8 Board Books for Eager Little Learners

If you’ve been searching for a great group of board books to share with your little ones and spark their love of learning about the world around them, you’ll love this list of fiction and nonfiction titles. Featuring some fan-favorites like Stanley and his friends as well as an early introduction to birds from the author-illustrator team behind the acclaimed About… series, there’s a board book on this list for every eager little learner in your life!

Fiction

Stanley’s Paint Box
Written and illustrated by William Bee

It’s another busy day with Stanley and friends, and Stanley’s bringing his paint box to paint a colorful castle with Little Woo, Sophie, and Benjamin. There’s red paint and blue paint and yellow paint and white paint. But what about the other colors? This early board book introduction to painting tools and art media is great for teaching primary and secondary colors.

Buy Stanley’s Paint Box today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.

Stanley’s Toolbox
Written and illustrated by William Bee

Stanley is helping Little Woo fix up his treehouse. They need to build a ladder, fix the roof, and hang some pictures. But Stanley also has a surprise—what could it be? An early introduction to the practical function of tools commonly found at home, this board book will appeal to Stanley’s youngest tool-loving fans.

Buy Stanley’s Toolbox today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.

In the Wind
Written by Elizabeth Spurr
Illustrated by Manelle Oliphant

In this gently rhyming board book, a young girl makes, flies, and loses her kite on a windy day. But when she returns home, something special is waiting for her. Elizabeth Spurr’s simple, evocative language and Manelle Oliphant’s charming illustrations create a perfect sit-in-your-lap reading experience for toddlers.

Buy In the Wind today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.

Spring Babies
Written by Kathryn O. Galbraith
Illustrated by Adela Pons

Spirited, rhyming text and colorful, graphic art reveal an energetic cast of babies having an action-packed day of play in the park on a cheerful spring day. Featuring diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park board book series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

Buy Spring Babies today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.

Nonfiction

Curious About Birds
Written by Cathryn Sill
Illustrated by John Sill

Educator and author Cathryn Sill introduces very young children to basic facts about birds with the help of beautifully detailed illustrations from noted wildlife illustrator John Sill. Simple and clear descriptions of how birds look, where they live, what they eat, and how they move around make this first title in the Discovering Nature series a dependable and informative beginning resource for learning about birds.

Buy Curious About Birds today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.

Fabulous Fishes
Written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale

Dive into an underwater world with amazing fish and their habitats on every page! From the spiky lionfish and the brightly colored clownfish to lanternfishes and hatchetfishes that flash lights so they can find each other in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean, children will be fascinated by the breadth of sea life depicted. Author-illustrator Susan Stockdale uses simple text and richly textured illustrations to introduce young readers to different kinds of fish and the underwater world they call home.

Buy Fabulous Fishes today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.

Bring on the Birds
Written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale

Brightly colored illustrations and energetic text introduce young readers to distinctive birds and their unique qualities. From the Blue-footed Booby to the Red-billed Oxpecker, the breadth of bird life depicted in this stunning book will captivate young ornithologists. Susan Stockdale’s bold colors and crisp, clean lines can’t help but grab the reader’s attention.

Buy Bring on the Birds today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.

Stripes of All Types / Rayas de todas las tallas
Written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale

Bouncy, alliterative text and gorgeous illustrations introduce readers to a wide range of striped animals. Susan Stockdale’s bright, detailed paintings bring this patterned parade of animals to life and help show the many reasons stripes are so often found in nature. Readers can test their knowledge of animal stripes with a fun matching game at the end!

Buy Stripes of All Types today through your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.