So, first, I admit, "babies" is a broad category. There is a difference between what a newborn might respond to versus a 9 month old versus an 18 month old. So I'll try and give you some general ideas of what to look for in books during different stages of baby's development. And I was going to do baby books in one list, but the list kept getting longer and longer so I'm breaking board books up into 3 lists: this one, 6 - 12 months, and 12 - 18 months.
But ultimately, ANY book you read with a baby is a good book - because babies need time to bond with their caregivers, and reading together is one of the best bonding activities. Babies who feel save, loved and happy are learning babies.
Board books are obviously best at this age because, as we know, EVERYTHING goes in their mouth. This is completely developmentally appropriate, as they are learning about the world around them with all their senses. Board books can stand up to mouthing and biting. Also, fun fact, if you hold them open and turn a page, the following page will start to raise, inviting young readers to turn it. They're learning how books work! Thanks to Dr. Dipesh Navsaria who pointed that out to me and my colleagues in an early literacy talk.
As always, these are generalizations as every baby is different and will respond to different things. But IN GENERAL:
Newborns' eyes are still developing. They're not seeing clearly yet, and don't really start seeing color until 3 months old. That continues to develop for several months. That's why lots of books for newborns are black-and-white - babies can see that contrast. Some of my favorites are:
HELLO, BABY ANIMALS and others in the series published by Duopress
Labs with art by Julissa Mora
Black and white, yes, and cute, with simple phrases on each page.
BLACK AND WHITE by Tana Hoban
These are the original, gold-standard black-and-white baby books. This one is accordion folded so can be propped up for baby to look at during tummy time. This one apparently combines two of her original works, BLACK ON WHITE and WHITE ON BLACK
HELLO, BUGS! by Smriti Prasadam and Emily Bollan
Another cute black-and-white board book - but this time, with an added bit of bright colorful foil! It will capture the light and when they are starting to see colors will make that even more exciting.
LITTLE YOU by Richard VanCamp and Julie Flett
What makes this story special is how it so perfectly describes a new parent's love for their newborn child. Lyrical, warm and beautiful.
Older infants (3 mo.+) will start to enjoy colors but still need sharp, clean lines because their focus is still developing. Fuzzy, watercolor-y illustrations are beautiful, but might look like a muddy blob to a little one. They also like looking at other babies - so books with photographs are fun, as well as books you can sing to them. So here are some of my favorite board books for this age:
I KISSED THE BABY! by Mary Murphy
This book is still mostly black-and-white but has some pops of color. It also has, oh boy!, a little actual plot. All of the farm animals are excited about the arrival of a new chick.
HELLO BABY series by Roger Priddy
Again, a little color, and the series includes baby faces, words, animals and on-the-go. Also, there's one with a mirror in it - because babies like to look at other babies, including their own baby face!
IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT by Annie Kubler and Sarah Dellow
Annie Kubler has produced a number of these books - all of which can be sung. and which feature drawings of diverse babies. I believe she was the original illustrator, but they're now being illustrated by Sarah Dellow. Grab one and sing it to your baby. Singing helps children grow their listening and language skills!
I'M UP! and I'M STILL UP! by Antoinette Portis
These books will really resonate with parents, especially, going through the sleep regressions that happen every so often. The illustrations are sweet and fun and feature a bright smiling baby face on the cover.
GIVE ME A SNICKLE by Alicia Sevigny
Silly words and cute babies? Count me in! The author combines two words, tickle and snuggle, to create a snickle! What if you combine snickle with a cuddle?
TOESY TOES by Sarah Yi-Mei Tsiang
And ode to your baby's toesy toes! Featuring beautiful photographs of babies.
If you're looking for a list of great new board books, check out the Margaret Wise Brown Award - a new award given specifically to board books!
Coming soon: lists for the older two categories.
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