Studies show it’s never too early to start reading the best children’s books to infants. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that reading baby books out loud to your kids starting from birth strengthens your parent-child bond and gets your baby started on important language and literacy skills. And in truth, it doesn’t matter what you read to your babies: Just hearing any words will get them the foundations for a later vocabulary, and it’s the lap-sitting, not the book choice, that makes for good bonding time. You could read your to-do list for the week, and it wouldn’t matter to a baby.
But it does matter to you, because reading a to-do list isn’t that much fun. And instead there’s a world of fantastic baby books with wonderful illustrations, innovative interactive features, ingenious wordplay and great read-aloud rhythms, all available at your fingertips. You might even get to learn a thing or two about quantum physics while you’re it. Add the best baby books to your child’s home library, and get ready for snuggly story time. (Bonus: They also make for great baby gifts.)
As the Little Nutbrown Hare and the Big Nutbrown Hare talk about how much they love each other, you get to assure your little one that your love is immeasurable, too.
If you like the idea of re-telling classic stories through more diverse illustrations, the Penguin Bedtime Classic series is on the same wavelength. Other titles in this series include The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs, The Princess and the Pea and A Little Princess.
When Leo goes to the library for “baby time,” he gets to do exciting activities, like singing a happy song or playing peek-a-boo with scarves — things you can play at home, too!
Chances are, “no” and “yes” are going to be the words that your baby hears most. So it makes sense that “no” and “yes” are the only words in this book, too. The baby gets a “no” for bad behavior and a “yes” being good. (See also: Yummy Yucky.)
There are endless numbers of counting books out there, but only one where the great Frida Kahlo acts as the guide to numbers. This book counts in English and Spanish, using element of her life as inspiration. (“One blue house/una casa azul.”)