Best Books for Baby – A Guide for Parents

We all know that reading to babies is important, but just how exactly know the best books for baby?

How do you go about choosing the right books for your little one? It seems ridiculous to think that there could be a difference between two baby books, and one might be better than the other, and yet there are several factors which should be considered.

For the purposes of this piece, we will be considering babies as being any child up to 1 year old. 

Be sure to check out even more of my helpful parenting tips, too!

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A Parents Guide to Find the Best Books for Baby - How to Find the Right Books for Your Baby

 

Best Books for Baby – A Guide for Parents

I read to my sons a lot when they were babies. Oh my goodness I tried so many different books on them.

And I quickly learned that not all baby books are created equal. Here’s how you can find the best books for baby

And I will share the three books we literally wore out.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?Goodnight MoonGoodnight MoonGoodnight MoonWhere Is Baby's Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap BookWhere Is Baby’s Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap BookWhere Is Baby's Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap Book

 

These are some of the Best Baby Books around.

Best Books for Baby

Blond baby reading book

Consider what the book looks like

This is one of those times where you absolutely should judge a book by its cover.

Choose books with contrasting colors and simple, large pictures.

These are far more likely to grab your baby’s attention than a generic colored book.

Similarly, consider the type of material the book is made from.

For very young children, consider cloth or material style books that allow the baby to touch the page and identify a distinct touch sensation, also known as interactive books.

If not cloth or material, go for a hard cardboard book with stiff pages so that the book can be propped up.

Here are some of our personal favorites:

Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read BookCounting Kisses: A Kiss & Read BookCounting Kisses: A Kiss & Read BookFuzzy Bee and Friends (Touch and Feel Cloth Books)Fuzzy Bee and Friends (Touch and Feel Cloth Books)Fuzzy Bee and Friends (Touch and Feel Cloth Books)Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap BookDear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap BookDear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap BookBaby Touch and Feel: AnimalsBaby Touch and Feel: AnimalsBaby Touch and Feel: AnimalsMelissa & Doug Soft Activity Baby Book - The Wonderful World of Peekaboo!Melissa & Doug Soft Activity Baby Book – The Wonderful World of Peekaboo!Melissa & Doug Soft Activity Baby Book - The Wonderful World of Peekaboo!

 

Choose books with a rhyming style to their story

This allows you to read with a more natural flow, and your baby will pick up on this cadence more quickly than normal speak.

Rhyming text forces us to read in a consistent pattern, and this can be particularly peaceful and soothing for babies.

Some of the books that we literally wore out include:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?Goodnight MoonGoodnight MoonGoodnight MoonLlama Llama Red PajamaLlama Llama Red PajamaLlama Llama Red PajamaSheep in a JeepSheep in a JeepSheep in a Jeep

 

Look for books with images that are similar to real life

When considering the types of images in your book, look for books with images that are similar to things that the baby sees in real life.

This could be a picture of a ball if your baby has a ball, or a picture of a teddy bear if your baby is fond of a particular teddy bear.

It could even be a picture of a bottle.

Choosing images that match what the baby is seeing in real life encourages familiarity.

Here are some perfect books with everyday items to read to your little one:

Ten Tiny Toes (Caroline Jayne Church)Ten Tiny Toes (Caroline Jayne Church)Ten Tiny Toes (Caroline Jayne Church)Where Is Baby's Puppy?: A Lift-the-Flap Book (Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Books)Where Is Baby’s Puppy?: A Lift-the-Flap Book (Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Books)Where Is Baby's Puppy?: A Lift-the-Flap Book (Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Books)Where is Baby's Mommy?Where is Baby’s Mommy?Where is Baby's Mommy?

 

Consider books with pop up items

Again, these items should be things that the baby has seen before, like of a dog if the family has a pet dog.

The important thing to remember throughout is that any reading to your baby will be beneficial.

However, if the opportunity presents itself for you to choose a book that has more obviously color contrasts, has more recognizable images or features a rhyme, then it could be worthwhile choosing that option.

Here are some examples of books with pop ups that we just adored:

Toes, Ears, & Nose! A Lift-the-Flap BookToes, Ears, & Nose! A Lift-the-Flap BookToes, Ears, & Nose! A Lift-the-Flap BookWhere Is Baby's Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap BookWhere Is Baby’s Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap BookWhere Is Baby's Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap BookDear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap BookDear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap BookDear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap BookZoom, Zoom, Baby!: A Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap BookZoom, Zoom, Baby!: A Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap BookZoom, Zoom, Baby!: A Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Book

 

Like these best books for baby? Find even more engaging book lists for kids with more than 100 book-themed reading lists!

12 Comments

  1. Love all these recommendations. We especially love Dear Zoo and Where’s Spot at our house.

  2. This is a fun list! I have a 5 mo old nephew ( my kids read chapter books now). So this is a great list to take with me to the library!
    Thanks! Michelle

  3. I don’t think you could go wrong with any of these books, especially Goodnight Moon! Both my girls loved that one! Thanks so much for sharing your great baby book ideas with us at Share The Wealth Sunday!

  4. What a great resource! I definitely try to find more rhyming books that anything mostly because I think they are more fun t read – but your point is so great!

    1. Thanks, Morgan. I think a lot of parents just aren’t sure what kind of books to find for their kiddos. The decisions as a new mom can be overwhelming. Knowing what to read to your kiddo shouldn’t be 🙂

  5. This is a great list and some really good pointers. Good Night Moon and Brown Bear are popular in our house also, but we really love many of the Sandra Boynton board books. Thanks for sharing on Family Joy Blog Link-Up Party. Have a great week!

    1. We adore Sandra Boynton. Her books really came into play once my kids were toddlers and could enjoy the jokes she weaved into her illustrations.

  6. I LOVE this! My son is 15-months-old now, and I have been reading to him from day 1. I found that when he was a newborn, I could set him up on the couch, and read my college textbooks, and he would be so entranced in the words I was saying. As he got older, the colors and textures really did matter! Now, he love looking at the pictures and pointing out various things, so books with lots of color and few words per page tend to be a real winner! He LOVES turning the page, and likes doing so quickly.

    We’ve never had a popup book before, but I think this would be a TOTAL winner. Thanks so much for the advice <3

    1. Oh definitely add in the pop-up books. They’re so much fun! And honestly, your kiddo will enjoy them for many years into toddlerhood 🙂 Happy reading!

  7. Reading with Baby is so important and a wonderful way to bond! My 11-month-old loves books with pieces she can move and manipulate. The Robot Book is her #1 favorite!

  8. I love these posts of yours – as a grandparent there is so much out there so it’s nice to see a few great selections!! Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday!

    Mollie

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