mind of Drew Daywalt and it really stands up to the hype. Our tots had a lot of fun with the books, and the puppets are really cute.
Read Our Full Review9. She Persisted Box Set
These books each present thirteen biographies of women who have, as the title suggests, persevered through difficulty. With a great message of self-possession, Chelsea Clinton has crafted two powerful, motivational books for your young achiever.
Read Our Full Review10. The Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books
Who has gone on living in this world that has not heard about Dr. Seuss? There’s a good reason he is so well known. These books are absolute brilliance in every department. Humorous, Rhyming, well-loved by the tots, the Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books is a pleasure to own and, we dads feel, a must-have for the tot.
Read Our Full ReviewBedtime Classics Value Pack
- 4 Books: Good Night Gorilla, Corduroy, Good Night Moon, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
- Author: Various
- Age: 1-4
- Category: Heartwarming
Now, we dads were very excited when we stumbled across the bedtime classics value pack. Dads, raise your hands if you had any one of these books read to you when you were a kid? Some of us had, and it was really fun to see that these books still have an audience in 2020. For those dads that don’t know about these stories, each one is a highly respected book for toddlers in its own right.
DADS LIKEY
- We love the message in these books. Corduroy, for example, is about the beauty of friendship.
- The illustrations are beautiful and classic.
- Great for a wide variety of ages, these books are classic for a reason: young and old enjoy them, each for their own reasons.
DADS NO LIKEY
- The price. Not as expensive as some, but more expensive than others.
Sesame Street Classics: 6 Little Golden Books
- 6 Books: Big Bird’s Red Book, Oscar’s Book, Grover’s Own Alphabet, I Think That It Is Wonderful, The Together Book, The Monster At The End Of This Book
- Author: Various
- Age: 2-5
- Category: Humor, Education, Heartwarming
Like Dr. Seuss, the world Jim Henson created has decades of staying power in the cultural consciousness. The characters in these books are so iconic that they become childhood classics. We love this box set because the TV Show can be a learning companion to the book set. Sesame Street is and has always been a fantastically fun world with lots of laughs and love.
DADS LIKEY
- Funny. There’s a particular brand of humor those familiar with Sesame Street will recognize here. These books check out.
- We love the classic illustrations.
- The price is higher than some, but you get six beautiful books in a lovely little box. We find the illustrations and the content outweighs the price.
DADS NO LIKEY
- Some younger dads may not appreciate the classic illustrations, though we’ve found 9 out of 10 toddlers agree that the illustrations are excellent!
Frozen Little Golden Book Library
- 5 Books: Frozen, A New Reindeer Friend, Olaf’s Perfect Day, The Best Birthday Ever, Olaf Waits for Spring
- Author: Various
- Age: 2 - 5
- Category: Cute, Humor
Frozen may not be every dad’s favorite film, but we often have found toddlers across the world love Frozen. This box set is a very exciting gift for the Frozen lover in your household. We found that toddlers who had liked the movie Frozen absolutely adored having the book set in their home. If your little daughter likes to be called Elsa, or your son dressed up as Olaf for Halloween, consider this book set.
DADS LIKEY
- Really cute. The characters in Frozen are classic, and we thought the book set was a fun addition to the franchise.
- Some toddlers just obsess over these! One of our dads has a daughter who insists on reading these books every night.
- Great price.
DADS NO LIKEY
- If the child hasn’t seen Frozen, this book set can be a hit or miss. It doesn’t have the same quality as some of the stand-alone book sets that don’t have multimillion-dollar film franchises.
Where’s Waldo? The Magnificent Mini Boxed Set
- Books: Where’s Waldo?, Where’s Waldo Now?, Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey, Where’s Waldo? The Wonder Book, Where’s Waldo? Hollywood
- Author: Martin Handford
- Age: 3+
- Category: Fun, Activities
As the franchise themselves put it, “Finding Waldo is Never Easy.” We dads believe no introduction is necessary, but just in case it is, we typed one up. Where’s Waldo? is one of the few toddler books with activities that made it onto our list, because kids really love the hide and seek aspect of Where’s Waldo. These five books come with a mini magnifying glass so your tot can play detective as he or she searches for Waldo all across the world.
DADS LIKEY
- Really fun, hands-on activity for toddlers
- The drawings are classic.
- The price. For the amount of work the books do for you in keeping your toddler happy, the price is a total steal!
DADS NO LIKEY
- Don’t expect these books to put your tot to bed. This might be a daytime activity.
Baby University Board Book Set
- 4 Books: Quantum Physics for Babies, Rocket Science for Babies, General Relativity for Babies, Newtonian Physics for Babies
- Author: Chris Ferre
- Age: 2 - 5
- Category: Education
Okay, so we dads thought this book set was hilarious when we first came across it. Can you imagine? Quantum physics for babies? We just had to check it out. We were really pleasantly surprised when this book set came, because the books are actually pretty nice! They do an awesome job explaining these crazy concepts in simple ways to your tot.
DADS LIKEY
- Author Chris Ferre really makes these concepts learnable for your toddler.
- Educational concepts that are a good start for your child’s path to geniusness.
DADS NO LIKEY
- The price. This will be one of the more expensive book sets for the content.
- Not a bedtime book, typically. This might need to be framed as a “learning time” book.
- Some dads thought the illustrations were too simple.
Jeremy Tankard Bird Collection
- 4 Books: Grumpy Bird, Hungry Bird, Boo Hoo Bird, Sleepy Bird
- Author: Jeremy Tankard
- Age: 2+
- Category: Funny
Jeremy Tankard, the author-illustrator extraordinaire of the bird series has all his excellent works together in one 4-book box set. We found our toddlers loved the theatrical, melodramatic posturing of Bird as he goes around being grumpy, sad, hungry, and sleepy. Toddlers love it for its humor and dads love it because it pokes fun at the very behaviors our own toddlers have started to engage in — the “hamming” up that comes with toddlerhood.
DADS LIKEY
- Funny, self-aware humor
- Deals nicely with talking about feelings, something our toddlers are just now starting to grapple with
- The illustrations aren’t the best, but they’re fun
- You rarely see the anti-hero motif show up in toddler books. Bird doesn’t do anything really bad, but sometimes it’s to see a hero who isn’t totally good.
DADS NO LIKEY
- The price. This will be one of the more expensive book sets.
- Some of our dads thought Bird was more entitled and complain-y than lovable with faults
Very Busy Things That Go Box Set
- 3 Books: Very Busy Construction Set, Very Busy Cars and Trucks, Very Busy Planes and Trains
- Author: Various
- Age: 6 months - 2 years
- Category: Very Young Learner
If your little kid is one of those kids that just loves to look at trucks, cars, and everything mechanical, this is the book for him (or her!). My little boy has a Hot Wheel addiction, and he just went crazy for these books.
DADS LIKEY
- Really fun for kids that like all things automotive
- Very easy book for the very young.
DADS NO LIKEY
- There’s no story, so unless your kid finds automobiles inherently interesting, he or she may pass this one by.
- This is the second smallest box set we reviewed, containing only three books.
The Crayons: A Set of Books and Finger Puppets
- 2 Books and 2 puppets: The Crayons Book of Numbers, The Crayons Book of Colors
- Author: Drew Daywalt
- Age: 6 months +
- Category: Educational, Activities
Okay, how cool is this? We’ve never seen a box set come with little finger puppets for your toddler or young one, and we love it. The Crayons is a well-known children’s book franchise from the fecund mind of Drew Daywalt and it really stands up to the hype. Our tots had a lot of fun with the books, and the puppets are really cute.
DADS LIKEY
- Great for young learners: learn colors and numbers and use puppets as a teaching aid!
- Any book that comes with props is a plus for toddlers, who just adore tactile experiences above all others
- The illustrations are really fun!
- The price is in keeping with most of the boxed sets on this list, and though you get fewer books out of the bargain, the puppets are so fun we decided to put this in the plus category
DADS NO LIKEY
- If we had a drawback, it would be that there are only two books. The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home were so much fun, and we wish they had been included in this set.
She Persisted Box Set
- 2 Books: She Persisted, She Persisted Around the World
- Author: Chelsea Clinton
- Age: 3 - 5
- Rating: 3 / 5
- Category: Motivational, Biography
These books each present thirteen biographies of women who have, as the title suggests, persevered through difficulty. With a great message of self-possession, Chelsea Clinton has crafted two powerful, motivational books for your young achiever.
DADS LIKEY
- Great message
- The illustrations are realistic and fun.
- The illustrations are really fun!
- Dads who have purchased this box set and are sympathetic to its message have given rave reviews.
DADS NO LIKEY
- The title might be somewhat controversial to some. Though 9 out of 10 dads agree it shouldn’t be, we figured we’d mention it.
- Because of the educational focus, your toddler might not love these books as much as, say, Dr. Seuss.
The Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books
- 4 Books: Hop on Pop, Oh The Thinks You Can Think!, Ten Apples Up On Top!, The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
- Author: Dr. Seuss
- Age: 1+
- Category: Humor, Education
Who has gone on living in this world that has not heard about Dr. Seuss? There’s a good reason he is so well known. These books are absolute brilliance in every department. Humorous, Rhyming, well-loved by the tots, the Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books is a pleasure to own and, we dads feel, a must-have for the tot.
DADS LIKEY
- The toddlers really resonate with the pure rhymes of Seuss’ poetry
- The books are edifying in many ways: teaching kids valuable lessons like counting, love of family, the power of the mind, and love of self
- The illustrations are beautiful
- One of the best book sets for 3-year-olds — in fact, one of the best book sets, period!
DADS NO LIKEY
- No drawbacks from our point of view. Consider, though, they may not be as laugh out loud funny as some others.
Buying Guide
Wow. That’s a lot, right? And that’s barely even skimming what’s available. We thought we’d make a little buying guide for you, just in case you’ve read all these options and are still concerned about making sure you choose a book set that speaks to your tot. Here are just a few things to consider.
Price Check
Our number one piece of advice when looking for the best book sets for toddlers is to compare prices. The publisher’s website will often list the book set for the maximum price. We’ve made sure to link to the cheapest price we could find online throughout this article, but if you do independent research, make sure you aren’t paying a premium for what could be quite affordable!
But . . .Â
With the lower price, be prepared for what you might receive. If you’re looking at Amazon for book sets, make sure you read the reviews. All of our book sets got excellent reviews on Amazon, but some customers complain that they receive the wrong books or that the books are, for example, bound poorly.
What Does Your Tot Love?
Speaking from one dad to another, we know that this probably goes without saying, but we love our little ones so much we wanted to mention it. The best book sets for toddlers are the ones they love. What are they passionate about? Cater reading time to what they love, rather than what you want them to love. This will guarantee all your purchases are worth the cash.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Best Books For Two-Year-Olds?
From our list, the Bedtime Classics Value Pack, Sesame Street Classics: 6 Little Golden Books, and The Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books are our favorite books for two-year-olds.
What Books Should I Read to My Toddler?
We covered this above, but choose something that speaks to both of you. If your child has a scientific bent, maybe you’ll want to read the Baby University Board Book Set with them. If your child is artistic, maybe you get them The Crayons. Being a dad is all about trial and error. You can do it!
What Are The Best Books For Three-Year-Olds?
From our list, the Jeremy Tankard Bird Collection or The Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books are excellent choices for your three-year-old.Â
Should a 2 Year Old Know Colors?
It depends on the child! Some, who have an instinct for color, will begin to identify colors quite early — as early as 18 months. Most kids begin to identify colors at around three years.
Should a 2 Year Old Know The Alphabet?
A two-year-old will likely begin to know some letters of the alphabet. By three, they should be well on their way to knowing the alphabet. Many of the books we recommended will help with that!
TTFN
We hope we gave you some fun ideas as to what book sets are out there for your tot. We hope all the young readers out there can find exactly the boxed set that speaks to them. From all of us here at DadsAgree, I’d like to thank you for the care you put into raising your young one.