10 Great Books for 18 Month old Toddlers
Written by Lorna Balfour
I have an 18 month old toddler and I find it difficult to find books for him; books have to be very simple and the illustrations have to be able to hold his short attention span. At the library you have to hunt through tens of books before you stumble upon a book pitched at their age. Sometimes it feels like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I would like to share 10 books that my son loves to read time and time again. Hopefully that might give you some ideas of books to try.
1. "Pip and Posy The Big Balloon" by Axel Schefflerr
All of the Pip and Posy books are a big hit as they have very strong illustrations and a very simple storyline. Just now these books are the favourite ones.
2. "Meg and Mog" by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowskir
This is a big hit as the illustrations are bold and vibrant. I also like the storyline as it is full of imagination and a bit different.
3. "Meeow and the Blue Table" by Sebastien Braunr
All the Meeow books are strong favourites and have been since my son was 7 months old. Again, the illustrations are very bold and colourful.
4. "First 100 Words" by Roger Priddy
I was looking for flashcards for my son and then stumbled upon this book and it works like flashcards. It is a book of 100 things your toddler might be interested in. It is very effective as my son loves to look and point at the images.
5. "Toot Toot Beep Beep" by Emma Garciar
This is one of only a few books which have been a hit that we initially borrowed from the library. My son loved it so much we got our own copy.
6. "Fox's Socks" by Julia Donaldson and Axel Schefflerr
We have had this book for many months but he never tires of it. I think that is down to the flaps on each page which hold his attention.
7. "Maisy's Bus" by Lucy Cousinsr
My son loves this book over other Maisy books. As with all Maisy books the illustrations are very bright and colourful which really appeals to my son.
8. "One Mole Digging a Hole" by Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharrattr
This book introduces numbers 1-10 and is pitched at an 18 month old with very little words and bright bold illustrations.
9. "Dear Zoo" by Rod Campbellr
This book has been popular since my son was 7 months old and the appeal lies in the flaps and the introduction to some animals.
10. "Elmer's Friends" by David McKeer
My son loves all the Elmer board books. This is his favourite one because he loves lions, and can't wait to show off his roar when he gets to the page with the lion. Very cute!
Article author
About the Author
Hello. My name is Lorna Balfour, I am a female personal trainer and lifestyle coach offering personal training in London. I would like to tell you a little bit about my background and outlook. As a child I had a very active life but I was a wee bit overweight and had very little energy. I used to struggle to get out of bed every day. My diet was shocking, lots of processed foods and too little fruit and vegetables. Angel Delight is not something I have eaten since. After I graduated from university I started to exercise in the gym and made radical changes to my diet, which had been quite poor. I lost 21 pounds of weight. I felt fantastic. After this transformatio
I moved from Scotland to London and decided to re-qualify as a personal trainer, because I felt it would be deeply satisfying to help other people achieve their fitness goals. And, if I can do it, so can anyone else. I work in Shoreditch because its close to Old Street, Moorgate and Liverpool Street, which makes my fitness studio easier to reach. Shoreditch is also one of the trendiest parts of London which makes it even nicer to work there. I also studied lifestyle coaching, including nutritional coaching. The approach to my eating completely changed after that. I focused more on the quality rather than quantity of what I was eating and drinking. Out went the microwave, McDonalds and Diet Cokes. I feel even healthier now. I love my training, it is a part of my life now. My training is focused on strength training and body toning. I mainly use dumbbells and olympic bars, which might sound quite scary. However, my approach to training is calm and relaxed. Exercise and training should be fun and be about promoting your overall health. I don't think worrying about how many calories you have burned on the treadmill, or comparing yourself to some airbrushed image is healthy.
Further reading
Further Reading
Article
30 Day Fitness Reset: An Overview
The thing that really got me, though, was the honesty around expectations. No "transform your body in 30 days" nonsense. Just — this gets you through the part where most people quit, and gives you real strength gains along the way
September 8, 2026
Article
Low Testosterone: Understanding the Causes, Symptoms and Science
Testosterone is an important hormone in male physiology, contributing to reproductive function, bone health, muscle maintenance, red blood cell production, and other biological processes. Because of its broad role, concerns about testosterone levels have
September 7, 2026
Article
Building Discipline With One Piece of Equipment
a power tower, bolted into a corner of my spare room, cost less than four months of what I was already paying.
September 7, 2026
Article
Why SARMs Have Attracted Attention in Modern Fitness Culture
SARMs have gained fitness attention through scientific research, body-composition interest, online communities, marketing, and ongoing debates surrounding safety and regulation.
September 7, 2026