Books are my top choice when it comes to babies, toddlers, and kids. They promote language development, imaginative thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, and endless other important skills. You really can’t go wrong! And trust me when I say, they are never too young to listen to a book!
I can clearly remember sitting in the rocking chair with my first child when he was just a few days old. Even though he was definitely sleeping, I still read to him. And when he was less than a year old, he was grabbing books off of the shelf to look at himself or for us to read together.
That child has the best relationship with books. I truly believe that our early and often approach to reading helped to reinforce his love for reading and learning. To this day (nearly 10 years later) you can still find him curled up with a book if he is not imaginative playing with his brothers or creating something of his own.
So, what books should you start your baby with? There have to be specific titles, right?
Well, not exactly! In my eyes, just about any age-appropriate book is perfect to expose your baby to. However, there are a few classics and favorites in my household that I would recommend. Here is what I read to all 4 of my kids when they were babies.
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Our Baby Book List
Board Books
As a general rule, I like to begin with board books. They are easier for those cute little chunky fingers to turn and a lot harder to rip!
- Rainbow Fish
- Little Blue Truck
- GoodNight Moon
- If Animals Kissed Good Night
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
- Guess How Much I Love You?
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Giraffes Can’t Dance
- Corduroy
- I Prayed For You
- The Pout Pout Fish
Indestructible Books
Indestructible books are also a great option for independent exploration since they can be pulled, crumbled, chewed, and even washed!
Teething Books
Are you headed somewhere? Teething books are a great on-the-go option since they usually clip onto the stroller or car seat.
Read, Read, Read!
No matter what you choose to read, just read to your little! Make books a part of your daily routine and always have them accessible to your little. With a cultural attention shift to technology, books are more important than ever to introduce to our littles, in my opinion.
And I’m not talking about electronic books through your phone or tablet! Those have their own place in learning later, but these early years are for experiencing real books. Your baby needs to touch, turn, open, shut, and (maybe) chew on real books. They will have plenty of time for the electronic versions when they are older! Help your cutie develop a love for reading and learning by supplying books early and often in those first few years!
Thank you so much for reading, sweet friend! I love sharing our favorite products, ideas, and activities with you! Follow along on Instagram and see what we are loving over on Pinterest. Enjoy that sweet bundle of yours!