10 Best Picture Books for Multilingual Toddlers (Ages 1-2)

Why These Books?

Toddlers at this age are tiny tornadoes of curiosity—flipping pages, lifting flaps, and soaking up new words like sponges (when they’re not chewing on the books, of course).

When Lewis was around one, he was (and honestly still is) in a big lift-the-flap phase, meaning every flap must be opened at least three times before we can move on.

But let’s be real: translating on the fly while keeping a squirmy toddler engaged? That’s advanced-level parenting. I can't do it with more complicated texts, and definitely not with rhymes!

That’s why I’ve handpicked multilingual-friendly books that:

✔️ Have simple, repetitive text perfect for early language learners.

✔️ Leave plenty of space for translations—so you don’t have to scribble over adorable illustrations.

✔️ Keep little hands busy with flaps, textures, and bold visuals.

✔️ Bonus: Some have Tiny Linguist sticker packs—so you can skip the translation scramble! The ones that don't have sticker packs contain texts that are hopefully simple enough to translate live.

Never heard of our sticker packs? Find out what they are here. They look like this in action:

My Top Picks

In no particular order

1️⃣ Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? – Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle

A rhythmic, colorful classic that makes learning animals & colors fun in any language!

📝 Sticker pack available to make sure the rhythmic repetitions come through!

2️⃣ Where’s Spot? – Eric Hill

A flap-filled game of hide-and-seek—because toddlers love a dramatic reveal.

3️⃣ Dear Zoo – Rod Campbell

Predictable? Yes. Exciting? Absolutely. Flaps + animals = toddler jackpot.

4️⃣ The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle

Numbers, food words, and an iconic caterpillar who clearly needs a meal plan.

📝 Sticker pack available to save you the trouble of finding the right food names quickly!

5️⃣ Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes – Mem Fox & Helen Oxenbury

A sweet, rhyming celebration of babies around the world—perfect for teaching body parts and introducing diverse cultures in two languages.

6️⃣ Goodnight Moon – Margaret Wise Brown

A bedtime ritual must-have, because multilingual babies need sleep too.

📝 Sticker pack available preserving the lovely rhymes.

7️⃣ Hooray for Fish! – Lucy Cousins

A bright, playful book filled with fun rhymes and wacky sea creatures—great for introducing descriptive words in two languages!

8️⃣ It’s a Little Baby – Julia Donaldson & Rebecca Cobb

A lively, sing-song book filled with simple rhymes and flaps, perfect for engaging active toddlers.

9️⃣ Sometimes – Emma Dodd

A gentle, loving story with simple text and bright illustrations—perfect for bedtime and early emotional learning.

🔟 Roar! Roar! I’m a Dinosaur! – Jo Lodge

A bold, interactive book with fun sliders and moving parts—great for little hands and big imaginations!

Multilingual Reading Hacks for Parents

📖 Let toddlers “help” – Turning pages is a big deal at this age.

🔁 Read it again. And again. (And again.)

🗣️ Use fun voices – Go full drama mode for maximum toddler approval.

📝 Use stickers or jot down translations – Tiny Linguist sticker packs = stress-free multilingual storytime.

Final Thought: Multilingual Storytime Should Be Fun, Not Work

With the right books, multilingual reading is effortless, and you won’t have to make up translations on the spot (we’ve all been there).

🌟 What’s your toddler’s favorite book? Drop a comment below!

📩 Want more book lists, free resources & translation sticker packs? Subscribe to Tiny Linguist for fun, stress-free multilingual parenting!

✨ More curated lists coming soon! Stay tuned for:

👶 Best Picture Books for Multilingual Babies (0-12 months)

🧒 Best Picture Books for Multilingual Kids (2-4 years old)