2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge: Shapes

The 2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge continues marching on through April with the Letter “S” today for shapes! This is the perfect concept book list for babies and toddlers because it’s basic information that can help them with early literacy skills to be ready to learn how to read. Because, what are letters, but some basic shapes with meaning?

When kids learn about a circle or an oval, they’re also learning about the letter “O”, when kids are learning about triangles, they’re also learning about the letter “A”. Board books are a great place to learn about shapes and other concepts like colors, the alphabet, and numbers. So, have fun with shapes with these nine board books for babies and toddlers!

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2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge: Shapes

Circle! Sphere! by Grace  Lin

Manny and his friends Olivia and Mei blow bubbles in this playful introduction to geometry. Manny’s wand is a circle. Olivia’s wand is a square. Mei’s wand is a heart. What shape will their bubbles be? (Surprise! They’re all spheres.)

Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. 

Eat Together by Miguel Ordonez

Various parts of a meal are formed one by one, piece by piece, in this visual play on the interaction between shapes. If just three simple shapes can combine to create a strawberry, then four shapes make a…? Part guessing game, part visual narrative, young readers will follow along as shapes are added to build new foods, and laugh along as some sneaky critters attempt to take on more than they can chew. With humor, anticipation, and possibility on every page, this board book encourages creativity and proves that anything is possible when taken piece by piece.

An Oval Submarine and Other Shapes by Britta Teckentrup, illustrated by Bernette G. Ford

Drive a rectangular fire truck, fly a green diamond kite, and say hello to a starfish. An Oval Submarine gives younger children a colorful introduction to shapes, from the triangular sail on a blue sailboat to a hexagonal honeycomb, with bees buzzing around. Kids will HEART this delightful book!

Shapes: Find, Discover, Learn by Olga Utkina

This over-sized Search & Find padded board book is a great educational tool that teaches children numbers. More than 700 real-life images throughout the book feature various cars, toys, shapes, animals, and birds. Children can easily recognize the images as part of the daily world. Each spread features objects of the same color and multiple activities to practice counting to ten. Photo books are incredibly popular for the intended audience as is the big format, thick board pages with rounded corners, and padded cover – a great gift for preschoolers!

Shapes by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake

From triangles to circle, this board book is a great way to teach our littlest readers shapes. With art by Quentin Blake from Roald Dahl’s classic books, this book is perfect for libaries, the youngest classrooms, and baby shower gifts to start a child’s bookshelf.

Shapes by Shelley Rotner

Beautifully photographed, a diverse group of children explore the unexpected shapes of everyday sights and objects. “Eggs, grapes, lemons and leaves. Jellybeans, seeds, sunglasses, and balloons.” They’re all ovals!

Shelley Rotner, an accomplished photographer and a former kindergarten teacher, gently challenges children to think creatively about shapes in real life. The lyrical text provides much for readers to consider as they find circles in the sky (the moon, the sun), squares in the playground (hopscotch), and more.

Shape Up, Construction Trucks! by Victoria Allenby

It’s no secret that toddlers of any gender love big vehicles. Shape Up, Construction Trucks! uses rhyming verse and bright photographs to celebrate this enthusiasm in a unique take on conceptual shape books. Each spread highlights geometric shapes hiding in plain sight on excavators, bulldozers, cranes, and more. And after the toddlers have browsed the pages to their heart’s content, a final note to parents offers enriching, age-appropriate activities to keep building their child’s foundational learning skills.

This Is a Book of Shapes by Kenneth Kraegel

First comes the circle. Then the square and the triangle. Then the . . . emu pushing a pancake wagon down a hill? What begins as a concept book about everyone’s geometric favorites soon defies expectations with a series of funny and imaginative twists. Award-winning author-illustrator Kenneth Kraegel pairs a deadpan text with simple wood-grained shapes, interspersed with vibrant illustrations of animals engaged in hilariously absurd pastimes. Each page turn builds on the delicious anticipation the contrast creates to make this a unique and rollicking story-time hit.

Watch This by James Godwin

In a world oversaturated with beautiful photos (hello Instagram!) and imagery (hello ‘Golden Age of Illustration’!) we sometimes forget the power that photos can have for our children. Seeing photographs of other kids in action promotes empathy, acknowledges the diversity of our community and encourages PLAY!

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.