We love books in our home and finding beautiful Montessori aligned books for our toddler boys has been a great treat every birthday and Christmas.
Montessori friendly books for toddlers can be budget friendly and good quality, thus allowing for multiple siblings or family members to get good use from them.
Many on this list are great Montessori books for babies that they can grow with into toddler years.

If you are wondering what makes a book Montessori aligned it usually falls under the description of things that are “real” and describe real life things or situations.
Thus, often avoiding fantasy such as fairies, monsters, and things that are “created ideas” that you wouldn’t see occur in real life.
Each family can decide what they find suits them, as I know some love sharing a favorite book or two from our own childhood. So no judgement here!

We are big fans of board books which allows for easier independent page-turning skills for our 1 year old.
Most of our favorites on this list are board books.
20 Montessori Friendly Toddler Books
Here is a quick list of our favorite Montessori friendly books for toddlers :
- I Can
- The Babies and Doggies Book
- Hands Can
- Mini Masters Books
- Let’s Find Momo Outdoors!
- World Snacks
- Discovery: Hammer at the Construction Site!
- Van Fleet Animal Trio
- Hush, Little Horsie
- On the Farm Touch & Feel
- DK Touch & Feel Kittens
- Goodnight Construction Site
- My Heart Fills with Happiness
- Global Babies
- All Kinds of People
- Edible Numbers
- Edible Colors
- Smile
- Baby Animals, Who Am I?
- Fry Bread: A Native American Story
Below I have written a bit more detail about each individual book so you can find books that might interest your individual child.
Most of these books are under $10, so for those looking for budget friendly Montessori books this list is for you!
My favorite book to read is #12 if you wanted to know my top pick, it’s not the most “Montessori aligned” of the list but it’s a heart-felt favorite I enjoy reading and has realistic explanations.
Our 20 Favorite Montessori Toddler Books
1 | I Can
“I Can” board book is a favorite board book for reading and interaction. We read it and then my boys like to act it out, such as “I can jump”. Great book to read when your child is very interested in gross motor skills.
2 | The Babies & Doggies Book
If you have a dog (or cat, there is cat version) the Babies & Doggies board book is an adorable read that compares likeness between how a baby and a dog can both do things.
3 | Hands Can Board Book
Hands Can is a beautiful board book that demonstrates all the task a child can do with their own hands via photos and text.
4 | Mini Masters Board Books
If you are looking to expose your little one to Art then Mini Masters Board Books are a lovely introduction to artists for a baby or toddler. The classics is a durable format for little hands!
5 | Let’s Find Momo Outdoors
Who doesn’t love a hide & seek adventure book? Let’s Find Momo Outdoors is a fun interactive book of finding where Momo the dog is on each page. HUGE favorite with the boys!
6 | World Snacks Series
The World Snacks Board Book series is a fun collection demonstrating some favorite foods around the world. A great way to introduce new foods and maybe try them after reading the book!
7 | Discovery: Hammer at the Construction Site!
A BIG favorite, Discovery: Hammer at the Construction Site gives real life photos and sound options of various construction vehicles.
8 | Van Fleet Animal Trio
The Van Fleet Animal Trio is made up of Moo, Cat, and Dog board books. Great realistic information on each page to explain more about each animal in a toddler friendly format. Some pages include interactive components which my eldest really enjoys.
9 | Hush, Little Horsie
Hush Little Horsie is a beautifully illustrated book that emphasizes love and motherhood in animals.
10 | On the Farm Touch & Feel
Touch and feel board books are always a big hit in our house, and On the Farm is one of those that is greatly loved. My youngest will often explore this book on his own while sitting on his child lounge.
11 | DK Touch & Feel Kittens
This was my younger boy’s favorite book for a long while. As I said before, “Tough & Feel” books are much loved by toddlers and DK’s Kitten touch & feel board book is a great addition to any Montessori bookshelf.
They have a few different topics in their touch & feel board book series, so have a look at the others if you child has different interests.

12 | Goodnight Construction Site
I LOVE reading this Goodnight Construction Site at bedtime! It’s on the “edge” of Montessori aligned because the machines have been humanized, but the description on each page of what the machine does and how it gets put away at the end of the day is realistic.
In this whole list, this is MY PERSONAL FAVORITE book to read my boys. It’s a great transition to bedtime and a fun way to learn about different machines on a construction site and what they do.
13 | My Heart Fills with Happiness
My Heart Fills with Happiness has a beautiful narrative that shares the story of an indigenous family and cultural connection.
It is so important to include diversity on our bookshelves and this a great toddler book to bring that diversity of narratives into our child’s reading experiences.
14 | Global Babies
When looking for options to bring diversity to a Montessori home bookshelf, Global Babies is a big favorite among the Montessori community. If you don’t have it already it is a beautiful addition to your baby or toddlers reading list.
15 | All Kinds of People
This book is a great option for normalizing the diversity of people we have in our world and in our everyday lives. It is a great way to allow your toddler to ask questions and bring up the discussion of diversity of people in our world community.
16 | Edible Numbers
A fun book to bring numbers and different foods up in conversation.