Our Big Book of Animals: 100+ First Words for Babies & Toddlers

How many animals can little eyes spot on one page—and how many will they soon learn to name? Our Big Book of Animals fills its generously sized pages with more than 100 beautifully painted animals, giving babies and toddlers an entire animal world to point to, recognize, imitate, and talk about.

Created by licensed speech-language pathologist and award-winning artist Tabitha Paige, M.S., CCC-SLP, the book brings early vocabulary learning together with her signature watercolor illustrations. From familiar farm animals and household pets to jungle creatures, ocean life, forest animals, and tiny bugs, each page gives little learners something new to discover while keeping the pictures clear and inviting.

At 9" × 9", there’s plenty of room to explore the artwork together. Start simply by naming the animals, then add sounds, questions, and a little seek-and-find fun as your child grows. “Where’s the tiger?” can become “What sound does the cow make?” and eventually, “Which animals live in the ocean?” It’s a book designed to begin with looking—and grow naturally into talking, remembering, and conversation.

What Makes It Special

• Features more than 100 animals for babies and toddlers to discover
• Created by licensed speech-language pathologist Tabitha Paige, M.S., CCC-SLP
• Illustrated with the author’s beautiful, timeless watercolor artwork
• Explores animals from farms, jungles, oceans, forests, homes, and more
• Includes familiar pets, bugs, wildlife, sea creatures, and farm animals
• Clear illustrations encourage pointing, naming, recognition, and vocabulary building
• Gives caregivers plenty of opportunities to introduce animal names and sounds
• Built-in seek-and-find activity turns vocabulary practice into a playful game
• Large 9" × 9" format gives little learners plenty to look at on every page
• Durable 30-page board book is designed for repeated exploration
• Made for babies and toddlers ages 0–3
• Beautiful enough to display on a nursery or playroom bookshelf
• A thoughtful gift for baby showers, newborns, first birthdays, and holidays

How to Enjoy

With a baby, keep it wonderfully simple. Point to an animal, say its name, and give your little one time to study the picture. Add a “moo,” “quack,” or “roar” and see which sounds start getting a smile.

As those first words begin to arrive, let your toddler take the lead. Ask, “Can you find the elephant?” or “Where is the butterfly?” Then move into simple conversations: Which animal has stripes? Which one can fly? What lives in the ocean?

And when they already know the favorites by heart, bring out the seek-and-find activity and see just how much they remember. The same pages can offer something different as their vocabulary and curiosity grow.

More Than 100 Animals to Meet

One of the joys of an animal book is watching children recognize an old favorite—and then discover something they’ve never seen before.

Our Big Book of Animals brings both experiences together. Familiar animals such as pets and farmyard friends sit alongside creatures from the forest, jungle, ocean, and other habitats, creating plenty of opportunities to compare, categorize, and ask questions.

The watercolor style makes the collection especially appealing. Rather than loud or cartoonish pictures, Paige’s illustrations have a soft, natural quality that allows the animals themselves to hold a child’s attention. It’s early learning presented in a way that feels calm, timeless, and beautiful.

A Book That Grows with Them

At first, it may simply be a book of interesting pictures. Then comes the pointing. Next, the animal sounds. Soon enough, your little one may be the one telling you exactly which animal is which.

That progression is what makes a first-words book so useful during the baby and toddler years. The pictures stay the same, but the way children interact with them keeps changing as their language develops.

Use the pages for naming, matching, animal sounds, simple questions, sorting animals by habitat, or imaginative conversations. There’s no single way to read it—and no need to finish the whole book in one sitting.

About the Author

Tabitha Paige is an award-winning artist, certified speech-language pathologist, and mother of three whose work brings together her love of art and early language development.

Born and raised in Texas, Paige draws much of her artistic inspiration from the Southern countryside. She began professionally painting murals at just 12 years old and has now worked as a professional painter for more than 20 years. Her creative work includes watercolor prints, original paintings, illustrated children’s books, and early-learning materials.

Through her books, she uses both her artistic and professional experience to create learning materials that engage young children while remaining beautiful and timeless enough for parents to enjoy alongside them.