Animal book recommendations

[mommy212]

DS's 2nd B-day is coming up and I want to get him a big book with lots and lots of pictures of animals in it. he loves animals, and wants to read the animal books and national geographic wildlife magazine over and over again. He said gemsbok before milk! So, okay, the kid loves animals :) I am looking for a book with big pictures, as I said, preferably read and not drawn but will take all recommendations. I am hoping for big, easy to see and read names of the animals on the page too. Maybe some words or description, but that would mostly be for later, since he just likes to look at the pictures and learn names right now. Other books about animals are good too- he loves the golden books baby farm animals one too. Reasonably priced animal-themed toys would be great too! Thanks everyone

[hildare]

anything by dorling kindersley, the publisher. they have some nicer books geared towards older kids but we still get enjoyment from them at almost two. they make an encyclopedia of animals that sounds just like what you're looking for. but their other books are pretty fantastic, though usually themed, like Ocean or whatnot.
also, what about peterson's first field guides?
as far as toy ideas,
we got our kid a very inexpensive (comparitively) wooden barn, i think it was the melissa & doug portable one, though there are lots of more expensive, nicer options out there, and we got farm animals to go with it, the schleich ones, which aren't really that eco friendly (and i know lots of mamas here love the wooden ones, but we're not able to pay that much for stuff).
the animals, though, are really pretty detailed and realistic looking.

[dancingflower]

I second the dorling kindersley suggestion.

We have here a vehicles aficionado. Our best books, in parents and child standards, are from DK.

I bet it is worth it to check what they have on animals.

[tincia]

I think it's called, 'my first animal board book' it's big with many photographed animals and their name

[dancingflower]

Hey, I just noticed we have something that your LO will love. How could I have missed it?

It's a box of animal touch and feel flascards. They are called my first animals touch and feel picture cards. It's from DK too. It was friend's present.

The cards are about 7x4, very sturdy and feel good in the hands and each picture has a little textured window in it (dogs nose, rabit's back, fish's shiny scale).

It's print but in a different format than a book. I get DS to pick one from a fan I present to him and tell me what he got. He's too young to be introduced to more elaborate rules. But I can't wait when we can play guessing games with them.