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PEOPLE LOVE to talk about the 'terrible twos' and the challenges of having a screaming - yet not totally verbal - toddler racing around the house, thinking they're in charge.

However, there's another side to two-year-olds: they're the most loving, cuddly, curious people on the planet. Which is why we should spend lots of time reading to them - whether we're parents, aunties and uncles, grandparents or babysitters.

Two year olds are broadly interested in a couple of things: themselves, so any books about babies, activities and people or items they can identify are always a hit. They also tend to start developing their love of animals around this age - 'cat' and 'dog' are often among the first several words they master, so any cute animal books are sure to be popular.

If there's one author to introduce your child to - which will set off a love affair for the next several years, at least - then Julia Donaldson's rhyming books are well-suited to this age thanks to their compelling characters and repetitive lines.

Two year olds also love being involved in the story: I Spy books where they can point to things or mixed-up books where they can rearrange pictures in ways that make sense and ways that don't, are another popular choice.

Action books are also fun for the toddler set: Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss are two leaders in this field, with books that encourage children to make sounds and shake their bodies like the characters in their books.

If you need more inspiration, BookTrust - whose mission is to get kids and families reading -  has endless inspiration for books for kids of all ages (and, helpfully, broken down by age, too). Bedtime might just take a little bit longer tonight...

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1. Best rhyming picture book for two-year-olds: One Mole Digging A Hole

What makes a great picture book for a two-year-old? Bold, bright colours and funny pictures - the mole in welly boots, the storks in newsboy caps. Fantastic rhymes that are easy for a toddler to remember and repeat. And an educational component: this book gets kids counting up to 10.

A total gem from Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt, this is a book your two-year-old will enjoy and continue to read and re-read. Bonus: it might even get them digging in the garden, excited about veg.

2. Best mixed-up book for two-year-olds: Flip Flap Frozen

Two-year-olds are still very much excited by the tactile aspect of books: they like opening flaps, turning pages, pressing buttons.

This rhyming flip-flap book from the beloved Gruffalo illustrator lets them create animals they'll recognise and completely wild hybrids that will have them giggling - there are over 120 possible combinations so each time you pick up the book, it's a new experience. It's ideal for unleashing their creative sides as well.

3. Best animal book: Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy

The Hairy Maclary (and Slinky Malinki) series from Lynley Dodd are absolutely brilliant for young animal lovers: the characters are cute, the rhymes are easy to remember and there's plenty of repetition and charm.

Hairy Maclary also possesses that rare quality of still being enjoyable for the reader (aka you) after the 100th reading; thankfully, there are numerous other books to get stuck into in the series if your child enjoys it. Which they will.

4. Best action book for two-year-olds: Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

Two-year-olds love books they can interact with, which is why this Dr. Seuss classic works so well for their age: lots of repetition, a challenge to readers to repeat the sounds in the story and giggles aplenty as kids try to 'pop', 'cock a doodle doo' and 'dribble dribble' like the rain.

5. Best sing-a-long book: Bing The Rainybow Song

We can't always predict the books our children will like - but there's a good chance a book about a well-loved TV character will be a hit, especially when it sings.

Your youngsters can push the button to sing along to the Rainybow song with Bing and his friends whilst learning about the colours of the rainbow.

It's fun, colourful and educational - everything we look for in a book for two-year-olds.

6. Best book about them for two-year-olds: The Baby's Catalogue board book

As two-year-olds learn to make sense of the world around them, they absolutely love it when they recognise people and activities and objects along the way. More than a book to read to your child (there's only a word or two per page) The Baby's Catalogue will become a chat about the everyday scenes in the life of a baby or toddler: waking up, having breakfast, interacting with mum and dad, playing, accidents (every two-year-old's favourite page), bedtime and more.

'This is SUCH a wonderful book. I love that you can pick it up and flick to any page as it's not a storybook, just a catalogue of pictures. My son enjoys pointing at the different pictures and naming what is happening in the scene. As is the Ahlbergs' style, all the images feel like they're from a bygone era, but still completely relevant today,' writes a fan.

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Enjoyed our roundup of the best books for two-year-olds? Then you might like our selection of books for one-year-olds, too.

This article and any featured products have been independently chosen by The Sun journalists. All recommendations within the article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click a link and buy a product we may earn revenue: this helps to support The Sun, and in no way affects our recommendations.

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