Quick picks: our top recommendations
| Book | Author | Find It |
|---|---|---|
| Alphabet Books for Babies and Toddlers: | Check on Amazon → | |
| Alphabet Books for Babies and Toddlers: | Check on Amazon → | |
| Oh, Baby! The A to Z | Check on Amazon → | |
| Oh, Baby! The A to Z | Check on Amazon → | |
| Interactive/Lift-the-flap Alphabet Books: | Check on Amazon → | |
| Interactive/Lift-the-flap Alphabet Books: | Check on Amazon → |
Below are 8 titles in total — we’ve highlighted our 6 favourites above. Each one links straight through to Amazon AU.
As we know, learning to read is extremely complex. Learning to read requires the ability to recognise and understand the alphabet. To be an effective reader, it is essential to learn the sounds that letters and letter combinations make, along with the letter names.
Reading books with our children is so powerful. Reading alphabet books alone, without any extra instruction, is a wonderful way to simply expose your child to the alphabet and help them hear a range of sounds that are associated with each letter.
There are a countless number of alphabet books available, but they share similar qualities. Most of them are fun or interactive, while many others are full of alliteration.
Reading these books can be far more enjoyable than flash cards and drill based learning. If your child is in kindergarten or school, it is also an effective but casual way to support or consolidate the learning taking place there.
Below is just a small selection of some recently published alphabet books. I hope you can find one that your child will enjoy.
Apple Pie ABC
Author: Alison Murray
ISBN:978-1408308011
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Orchard Books/Hachette Children’s Books, May 2010
This traditional verse is retold with wit, filled with charm and illustrated with tremendous style by an exciting debut artist. Follow the funny exploits of the completely lovable pup, Georgie, as he does his best to get his paws on the pie! We love this book. Read our book spotlight.
Alphabet Books for Babies and Toddlers:
You might also be interested in our Australian Alphabet Book list for younger readers.
A Child’s First ABC Alphabet
Author: Alison Jay
ISBN:978-1920878429
Find Alphabet Books for Babies and Toddlers: on Amazon AU →
Format: Board book
Publisher: Hardie Grant, January 2005
“Alison Jay weaves potent magic as she leads grown-ups and children alike on a very special journey through the alphabet.” – back cover. Alison Jay’s signature illustration style brings a child’s fist numbers and ABC to life. There is much more hiding in the illustrations than at first appears…
Maisy’s ABC
Author: Lucy Cousins
ISBN:978-0763640941
Find Alphabet Books for Babies and Toddlers: on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick/Walker Books, July 2008
Maisy is having some imaginative alphabet fun with her friends. She sails in a boat, balances on an elephant’s trunk, flies a kite, dresses up as a queen, rides a train and makes music. There are tabs to pull and flaps to lift and each letter is drawn as a capital and in lower case, with a word beside or beneath it. There’s never been such an enjoyable way to learn the alphabet!
Oh, Baby! The A to Z
ISBN: 978-1742032306
Find Oh, Baby! The A to Z on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Black Dog Books (Walker Books), May 2010
An alphabet book full of cute and fuzzy baby animals that represent each letter of the alphabet.
An A to Z of Pirates
Author: Caroline Stills and Heath McKenzie
ISBN:978-1921714221
Find Oh, Baby! The A to Z on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Little Hare Books, March 2011
With a search-and-find on every page, this is the book for all boys and girls who dream of sailing the seven seas. The rhythmic text will have readers singing shanties, wearing eye patches and growling ‘argh’ in no time. We love this book. Full review coming soon.
A is for Annabelle: A Doll’s Alphabet
Author: Tasha Tudor
ISBN:978-0689869969
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks/ Simon & Schuster) August 2004
Learn the alphabet from A to Z with the help of Annabelle the doll. Each gorgeously illustrated spread features one of her favorite things. With an antique box, a parasol, and yarn for mending, children can learn the alphabet in grand style.
C Is for Caboose: Riding the Rails from A to Z
Author: Tracy N. Todd
ISBN:978-0811856430
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2007
Pack your bags for an unforgettable trip! An unexpected mix of vintage illustrations and contemporary photos makes this word book about trains as entertaining to look at as it is to read. With simple information about everything from the transcontinental railroad to the model trains, C Is for Caboose is sure to excite young readers’ natural curiosity and fill their heads with details they’ll be eager to share.
A Dictionary of Dance
Author: Liz Murphy
ISBN:978-1593546137
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Blue Apple Books/Chronicle Books, July 2007
Dance is not just an art, it’s a whole different language! In A Dictionary of Dance, readers will learn about arabesques, break dancing, choreographers, and the zones of the body—everything that comes together to make a dance, whether it’s ballet or the polka. Liz Murphy’s dynamic and expressive artwork is sure to inspire readers of all ages to get up and dance!
Paul Thurlby’s Alphabet
Author: Paul Thurlby
ISBN:978-1921759499
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Board Book
Publisher: Hardie Grant, April 2011
A must-have book for funky first readers and stylish parents. Discover an alphabet like no other! Each letter becomes it’s word, so the shapes are memorable for young readers. The first children’s board book from highly-collectible graphic artist Paul Thurlby. We love this book. Full review coming soon.
Alphabeasties
Authors: Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss
ISBN:978-1934706787
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Blue Apple Books/Chronicle Books, September 2009
From an alligator made of aaa’s to a zebra made of zzz’s, the alphabeasties in this book are ingeniously built out of multiple typefaces. Adults and children will be engaged and delighted with the flaps, which lift to reveal “beasties” for each letter of the alphabet.
Alphab’art
Author: Anne Guery and Olivier Dussutour
ISBN:978-1847800138
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books/Walker Books, July 2009
A fun introduction to both the alphabet and the work of famous artists. Readers can search the paintings of Giotto, Chagall, Picasso, Dalí, Klee and many more to discover the letter hiding within. We love this book. Read our book spotlight.
Interactive/Lift-the-flap Alphabet Books:
The Most Amazing Hide-And-Seek Alphabet Book
Author: Robert Crowther
ISBN:978-0763650308
Find Interactive/Lift-the-flap Alphabet Books: on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Candlewick Press/Walker Books, July 2010
A is for Ape, B is for Bear, C is for Crocodile. Pull the tabs and lift the flaps to make frogs leap, hens peck, koalas climb, mice scuttle, owls blink, snakes uncoil … and learn the alphabet at the same time! We love this book. Full review coming soon.
Alphabet
Author: Matthew Van Fleet
ISBN:978-1847383730
Find Interactive/Lift-the-flap Alphabet Books: on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, September 2008
In Matthew Van Fleet’s incredible new multiconcept book, over 100 creatures and plants from A to Z hilariously demonstrate action words, synonyms, opposites, and more. Young explorers are challenged to spot four plants or animals that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Twenty-three textures plus foils, flaps, pull tabs, and even a scratch-and-sniff scent add to the interactive surprises on every page. We love this book. Full review coming soon.
Alpha Bugs: A Pop-Up Alphabet
Author: David A. Carter
ISBN:978-1416909736
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Little Simon, June 2006
From boogie-woogie Bubble Bugs to upside-down Umbrella Bugs, this fun-filled pop, pull, and peek book makes learning the alphabet exactly eight Egg Bugs excellent.
Alpha Monsters
Author/Illustrator: Chris Kennett
ISBN: 978-1741697612
Find Alpha Monsters on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, April 2011
An entertaining book about Freddy who enters a monster’s world to help find A’s lost teddy. A great story that uses alliteration to highlight each letter of the alphabet.
Arnie and Barney’s Crazy Alphabet Action Adventure
Author: Emma Dodson
ISBN: 978-1407111094
Find Alpha Monsters on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover/Novelty
Publisher: Scholastic, 2010
Meet Arnie the monster and his silly sidekick, Barney the monster dog, as they learn their ABCs. As Arnie and Barney’s story unfolds, each letter comes to life with pull-tabs, flaps and novelties galore. Children will love joining in with this crazy monster duo as they explore, gallop, illuminate, juggle, lick and skip their way through this hilarious, original and action-packed novelty alphabet book! We think this book is fun. Full review coming soon.
Alpha Oops!: The Day Z Went First
Author: Alethea Kontis and Bob Kolar
ISBN:978-0763627287
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick/Walker Books, July 2006
Z is tired of always having to be last when the alphabet family lines up. He is demanding fair and equal treatment! The letters (more or less) agree to go backward, but it’s not long before P has some ideas of his own. And so does H, for that matter. In fact, it seems as if almost every letter has an idea about how the alphabet should be arranged. It’s chaos! It’s pandemonium! And it’s definitely not as easy as A-B-C!
G Is for One Gzonk!:
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi
ISBN:978-1416941156
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Simon Scribbles, November 2006
Tiny DiTerlooney is a little boy with a big imagination who would like to introduce us to some rather bizarre creatures, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet. These include the Acks (red, like to eat dirty clothes) and the Dinkalicious Dinky (likes to eat bananas from a tin, while balancing on a pin). But Tiny’s celebration of letters is unexpectedly disrupted when a group of numbers decides to turn the alphabet book into a counting book. This is a highly entertaining ‘alpha-number-bet’ book, which revels in rhyme and nonsense! We think this book is fun. Full review coming soon.
How to actually use an alphabet book
Mia points out that alphabet books are one of the most over-read and under-thought-about categories in early-reading shelves. Most parents read them straight through, A–Z, every time. There’s much better mileage available.
- Don’t always read in order. Start with the letter of your child’s name. Then the first letter of mum/dad/sibling/dog. By the time you’ve done the family, you’ve covered six letters and your child has experienced them as personal — not as a sequence to memorise.
- Read the letter sound, not the letter name. “Sss for snake” lands harder than “Ess for snake” with pre-readers. Letter sounds are what unlock decoding.
- Hunt the letter outside the book. Read “A is for apple,” then go find an A in the kitchen, on a cereal box, on a sign. Books are a launchpad, not a destination.
- Use multiple alphabet books. A single alphabet book teaches a child that “A is for apple.” Three alphabet books teach them that A can be apple, ant, or astronaut — and that’s the actual literacy lesson.
- Once they know the letters, read the book backwards. Z to A. Toddlers will think this is wildly funny and you’ll have proof they actually know the order.
Why a good alphabet book still matters
Alphabet books are the foundational layer of decoding literacy. Most kids will own at least three across their pre-reader years — and the difference between having three good ones and three bland ones is meaningful. The titles on this list earn their place because the illustrations have something interesting to say (not just “A is for apple, here is an apple”), and because they show enough variety per letter that a four-year-old can start to feel the letter’s shape and sound rather than memorise one association.
Lila’s teacher-brain note: kids who arrive at school having played with multiple alphabet books typically don’t need explicit phonics intervention. They’ve essentially absorbed the system through repeated, varied exposure. That’s a long-term pay-off worth the shelf space.
Frequently asked questions
What age is right for an alphabet book?
From birth, honestly — just don’t expect engagement until about 18 months. The peak decoding-utility window is 3 to 5. By age 6 most kids are in fluent-reading territory and alphabet books become decorative.
Best alphabet book to start with?
For Australian kids: Alphabetical Sydney or An ANZAC Tale Alphabet tie the letters to recognisable Australian places. For pure phonics: Eric Carle’s ABC. For the “weird and wonderful” angle: The Z Was Zapped.
How many alphabet books should we own?
Three is the magic number. One traditional, one with a personality (silly, themed, art-led), one Australian. Beyond three, you hit diminishing returns — pivot to actual story books.
Do alphabet books work in classrooms?
Mia uses them constantly in Year 1 as a five-minute warm-up. A different alphabet book each Friday for a term gives kids exposure to ten different ways the alphabet can be presented — and that variety is exactly what builds robust phonemic awareness.
Shop the full list on Amazon AU
Each link below opens an Amazon AU search for that title’s exact ISBN. We earn a small commission if you decide to buy — thank you, it keeps the lights on at the Bookcase.
- Alphabet Books for Babies and Toddlers:
- Alphabet Books for Babies and Toddlers:
- Oh, Baby! The A to Z
- Oh, Baby! The A to Z
- Interactive/Lift-the-flap Alphabet Books:
- Interactive/Lift-the-flap Alphabet Books:
- Alpha Monsters
- Alpha Monsters
📚 Looking for more book lists?
We’ve curated 28 picture-book lists across six themes — Family, Christmas & ANZAC, Australian identity, Learning to Read, Gifts & Milestones, and Themes & Activities. Hand-read by the team, age-graded, and ready to use.
