We have selected the best baby books for babies from 0 to 12 months of age. Start your baby’s first library with these unique baby books.
Reading to your baby is such a special experience. I always feel so connected to my children when we read. For me, sitting in an armchair or lying on the bed and reading a few books with my children is an expression of love. And I feel like a supermom afterwards because I know it was time well spent: time spent bonding with my kids, teaching them new things, and developing their minds.
Turns out this is backed by science. Even from the earliest stages of infancy, reading is one of the most powerful ways you can influence your baby’s speech and cognitive development. But reading to your baby also plays an important role in strengthening your relationship.
You are reading: Learning books for babies
Children who are read to during the infancy and preschool years have better language skills…. In addition, parents who spend time reading to their children create nurturing relationships, which is important for a child’s cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional development. – american academy of pediatrics
Through reading, we teach our babies about the world around them. Reading is such a magical part of childhood, so I think it’s never too early to build your baby’s library and start reading to them.
In a sea of children’s books, I’ve put together this list of the best baby books for your baby’s beginning library, according to my kids. Below are our 25 favorite children’s books for your baby’s first year. We hope you find some unexpected titles that you and your baby will love!
when should you start reading to your baby?
Even the youngest babies can benefit from seeing the pictures in books and following the patterns and rhythms of your voice as you read. even as new parents, you can start to get used to reading to your children as soon as they are a few weeks old. just hearing the sound of your voice will offer many benefits, even at this young age.
then, once you’ve established some routines and gotten used to it, introduce reading into your baby’s bedtime routine (the 4 b’s: books, bath, breast or bottle milk, bed ). and then try to stick to this every day and really make reading a priority in your home.
I subscribe to the idea that if you’re not reading, you’re not learning. And this is worth twice as much for my kids!
tips for reading to your baby
Although your baby may not understand what you are saying, he will absorb everything he hears and sees when you read together. And before you know it, your baby will be reciting her favorite books with you.
Here are some tips to make reading a magical experience for both of you:
- snuggle with your baby while you read
- make reading fun by using silly voices and an enthusiastic tone
- give your full attention to reading
- read at your baby’s pace; don’t rush through a book
- point to the pictures and talk about them
- let them look at the pictures before turning the page
- let your baby touch the book if interested
- don’t worry about variety; kids love repetition
- schedule reading time into your daily routines
Related: 20+ of the Best Baby Songs to Sing to Your Baby
the 25 best baby books for your baby’s first year
here is my list of the 25 best baby books for your baby’s first year. It was hard to narrow this list down to just 25 titles because there are so many great books by some of our favorite authors like Caroline Jayne Church and Sandra Boynton.
But these books below will give you lots of variety and age-appropriate reading for your baby’s first year. (Note: Unless otherwise noted, I recommend purchasing board books for your baby because they will last longer than traditional hardcover books.)
1) gaze gaze by peter linenthal
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Best for newborns and younger babies, Look Look is a high-contrast board book that’s perfect for helping your little one develop their eyesight. my little one gets very excited when he sees this book. It’s also a very quick read, which is perfect for babies 0-3 months old. It’s also a great book to use during baby’s tummy time.
2) indestructible: baby faces by kate merritt
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expendables books have to be the best baby books. These baby-proof books can’t be torn (really!) and can withstand even the biggest slime puddles. if they get dirty, they can be thrown in the washing machine. feature bright, colorful illustrations that make this line of books one of our top picks for your baby’s home library.
Although there are lots of indestructibles to choose from, I like the baby face book because babies love to look at faces and in theory this helps build empathy (although it might be a little early). For that ). These books are short, sweet, and perfect for babies 6 months of age and younger, though even toddlers might like to look at them from time to time. They are perfect for small and curious hands.
3) ten little fingers of caroline jayne church
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Written by one of our favorite authors, Ten Tiny Toes is a sweet ode to your baby that teaches him the parts of the body. As always, the church illustrations are adorable, and the rhyming text is short, sweet, and perfectly written.
4) when the world was waiting for you by gillian shields
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Any list of the best baby books would be incomplete without when the world was waiting for you. this is the first baby book i bought for my oldest son, and we both still love reading it three years later. This sweet and loving story tells your baby what he was like before he was born: the excitement in the air and the eager anticipation of her arrival. this is one of my baby shower gifts and a must for every baby’s library. just a great book overall!
5) baby touch & feel: animals
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baby touch & feels that books are great for sensory learning and exploration. With different textures for your baby to explore through touch, they help your baby develop her fine motor skills. I love the baby touch & feel: animal book in particular because it also teaches the names of many different animals, as well as the sounds they make.
6) roger priddy’s first 100 words
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See Also: Nicholas Petrie – Book Series In Order
A picture book that teaches your baby to identify different foods, animals, toys, and items around the house, The First 100 Words is practically an essential book for babies. teaches your baby simple words like car, duck, and dog, but in a fun and exciting way.
The pictures are brightly colored and the book itself is small enough to throw in a diaper bag. bright colors are visually stimulating and great for babies.
7) mu, bea, la la la by sandra boynton
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file this as dumb! moo, baa, la la la is a board book for babies that has fun with different animal sounds. This is a book where you can really make reading to your baby fun and enjoyable.
8) I love you daddy and I love you mommy for edie evans
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two simple rhyming books about how much a child loves his parents, i love you books are sweet and well written. Told from the child’s perspective, they tell their parents what they like about the different activities they do together. you’ll be able to read these books with your baby well into infancy.
9) goodnight moon by margaret wise brown
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good night moon, one of the best classic books that appears on almost any list of the best books for babies, is a perfect read for the end of the day. As he prepares to sleep, a bunny says goodnight to everyone around him. the pacing is perfect and there is something sweet and special about this book. This classic board book is a definite must have for any beginning library!
10) the bedtime book by sandra boynton
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One of the many Boynton books on this list, The Going To Bed book is one of our favorites. is another great read for the end of the day that mixes a bit of silliness with some soothing, relaxing text. we love this book!
11) mr. brown can moo! can? by Dr. seuss
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I love silly children’s books, so it probably won’t be a surprise to see a dr. seuss book on this list. Mr. brown can make all sorts of funny sounds; he can buzz like a bee and moo like a cow. all these silly sounds make for fun reading! don’t leave this off your list.
12) i will love you forever by caroline jayne church
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This sweet book expresses a father’s unconditional love for his baby, from the moment he first met him and as he continues to grow. I have to admit that I often hold back tears when I read this to my oldest son. this is a wonderful book that builds her baby’s confidence in him by letting her know that she loves him always, unconditionally. definitely add this one to your baby’s library.
13) dr. seuss abc by dr. seuss
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this is a silly alphabet book that makes little sense, but kids love it! and I think it teaches the alphabet very effectively to babies at a very young age. if you buy this make sure you buy the hard cover and *not* the board book because the board book has been shortened and loses some of its charm.
14) guess how much i love you for sam mcbratney
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This is one of our favorites! tells the story of a little brown hare who tries to tell the big hare how much she loves her. she goes above and beyond to express her love. It’s so sweet and so well written. A must-have in every baby’s starter library.
15) goodnight i love you by caroline jayne church
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goodnight i love you is a sweet story about getting ready for bed. From bathing and brushing their teeth, the boy and girl in this story go through the bedtime routine, told through short, sweet rhymes. It’s short enough to read to a younger baby, but it’s also appropriate for your baby well into toddlerhood.
16) happy baby, sad baby by leslie patricelli
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baby happy, baby sad is possibly one of the most underrated children’s books. Through a series of images, the book shows the main character (a cute nameless baby who only wears a diaper most of the time) in different scenarios where she is happy or sad. for example, she is happy when she holds an ice cream cone and sad when she drops it. what I love about this book is that it is a great tool for teaching empathy. I love explaining what’s going on in the photos and then asking my toddler which one she thinks the baby is sad or happy in and why.
17) barnyard dance! by sandra boynton
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This book is so much fun to read! it’s a square dance song for barnyard animals, you want lines like “bow down to the horse”. bow down to the cow. spin with the pig if you know how. This is a great, high-energy read that is sure to engage your baby and create lasting memories for both of you.
18) brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? by bill martin, jr. and eric carle
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See Also: Baby Photo Books and Albums – Mixbook
On each page, we meet a new animal that describes what they see: “I see a yellow duck looking at me.” the words follow a repeating pattern, making it a fun and educational read for your baby. I like this book for older babies, ages 10-12 months and older. I also used this to practice baby sign language with my oldest and it was very helpful.
19) god bless you and good night by hannah c. lounge
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This is a sweet book that takes your baby through the bedtime routine and ends with a simple prayer: God bless you and good night. On each page, the book’s beautiful illustrations show a baby animal and her family as they get ready for bed.
(Have you noticed a theme with all the bedtime books on this list? Bedtime books, or whatever else your baby has to do, are really helpful!) like to give.
20) giraffes can’t dance by giles andreae
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all gerald the giraffe wants to do is dance in the jungle dance, but the other animals make fun of him because he’s not a good dancer. Giraffes Can’t Dance is a beautiful rhyming story about a giraffe who finds the music within herself and learns to dance. in the end, all the animals that were laughing at him want to know how he learned to dance so beautifully. It is well written and beautifully illustrated and is a great read for your baby as she gets a little closer to her one year old, and will remain a part of your baby’s library for many years to come.
21) where is the baby’s navel? by karen katz
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a simple rhyming book with flaps for your baby to pick up, where’s the baby’s belly button? is a perfect interactive book for younger readers. Interactive books like this one are especially engaging and fun for babies when they’re awake or playing. don’t use a funny book like this right before nap time.
22) i love you because it’s you by liza baker
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This is a book that should be in every home! Express unconditional love to your child by explaining that he will love him no matter what: when he’s happy, when he’s snuggled, when he yells, when he cries, when he’s sick, and when he’s silly. this is such an important concept to communicate to children and I think this book does it perfectly.
23) a to z by sandra boynton
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I love teaching the alphabet through books, and a to z is a short, fun, and easy book that gets the job done. I like to read this to my children when they are only a few months old. it’s so much fun that it doesn’t really feel like you’re “teaching”.
24) five raffi ducklings
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this is a companion book for the song “five little ducks”. (“Five little ducklings went out one day, over the hills and far away…”). I love singing along to the cute illustrations and it’s a fun book to read with your little one. we also love the raffi songs.
25) you made me a mother by laurenne sala
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Another book that I like to give away at baby showers, you turned me into a mother is one of the best written children’s books. Told from the mother’s perspective, it expresses how much a mother loves her baby. it is so beautiful and expresses so perfectly the overwhelming emotion that motherhood adds to us, that it makes me cry every time I read it.
You may also be interested in: the best bedtime stories for children
read to your baby age by age
reading with your baby will look a little different as they grow from stage to stage.
Newborns (0-3 months): When your baby is in the newborn stage between 0-3 months, he will grow rapidly and adapt to his new environment outside the womb. Reading gives them the opportunity to help develop their eyesight, so board books in high-contrast colors like red, black, and white will be visually stimulating and age-appropriate. Sit in a chair with your baby during his wake times and read 1-2 books a day. let your baby have a chance to look at the pictures.
4-6 months: During this stage, your baby will be more alert and in tune with the world around him. they will be more interactive than in the newborn stage and will have become familiar with their daily activities and routines. (This is one of my favorite stages!) Reading is starting to take a bigger role in your baby’s day and they’ll love seeing vivid colors and bright pictures. At this stage, you can present short board books with 1-2 sentences per page. her little one will be captivated by what she sees and will explore the world around him by touching things and putting them in his mouth, including books. let them play with durable, indestructible board books and sensory books that have different textures they can play with.
7-9 months: During this stage, your baby will be more mobile and show more interest in reading with you. this is a great time to start featuring picture books that teach animals, colors, and more. Babies love looking at faces too, so this is the perfect age to read picture books with baby pictures. At this age, your baby may not be able to sit still for long, so try to read to her in short increments throughout the day.
10-12 months: As your baby approaches his first birthday, he will become more engaged with what he is reading. they can be a moving worm who loves to move, but they can still do a lot of reading together because their attention span is growing. this is the age where I like to bring some textbooks like an alphabet book or some longer stories with more words.
Still, I like to read above my children’s reading level, so I would read any of the books to my baby from 3 months onwards.
Did you find good books for your baby? It was hard to pick just 25, but that’s enough for my list of the 25 Best Baby Books for Your Baby’s First Year.
If you’d like to look at books beyond baby’s first year, I encourage you to shop the entire laura numeroff “si das” collection of books, as well as other favorites like “good Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” are fun and silly and very suitable for young children. You can also check out our recommendations on the best books for young children.
What are some of your favorite baby books? let me know in the comments! I hope you have found some new gems to add to your baby’s library. and I wish you lots of baby hugs and reading time together.
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