Jon Leonard
Which are the Best Board Books for Baby’s First Library?
The importance of reading books to your little ones cannot be stressed enough. It may seem like babies don’t always understand what you’re saying, however, infants that hear more words are likely to have a greater vocabulary as toddlers and preschoolers.
Apart from helping your baby grow and expand their potential vocabulary, reading books to them is a great way to spend some time and bond with your baby. By having this routine set up, your baby will start looking forward the time you spend reading to them.
Sometimes it can be a little tricky reading a book to your baby; they’ll often wiggle around or try to eat the book! For an easier time reading to your baby, try reading a book to them after they’ve been fed and have a full tummy.
Why Board Books?
There are a ton of baby books out there, but board books are ideal because the stories in them are condensed, making it easier for babies to absorb the information, especially with their short attention spans.
Other than that, the pages are nice and thick, making them more resistant against damage. It’s also easier for babies to flip a page. Board books shouldn’t just be reserved for babies though. They can also be used for toddlers and kindergarteners!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The book has a beautiful display of collages that are easily remembered as well as a memorable story. This book has been adored by millions since its debut in 1969.
The book follows a newborn caterpillar going through its development stages–and a whole lot of eating–into a beautiful butterfly.
Close Your Eyes by Kate Banks
Close Your Eyes sees a mother tiger trying to calm her little cub down to sleep. She describes the possible dreams that he could have while assuring him that she’ll be there when he wakes up from his slumber.
The illustrations are lushly painted by Georg Hallensleben which capture the essence and adventure of a dream world along with the beauty of the real world.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
This iconic book is known and adored by millions, including the parents who are reading it to their little ones.
For those who are unfamiliar with this classic, it follows a rabbit who says goodnight to everything in his room, and then everything outside of his window as he prepares for bed.
The illustrations are in black and white as well as bold colorful drawings of the bedroom.
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
This book is a favorite for many kids all around. The book shows five little monkeys getting ready for bed by following them bathing, putting on their pj’s, brushing their teeth and then–you guessed it–jumping on the bed.
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
This story is about a bunny and his father trying to outdo each other where love is concerned. They both try to show the other how big their love is.
This board book is beautifully illustrated by Anita Jeram in watercolors.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Here we have a lift-the-flap book, which is always enjoyable for babies and toddlers alike.
Dear Zoo sees a child writing a letter to a zoo to request a pet. After a number of animals arrive, the child sees that they aren’t quite what he’s looking for, that is, until the more-than-ideal pet arrives.
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
A mischievous gorilla secretly takes the zookeeper’s keys to release all the other animals from their enclosures so that they can have a secret “party” at the zookeeper’s house.
This storybook contains little text. It instead focuses more on telling the story through visuals and illustrations.
Gossie by Olivier Dunrea
The story follows a yellow gosling name Gossie. Gossie has a pair of red boots which she loves and wears every single day, until one day, her precious boots disappear.
She then goes on a search mission to find her red boots — searching far and wide. After all her searching, her efforts finally paid off as she found them being worn by another gosling.
Time to Get Dressed! by Elivia Savadier
This book follows a little boy who is adamant about dressing himself, only to get it all mixed up. His dad sees the time and decides to make a move to help little Solomon get dressed.
Wheels on the Bus by Raffi
This here is a timeless classic, known and loved by almost everyone. This catchy song has been turned into a book, complete with the lyrics and musical notation.
Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt
The first publication of this book was way back in 1940 and still remains a favorite among both parents and kids.
Pat the Bunny is an interactive book in which the little ones can smell, feel, and play peek-a-boo. Such interaction helps with certain aspects of a child’s development.
**Editor’s Choice** Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
This board book is entirely illustrated in black and white and has won the Caldecott Medal.
In this book, a kitten sees her first full moon and mistakes it for a bowl of milk. This prompts the kitten to take on an adventure of trying to reach this ‘bowl of milk’. While her quest to reach the moon ends in failure, she is greeted by an actual bowl of milk when she finally gets back home.
There you have, our top picks for best board books to get to fill up the library for your babies. Most of us have enjoyed a few of these board books growing up, and we know that your little ones will enjoy them too and hopefully read them to their babies in the far future!
