12 Must-Have Books for Baby’s First Library
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Books are one my favourite baby gifts. They’re great for first babies, last babies, and everyone in between. It’s fun to help build a baby’s first library, and we love sharing some of our kids’ beloved favourites. Similarly, I love when people introduce us to books that their children enjoy.
When you’re choosing baby’s first books, board books are the way to go. I take the approach that chewing on them is a perfectly acceptable way to enjoy books for young ones – anything to foster that love of reading!
I prefer books with a soothing or enjoyable rhythm, especially for the littlest ones. If it becomes one of their favourite books, you’re going to be reading it over and over, so make sure it’s something you like to read!
Without further ado, here are some of our family’s favourite books for babies and young toddlers.
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1. Almost anything by Sandra Boynton. We LOVE Sandra Boynton books in our house! They’re fun to read, and kids love how silly they are. Our favourites are The Going to Bed Book, Moo, Baa, La La La!, and Pajama Time!
2. On the Night You Were Born, by Nancy Tillman. This is a beautiful book, with a very soothing rhythm. There’s a good chance this one will bring you to tears the first time you read it to your new baby.
3. 
4. Where’s My Sweetie Pie? by Ed Emberley. This is one that I came across by chance one day and both of my boys just loved it. It’s got rhymes, flaps to lift, and a mirror at the end that always makes them smile – what’s not to like?
5. Peek-A Who? by Nina Laden. Another lift the flap book that ends with a mirror (“Peek a….You!”), this has been a favourite for all three of my kids.
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6. Baby says Peekaboo! This book has lots of features that little ones love: flaps to lift, a mirror, different textures to explore, and pictures of real babies.
7. I Love You Through and Through, by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak. This one has a really sweet message, and a rhythm that makes it enjoyable to read.
8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. This is a sentimental favourite that’s loved just as much by a new generation of children. It introduces numbers and the days of the week, and my kids enjoy the different sized pages in the middle of the book.
9. Pat the Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt. Another sentimental favourite that I had to include because my second son absolutely LOVED it. We read this at least once a day for months, and went through two copies of it. It’s very interactive, which kept my son engaged.
10. That’s Not My…books. These are a series of books featuring almost every animal you can imagine. They’re touchy-feely books, with lots of different textures for little hands to explore.
11. Little Blue Truck, by Alice Schertle. Great rhymes, and animal noises – kids love this! We also enjoy the story of Little Blue Truck’s visit to the big city in Little Blue Truck Leads the Way.
12. Giraffes Can’t Dance, by Giles Andreae. I love the rhymes and the message in this one. We have a few other Giles Andreae books that we love as well – I Love My Mommy, and I Love My Daddy. These make great Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts from baby.
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What are your favourite books for babies?
“Good Morning CANADA” by Andrea Lynn Beck has been my son’s favourite since he was 8 months old. It’s a good one!
I haven’t heard of that one – thanks for the recommendation!
This is a great list! Thanks for sharing. We love the Nancy Tillman books – Wherever You Are is a favorite. Still makes me cry when I read it on occasion – ha! Our son likes Mumfor’ds Rude Noises too, which is silly, but it’s hilarious to hear him say “not all attention is good, cat!” If only he could internalize that message. 🙂
Oh yes, that’s a great one too! On the Night You Were Born is my sentimental favourite because I’ve had it since my oldest was a baby, but all of her books are wonderful. And based on that one line alone, I am absolutely checking out Mumford’s Rude Noises – sounds like it would be a great one for my middle child! 🙂