Best Baby Books
The benefits of reading to baby will set them up for success as readers. It enhances their language development and is a positive bonding experience you can start right sway. Check out my Top 10 Tips for Raising a Reader to learn more!
These baby books are sturdy, interactive and have held up for years at my house! This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through the link at no cost to you. All of these would make the perfect baby shower gift or a great way to start building up your home library for baby.
Puppet Books
Puppets are a natural start to social emotional development as baby will curiously interact with the movement. Taking it a step further by mimicking the talking and movement with the page will make it even more of a learning experience for baby. For example we have one about a bear climbing a tree and I move the puppet just like he was climbing a tree which encourages vocabulary and always engages my baby to watch to see what comes next.
My 10 month old sits in wonder while I read and move the puppet on our books. The books are the perfect size for little hands and big imaginations. Itsy Bitsy Spider works in classic song for even more fun. I bought this Daddy and Me lion book for my husband's first Father's Day and we still love it seven years later!
Sturdy Lift-A-Flaps
Lift-a-flaps are always fun and they help teach object permanence. Much like a game of peek-a-boo, your baby will being to grasp the concept that the image underneath the flap is still there even when they can't see it.
As soon as my baby figured out he could lift these flaps he was all over it. Lift-a-flap nature set are rhyming books with beautiful pictures. The flaps are board book material and hold up really well. Board book material is a must for this age. I keep all our other lift-a-flaps out of reach because the flaps will be ripped off pretty quickly by a baby or toddler too young to understand.
Soft Crinkle Books
Babies love noise and crinkle books are ala great way to get this without batteries. They are a great sensory tool as baby will learn that moving it around in their hands makes noise.
These have ALL the features! Check them out for yourself. Baby will love the mirror!
High contrast books stimulate baby's visual system and help develop their eye muscles. This one has lots of other fun features like a mirror and lift-a-flaps. It also comes in an animal version. I used high contrast books for tummy time very early on with my babies.
I couldn't not include this gorgeous book by Manhattan Toys, it opens up into a pad and has fun add-ons for baby to play with including a teething section which my baby really appreciates. This would make a perfect baby shower gift!
Touch And Feel
Touch and feel books are a must over here. I leave ours accessible to my baby and always find him sitting with a book in his lap flipping through the pages. It is adorable and setting him up to be a reader for life.
Never Touch a Porcupine is one of his favorite, we have several of these I bought when my kids were older but the baby loves them, who knew?! His eyes scan every page to see what he can touch.
Baby will love touching the animals and hearing the noises they make on this cute book. We have the farm version!
Classic touch and feel animal book with bright colors you can go back to again and again. These never get old!
What's Next?
Read my post on The Best Books for Toddlers and Up to see some more reading ideas as your little one grows.
I've worked professionally with kids from 2 months to 8th grade and the most important thing I've learned is to make reading fun. With these book choices and tips you'll have no problem engaging baby and making reading a fun activity they come to know and love.
Happy reading 📚🤓