Tadpole Picks
The books, toys, and gear we'd hand to a friend.
Short, honest lists for parents of kids 2 to 8. Every pick is checked, rated on what actually matters at your house, and comes with who should skip it.
3 lists · 26 picks so far
The lists
Every Tadpole Picks list
Each list is short on purpose. If we can't find enough picks we'd stand behind, the list gets shorter.
Bedtime & reading · 6 picksThe 6 Best Sound Machines for Baby, From Nursery to Big-Kid RoomFan noise or lullabies, app or buttons, nursery-only or good for years: here's how the most-recommended baby sound machines stack up, and which one we'd buy for our own kids.Includes Hatch Baby Sound Machine & Night Light Routine Builder, Yogasleep Dohm Classic White Noise Sleep Sound Machine, Dreamegg Lite D11 Max, and moreSee the list →
Holidays & seasonal · 10 picksThe 10 Best Halloween Books for Early ReadersHalloween books for kids who are just learning to read, rated two ways: who holds the book (you, both of you, or them) and how spooky it gets on a 1 to 5 scale.Includes In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories, A Super Scary Narwhalloween (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #8), Skeleton Hiccups, and moreSee the list →
Holidays & seasonal · 10 picksThe 10 Best Children's Christmas Books to Read All DecemberSome Christmas books survive the twentieth reread in a row and some make you hide them behind the couch. These are the ones worth reading on repeat, sorted by Santa, tree, or nativity.Includes Bear Stays Up for Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Polar Express, and moreSee the list →
What we've picked
Every pick so far
Tap one to see where it landed on its list, who it's for, and who should skip it.
- Hatch Baby Sound Machine & Night Light Routine BuilderHatch
- Yogasleep Dohm Classic White Noise Sleep Sound MachineYogasleep
- Dreamegg Lite D11 MaxDreamegg
- Yogasleep Hushh 2 Travel Sound Machine and Night LightYogasleep
Big Red Rooster 6 Sound White Noise MachineBig Red Rooster
VTech Myla the MonkeyVTech- In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary StoriesAlvin Schwartz
- A Super Scary Narwhalloween (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #8)Ben Clanton
- Skeleton HiccupsMargery Cuyler
- Creepy Carrots!Aaron Reynolds
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of AnythingLinda Williams
Room on the BroomJulia Donaldson
Nate the Great and the Halloween HuntMarjorie Weinman Sharmat
Gustavo, the Shy GhostFlavia Z. Drago
The Pumpkin ThiefAlice Hemming
Little Blue Truck's HalloweenAlice Schertle- Bear Stays Up for ChristmasKarma Wilson
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas!Dr. Seuss
- The Polar ExpressChris Van Allsburg
- Santa's First ChristmasMac Barnett
Olive, the Other ReindeerVivian Walsh
Little Blue Truck's ChristmasAlice Schertle
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?Mac Barnett
Mr. Willowby's Christmas TreeRobert Barry
The Night Before ChristmasClement Clarke Moore
The Little Drummer BoyEzra Jack Keats
How we pick
What it takes to make a list
We read the reviews so you don't have to, then we check the things reviews don't tell you.
Lots of parents, not a few
A high rating from thousands of families beats a perfect score from a handful. Staying power counts too.
Experts weigh in
Awards, starred reviews, and the lists librarians, teachers, and play experts actually use.
Rated for real life
The age it really works for, plus what matters for that list: scare level, mess, setup, how much your kid gets to join in.
Checked before it's listed
Every pick is confirmed as a real, in-print product, and toys and gear are checked against federal recalls.
Every pick says who should skip it
Nothing is right for every kid. Each pick ends with an honest “who should skip it”, so you can rule things out as fast as you rule them in.
Car seats and cribs: ask your pediatrician too
We check car seats, cribs, and bassinets against federal recalls like everything else, but a list can’t see your child. Check the fit and age limits, and talk with your pediatrician.
How we make money
When you buy through a link on a list, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nobody pays to be on a list, and a commission never decides what makes the cut. When one of our own books fits a list, we say it's ours and never rank it.
Read our full disclosures →The Tadpole Post
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