2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge: Music
Today’s 2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge about music pairs really well with the letter “J” for Jump, so if you didn’t get a chance to check out that blog post, make sure you swing by to see what board book titles I shared! This book list comes with sing-along titles (which are always a crowd favorite) as well as great books to encourage music making with simple instruments.
Singing is an early literacy practice and helps children learn the individual sounds that make up words in a much easier way than spoken word! And kids don’t care what you sound like, so belt out the words to your favorite song, play some children’s musicians on your phone and have a dance party in the living room! Embrace music in all different forms and share these books with your kiddos!
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2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge: Music
The Belly Song by Mother Moon, illustrated by Leah Giles
Big belly, little belly, round belly, flat!
I like whatever kind of belly that you’ve got!
This beautiful message about body positivity and neutrality is perfect for babies and toddlers. With a QR code link to a song, irresistible illustrations, and a powerful message of love, acceptance, and kindness to our bodies, this board book is a great gift for any growing library.
DJ Baby by DJ Burton, illustrated by Andy J Pizza
This boogie-worthy board book with record-spinning novelties helps DJs-in-training practice their skills! Featuring two turntables at the top of the book, young readers can spin, turn, and mix the moving records as they pump up the jams.
Let’s Make Music by Alexandra Penfold, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
Clap your hands. Tap your feet. It’s time to make some music! Strum the guitar, shake the maracas, and dance to the beat of the drums with the kids from All Are Welcome! A read-out-loud celebration of music and sounds that will have the littlest of readers tapping their feet.
Music by Jill McDonald
Every young child loves to listen to music, bang on drums, and pound the keys of a piano. Now here’s a Hello, World! board book that can teach babies and toddlers all about musical instruments and the sounds they make—with colors, shapes, sizes, and super-simple facts.
On Top of Linguine: An Eye-Popping Parody by Brian Biggs
On Halloween night, over a plate of linguine, a skeleton sneezes… and POP! His eyeball bounces off the table, onto the floor, and right out the door. Mayhem ensues as the skeleton chases after the runaway eyeball all through town with the help of some monstrous friends.
Plinka Plinka Shake Shake by Emma Garcia
Let’s look in the music box. What can we find? A triangle, a drum, a ukulele. Ting, ting, boom, boom, plinka, plinka! Can we play a tune? A perfect introduction to the fun of musical instruments for toddlers, now in board book.
Rumble, Rumble Dinosaur by Katrina Charman, illustrated by Nick Sharratt
Rumble, rumble, dinosaur!
Wake up dinos, time to roar.
Follow along with a whole host of different dinosaurs as they go through one exciting dino day! Join the friendly stegosaurus, the gigantic diplodocus, the fearsome T. Rex, and others as they roar their way from morning to bedtime!
This text is set to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, making it perfect for storytime and reading aloud. With bright colors, playful rhymes, and plenty of dinosaurs, this adventure provides endless fun for dino fans both big and small. Little ones will love singing along to the tune of a favorite nursery rhyme!
Sunny Day: A Celebration of the Sesame Street Theme Song by Joe Raposo
To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Sesame Street, beloved picture-book artists have each created an artwork interpreting a different line from “Sunny Day,” the iconic Sesame Street theme song. The range of their pieces demonstrates that Sesame Street can truly be found anywhere. The award-winning and bestselling roster of illustrators includes Christian Robinson, Tom Lichtenheld, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Leo Espinosa, and Dan Santat, among others. The result is a stunning tribute to Sesame Street and to the generations of children who have loved the show. Anyone who opens this beautiful book will be inspired to imagine their own perfect sunny day.
For half a century, Sesame Street has helped kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder through its messages about inclusiveness, kindness, and, of course, literacy and numeracy.
This Is Music: Voice by Rekha S. Rajan, illustrated by Tania Yakunova
What do a choir, a rapper, and a yodeler all have in common? They all use voice to make music! This first introduction begins with a simple explanation of what defines a musical voice. Young readers are then invited on a global exploration of a variety of different vocal musicians, and then encouraged to use their voice in the world around them. Complete with a mirror for observing their own mouths!
2026 is my eleventh year participating in the Blogging A to Z Challenge! This year, my theme is Board Books for Babies with a focus on providing book suggestions that parents and caregivers can share with, of course, babies, but also toddlers and preschoolers! Each letter of the alphabet will focus on a different subject and will provide nine titles for each subject. While there are dozens of classic board books out there, this list includes titles published in the past 5-6 years, so you’ll get to learn about new titles, authors, and publishers! Stop by daily to check out the new books and other posts that I’ll be sharing in April.
