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Peabody ParentsTalk, play, read and grow, from day one

Reading with your baby and toddler

Books, rhymes and songs from the first week, a few minutes at a time. Nothing to buy: your library has every book here.

Start now: the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading with your child from birth onward. For a new baby that means a few quiet minutes on your lap with simple rhymes and bold pictures, and you don't need to finish the book. What babies get most, the AAP says, is listening to your voice and snuggling with you.

Checked October 29, 2026.

By Peabody editors. Something wrong? Tell us.

Read together

  • Reading aloud from birthThe AAP says read with your child from birth. What reading looks like at 0–6 months, 6–12 months, 1, 2, 3 and 4 years: how long, what kind of book and what to try.
  • Books by ageOur own short lists of books for babies and toddlers, each checked to exist, to borrow from your library. No buy links, nobody paid to be here.
  • 1,000 Books Before KindergartenThe 1000 Books Foundation's challenge explained: any book counts, repeats count, and a book a day gets you there in about three years. Print a log or count on your phone.
  • Free books and story timesWhere little ones get books for free: library story times, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (a book a month from birth to 5) and Reach Out and Read at checkups.

Rhymes and songs

  • Nursery rhymes and lullabies for babiesRhymes and songs from the first week: why the AAP and ASHA suggest singing every day, how to do it, and the words to 52 nursery rhymes and 20 lullabies.
  • Finger playsThe hand moves, bounces and tickles for 15 favorite nursery rhymes, from Itsy Bitsy Spider to Pop Goes the Weasel, written out line by line. Printable.

The words to sing, on Peabody for kids

How much reading is enough?

There's no target to hit with a baby. The AAP says babies pay attention to a book for a few minutes at a time and that shared reading should be fun, not forced. As children grow, the AAP suggests a regular bedtime book time: 10 to 15 minutes with the TV off at 18 to 23 months, 10 to 20 minutes for 2 and 3 year olds, and 20 to 30 minutes for preschoolers. Reading aloud by age has the whole list.

When is my child ready for Peabody's first books?

Peabody for kids is a free reading site for children who are starting to read on their own, usually from about 4 or 5. Its first books use pictures and a few words a page, and a short level check finds the right shelf. Until then, the books on these pages, read on your lap, are the best start.

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