Little Ones
Talk, Sing, Read, Write, and Play Every Day!
Children begin learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their first few years of life. They thrive when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development. Through play spaces, books, storytimes, and other programs, the library has resources to support you in your role as your child’s first and best teacher! Visit our Kids and Families page older kids’ programs and services.
Events
KINDERGARTEN READINESS
OTHER SERVICES FOR PARENTS OF LITTLE ONES
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Track your progress and earn stickers and prizes!
Apps for Kids Ages 0-5
Recommended Apps
Baby Time
Songs and activities for pre-walkers
Counting and Color Songs
Sing felt board songs with Jodi and Kurt!
Hand-Picked for You!
Let library staff pick out some great new titles for you.
Kits
Themed sets of books and educational toys
Movement for Little Ones
Get your wiggles out with movement and yoga!
Nursery Rhymes
Sing Nursery Rhymes with Pat!
Storytime Songs
Sing storytime songs with YDL staff
Summer Challenge
Read, Learn, Explore
Online Books, Movies, & Music
ABCmouse Early Learning Academy is an engaging online curriculum for children ages 2–8+, including reading and language arts, math, beginning science, social studies, art, and music. Enter your YDL card number to create an account.
An interactive educational experience for young learners age 3 and up. With stories, songs, games, and videos, kids will practice concepts such as letters, numbers, shapes, and more.
Download movies, television shows, music, comic books, eBooks, and eAudiobooks to your laptop or mobile device.
Animals and social studies come to life in this easy-to-navigate and visual learning tool for youngsters pre-K and up.
Kids will love these animated, talking books! Watch your favorite children’s books come alive with narration, music, and interactive elements.
Book Lists
![Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/9781492638322-150x150.jpg)
Great books written by African American authors and published within the last 2 years. Some authors you may have heard of before, others may be brand new to the scene! The collection has many age ranges inside.
Go to List![My Bother Otto by Meg Raby](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/9781423651543-150x150.jpg)
Celebrating neurodiversity recognizes and brings awareness to brain diversity. Down syndrome, Autism, ADHD, Emotional Dysregulation, Anxiety, Learning Challenges and others disorders can be included in this discussion. This collection of books introduce kids to this dialogue. Reading about neurodiversity develops empathy, acceptance and can create a safe space for children to ask questions.
Go to List![Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/9780763678388-150x150.jpg)
![Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/eyes-150x150.jpg)
Enjoy this collection of books written by East Asian authors. East Asia is a large expanse of territory with China as its largest country. This region also includes Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Go to List![My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/9781459809574-150x150.jpg)
Pick a favorite for a read aloud, then add songs and rhymes for storytime at home.
Go to List![Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/9781442423640-150x150.jpg)
Choose from our preschooler read aloud list and add a song for a storytime at home.
Go to List![Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/9781419723490-150x150.jpg)
Build a storytime at home using books from our favorites list, songs and finger plays.
Go to List![It Feels Good to be Yourself by Theresa Thorn](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/9781250302953-150x150.jpg)
Explore these topics through beautiful picture books. These books are a great way to begin a conversation or to add to an already existing conversation. You’ll find suggestions for age ranges between 3 and 9.
Go to List![Always Remember by Cece Meng](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/always-remember-150x150.jpg)
Loss of a loved one is a big moment in a child’s life. These books can help you talk about death, loss, and grieving with a child ages 3-9. This is a big collection with many different angles and concepts.
Go to ListDo you know a reader who loves to play with their books? Suggest some of the titles below for anyone looking for a pop-up, lift-the-flap, peek-through, pull-and-slide, or upside-down book adventure! If you know of a book in our catalog that has an inte …
Go to List![Saying Goodbye to Lulu](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lulu-150x150.jpg)
For many children, the loss of a pet is an introduction to death and loss of a loved one. These books are a great entry point into more conversation or simply using the time for connection.
Go to List![Big Sister Now by Annette Sheldon](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/9781591472438-150x150.jpg)
Are you expecting a new baby? Concerned about how your child(ren) will react? Check out these books to get ready for the new addition to your family.
Go to List![I got the Rhythm](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/rhythm-150x150.jpg)
Great books for kids ages 2-9 by African American authors. This collection ranges from being published a while ago to only several years ago. With a range of styles and topics, you’re sure to find something that you love.
Go to List![Young Muslim girl wearing a pink headscarf](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/under-my-hijab-cover-art-150x150.jpg)
Thanks to the tireless work of Arab literature blogs and library blogs, we can offer you this list of picture books written by Muslim authors. This collection features Muslim children and their families. We hope these books will provide a deeper understanding of the Muslim American and global Muslim experience.
Go to List![The Most Beautiful Thing by Kao Kalia Yang](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/most-beautiful-thing-150x150.jpg)
South Asia is made up of countries including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Iran, and the Maldives. This collection of books celebrates authors from this beautiful region that is also known for being the home of the Himalayan Mountains.
Go to List![Ten Cents a Pound by Nhung N. Tran-Davies](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/9781772600568-150x150.jpg)
Enjoy this collection of books written by Southeast Asian authors. This region includes countries of impressive diversity in culture, religion, and history: Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Go to List![The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/king-150x150.jpg)
Is your little one starting kindergarten in the fall? Use these books to talk about what it will be like and what your child can expect.
Go to List![](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Duck-Goes-Potty-150x150.jpg)
Is your little one getting ready to use the potty? These books will help you succeed!
Go to List![The Little Black Fish by Samad Behrangi](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/9781910328002-150x150.jpg)
Enjoy this great collection of books written by authors from Western Asia. This region includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. You’ll find beautiful picture books that touch a range of topics as well as books for older children written with a West Asian voice.
Go to List![Cover of picture book called You Hold Me Up](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/9781459814479-150x150.jpg)
Find great books by Native American/First Nation authors for your little one here.
Go to List![My Papi has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero](https://www.ypsilibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/papi-150x150.jpg)
‘Latinx’ is a gender-neutral word for people of Latin American descent. This collection highlights the voices and experiences of Latinx authors.
Go to List