Sturdy Books for Destructive Toddlers

Have a toddler? Toddlers can still be readers. These books for destructive toddlers can stand up to anything your tot can dish out.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. 

“Don’t hurt books; books are our friends!”

One of my earliest memories is of my mom saying this to me and my siblings.

Although I have passed the same phrase down to my own children, something about Bo’s personality is just hard on books. She love reading and books, but she has a hard time being gentle on books and caring for traditional paper pages. We are working on it, but until then, these sturdy books for destructive toddlers will have to do. If you have your own destructive toddler, any of these books stand up to much abuse.

13 Sturdy Books for Destructive Toddlers

These board books for destructive toddlers stand up to any abuse a book-loving active tot can throw at it. Short of throwing it in the bathtub (which is a possibility in our home), most of these books can stand up to anything.

Baby Night-Night

These books are amazing. Rather than being made of paper or cardboard, they are made of a sort of fiber that is completely washable and completely un-tearable. I wanted to test the strength myself and I couldn’t get it to tear no matter what I did.

Wiggle! March!

If your toddler likes animals, Wiggle! March! is another excellent pick for a completely indestructible book.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

My toddlers always love this book because of the fun rhymes and repetitive nature of the story. The ending is always full of delight and makes little ones giggle. It’s a favorite here!

Where Is Baby’s Belly Button?

Where is Baby’s Belly Button is my girls’ all time favorite book. They loved lifting the flaps to see what was behind them to identify hands, feet, teeth, and of course, the belly button.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

I love Peter Rabbit, but trying to read the original stories to my toddlers just won’t happen. The stories are too long and the pages are too delicate. This version is similar to the original but in  a much more tot-friendly format.

Perfect Pets

Perfect Pets is another popular book at our house. Our copy is so well-loved that the white dog on the front has a permanent patch of grey fur where the children have stained it from touching it so often.

Duck & Goose Colors

We just discovered Duck and Goose earlier this year and Bo is a huge fan. I picked this one because she is also currently obsessed with colors. 

Fluffy Chick

Fluffy Chick is about a little chick who has an adventurous day saying hello to all her friends before getting tucked in at night. Bo loves lifting the flaps and I adore the cute illustrations.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Bo’s favorite part about The Very Hungry Caterpillar is when she eats enough to be sick. She finds that hilarious for some reason.

That’s Not My Puppy

There is nothing not to like about That’s Not My Puppy. The story is short, toddlers can feel the pages for different textures, and it is about a puppy! Nothing better.

Goodnight Moon

We own both a paperback and board version of Goodnight Moon, but I prefer the board book format for babies and toddlers. Our board book copy is small enough for Bo to be able to hold and read on her own.

Sheep in a Jeep

Little ones love laughing at the silly antics of these sheep. I remember loving this story as a child and both of my girls love it as well.

Hey Diddle Diddle

Puppet books are a fun way to mix playtime and reading time. Hey Diddle Diddle is a fun read for all little ones.

If you loved this list, don’t forget to check out the other posts in the Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists!