Best Books About Shapes For Toddlers

Shapes are everywhere we turn.

So learning about shapes is one of the first early year concepts to help our toddlers understand the world.

Generally, when your child is 2 years and over, they should be able to name some basic geometric shapes like circle, square and triangle, before moving on to more advanced shapes like ellipse and hexagon. This also gives them a head-start in developing basic maths before they start school.

Books are a fun and exciting introduction to discover the world of shapes. From multi-sensory board books to colourful lift-the-flap stories, we’ve rounded up some of the best books about shapes that will keep your toddler entertained for hours!

For Peppa Pig fans, this is the perfect way to learn about shapes! This great hands-on board book is packed with bright pictures and simple words to identify a shape and an object. Toddlers will especially love learning along with their favourite friendly pig!

This shapes book associates shapes with animals. Toddlers will love touching the soft raised, cut-out shape of a ladybird or a square-shaped owl. With a focus on the multi-sensory learning experience, this is also a good introduction to reading simple words through bright visual stimulation.

In this entertaining story, Fox asks his friend Ox to find his missing sock in his endless sock supply. This is a fun way for readers to help Ox locate his friend’s matching sock by shape recognition, pattern and colour. Children will love following the friendly geometric-shaped characters, also designed to help with early math concepts.

This board book is a fun and interactive first introduction to shapes. Toddlers will enjoy looking at the colourful illustrations of different shapes and similar objects. The animal characters encourage toddlers to trace around the shape with their finger or ask how many sides does it have.

Olobob Top is the new animated CBeebies series for pre-schoolers. In this book, fans will learn about shapes with characters, Tib, Lalloo and Bobble, who are all made out of shapes! Toddlers can lift the flaps to enjoy exploring the exciting world of Olobob Top. Who wears a triangle dress? What are those big rectangle shapes in the forest? This book is full of imagination and adventure!

What’s on the menu at Frankie’s? Could it be a square slice of toast or semi-circle watermelon piece? Based on a best-selling game, this fun board book is designed to help children learn about shapes from Frankie’s foods. Serving a different shape of food every day, toddlers can lift the flaps to reveal the yummy treats.

This colourful board book is all about shapes with some random animals and objects thrown in to make it more fun! Toddlers will enjoy learning about shapes through vibrant illustrations with silly surprise elements. After all, what’s an elephant doing in a shape book? A playful read for both toddlers and parents!

Fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar will adore this book of shapes and bold illustrations by the same author. This split-page wordless board book is a simple way of introducing shapes to toddlers. Kids will enjoy learning by lining up the shape in the top part of the book with the same shaped image at the bottom!

This funny geometry-inspired story is about learning shapes through ‘friendshape’. In this bright and bold picture book, Circle and Square have been best friends for years. Then along comes exciting Triangle who they soon begin fighting for its attention. Can they all get along? With its play on words and engaging pictures, kids will enjoy learning about shapes as well as co-operation.

Toddlers will meet Walter, a determined spider who can’t seem to spin a perfect web, but he can spin wonderful shapes in the wind. Until one day, he spins the greatest web of all! Children will love following clever Walter on his journey, naming the various shapes in his web and counting how many sides.

Continuing the Montessori schools' focus of learning through play, this shape book allows toddlers to explore through touch. They are encouraged to trace the die-cut outlines with their fingers and learn to identify groups of a shape family. Toddlers will love this hands-on approach to learning,

This bright and colourful board book is a fun, hands-on way to learn about shapes and simple picture associations. Whether it’s a mountain (triangle) or planet (circle), toddlers will enjoy feeling around the soft raised and cut-out pictures.

The perfect introduction to shapes, this makes early learning simple and fun. With its colourful pictures, toddlers will enjoy discovering the world of shapes and simple word labels. This is also a great way to develop early vocabulary skills at the same time.

Everybody loves a sing-along! Inspired by the original song by Steve Songs, this book comes with a groovy CD and packed with stunning animations. Children will enjoy learning how shapes can be transformed into anything you can imagine, with a catchy song!

Follow adventurous John Logan on his travels as he identifies shapes.  This concept book is beautifully illustrated with simple words. Shapes are spread over two pages, and Logan is seen interacting with a shape in real life like a rectangle pool. An exciting way for toddlers to learn about shapes and how we apply them to objects, this is one of our favourite stories about shapes.

Influential artist, Josef Albers, takes children on a visual journey of shapes through stunning artwork. In this board book, toddlers will be attracted to the vibrant and bold shapes on each page. There is also a simple and easy commentary about each shape to make learning fun!

You’re invited to Miss Bunny’s party! In this book full of colourful illustrations, toddlers are invited to join in with the celebrations and explore different shapes. Children will enjoy learning and identifying key shapes with vibrant animal friends.

Join Lulu for a picnic in the park and learn all about shapes. In this fun interactive book, toddlers can identify shapes like the circle paper plates Lulu’s mum packs for the picnic. Perfect for little hands, toddlers will enjoy lifting up the flaps to see the surprise treats!

This interactive touch-and-feel book encourages toddlers to trace the black dots around the figure and count the number of shapes. With lovely illustrations, the friendly animals can entertain children as they learn the shapes around us.

This clever book is all about how shapes can become other things. With engaging pictures and rhymes, kids will learn how a circle can become a Ferris wheel or a square can become a house. A great interactive book that will get toddlers talking about shapes in their environment.

Our favourite CBeebies characters take us into the night garden to learn about shapes. Follow Igglepiggle and friends as they help toddlers identify different shapes and objects. A bright and fun chunky book that young fans will enjoy!