2025 Recommended Baby Books @ Sussex County Library System!

As depicted by the Association for Library Services for Children, babies need words every day: talk, read, sing, and play.This resource was created to help provide recommended board books and picture books that can help build children’s literacy skills. These books are available at the Sussex County Library System.


Updated July 8, 2025
S
Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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Being home /
Sorell, Traci
Paper Book
From Sibert Honor-winning author Traci Sorell and Caldecott Medal-winning artist Michaela Goade comes a heartwarming picture book about a Native American family and the joy of moving back to their ancestral land. Today is a day of excitement--it's time to move! As a young...
The boy and the elephant /
Blackwood, Freya,
Paper Book
From an award-winning illustrator comes a tender, magical, and gorgeously rendered wordless picture book about a boy who saves the trees in the lot next door from being cut down. Amongst the hustle and bustle of the city is an overgrown piece of land where trees and wildlife...
Counting Winter
Carlstrom, Nancy White/ McGehee, Claudia (ILT)
Paper Book
An Amazon Editor's Pick: Best Books Ages 3-5 "It's a counting book. It's a winter animal book. It's a just plain beautiful book! . . . The prettiest nondenominational winter book seen in ages."  -- Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)<...
Crick, crack, crow! /
Lord, Janet
Paper Book
Crow's mischievous antics are featured in this playful and informative picture book that illustrates the cleverness of crows and their intriguing behavior. Crows are crafty birds. In this picture book about a particularly noisy and mischievous young crow, their intriguing...
Desert Song
Kemp, Laekan Zea/ Gutierrez Hernandez, Beatriz (ILT)
Paper Book
A family joins the music of the Texas desert night in this tale of tradition and memory from Pura Belpré Honor author Laekan Zea Kemp. It starts with a soft tapping, Uncle Eduardo drumming his hands against his dusty jeans. As the...
Everyone starts small /
Scanlon, Liz Garton
Paper Book
Sun and Grass, Water and Tree, Fire and Rain--nature's cycle of creation unfolds in a compelling lyrical text and striking illustrations. Sun grows beams and Grass grows blades and Cloud cannot contain herself. Spring rains change...
Go and get with Rex /
LaRochelle, David
Paper Book
The Geisel Award-winning creators of See the Cat channel their comic sensibility into a rousing alphabetical exercise in thinking outside the box. Jack, Jill, and Rex are excited to play a game of Go and Get! The rules are simple: on the count of three, each player must...
Heatwave /
Redniss, Lauren
Paper Book
A picture book from an award-winning artist that uses vibrant reds and blues to stunningly evoke the intensity of a heatwave and the refreshing relief that comes with an unexpected downpour of a cooling rain. A NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR . A KIRKUS REVIEWS, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL,<...
Knight Owl and Early Bird /
Denise, Christopher,
Paper Book
A New York Times and Indie Bestseller * In this exciting adventure and follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor award-winning classic, Knight Owl makes an unlikely friend in the over-zealous Early Bird--who wants to be a brave knight,...
My book and me /
Park, Linda Sue
Paper Book
A celebration of books and reading from Newbery medal winner Linda Sue Park and illustrated by two-time Caldecott medal winner, Chris Raschka. This is my book. My favorite book. I carry it with me wherever I go. Meet the child who loves books in this...
My daddy is a cowboy /
Seales, Stephanie,
Paper Book
Tall. High as the clouds. Strong as a horse's back. Like a cowboy. In the early hours before dawn, a young girl and her father greet their horses and ride together through the waking city streets. As they trot along, Daddy tells cowboy stories filled with fun and...
On a summer night /
Hopkinson, Deborah
Paper Book
Step into the quiet magic of this celebration of summer nighttime and the mystery of a world lit differently by the moon. On a summer night, the world is still. Even the crickets think it's too hot to sing. But all at once, a girl wakes. In the...
Pretty ugly :
Sedaris, David
Paper Book
Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year winner for ages 6 to 8 Most Anticipated Books of 2024 List, Kirkus Reviews Most Anticipated Kids Books List - February, Barnes & Noble Kids Indie Next Pick March/April 2024 2025 Capitol Choices A...
Prunella /
Ferry, Beth.
Paper Book
Five starred reviews! From New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry comes a fantastical and unforgettable picture book about an unusual girl whose purple thumb helps her cultivate a truly macabre garden. When Prunella is born with a purple thumb...
The Strangest Fish
Arden, Katherine/ Marwan, Zahra (ILT)
Paper Book
Hicklebee's Picture Book of the Year 2024 A Kids Indie Next List Pick - American Booksellers Association In this bewitching picture book debut from bestselling fantasy author Katherine Arden, a girl wins an odd-looking goldfish at a county fair that ends up being secretly...
Summer is here /
Watson, Renâee
Paper Book
Celebrate iconic childhood joys in this love letter to summer featuring bright, sun-drenched art, from New York Times bestselling creators Renée Watson and Bea Jackson. Summer is here! No dark clouds in the sky, it's a perfect day for play. What joy...
The teeny-weeny unicorn /
Harris, Shawn
Paper Book
Meet this pint-sized unicorn in this funny, modern fairy tale about perception and self-confidence from a Caldecott-Honor winning creator. Once upon a time, in a land where horses were mythical beasts, there lived a unicorn-a Teeny-Weeny Unicorn. He lived with his family in a...
There was a shadow /
Handy, Bruce
Paper Book
From New York Times Best Children's Book author Bruce Handy, a luminous picture book that invites careful observation of light and shadow in the natural world, as well as in our own emotional landscape. As the sun makes its daily journey across the sky, light...
This baby. That baby /
Best, Cari
Paper Book
In this bouncy, playful picture book for very young listeners, follow two baby friends who live in facing buildings through their day--playing, singing, and napping--till they meet in the park! Somewhere in the big, big city two happy babies look out their morning...
Two together /
Wenzel, Brendan
Paper Book
In this companion book to They All Saw a Cat and Inside Cat, a journey home leads to unexpected adventures for a cat and dog. A playful, imaginative story of friendship, empathy, and discovery by Caldecott Honor winner Brendan Wenzel. Cat and Dog...
When you find the right rock /
Ray, Mary Lyn
Paper Book
A marvelous exploration of the special relationship children find with the natural world and the fascination and friendship they find in special rocks, from poet Mary Lyn Ray and artist Felicita Sala. Somewhere, a rock is waiting for you. One just the right color for your windowsill, or just...
Where to hide a star /
Jeffers, Oliver
Paper Book
World-renowned artist and picture book creator Oliver Jeffers brings to life an endearing story about the magic of friendship--and sharing what brings us joy. Celebrate twenty years of The Boy in this highly anticipated new adventure from the internationally bestselling picture...

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