Books for Babies

Early experiences with books and language lay the foundation for success in learning to read. You can help build reading readiness. Talk, sing, read, write and play with your child - all of these activities help to develop language and literacy skills. Use this list of recommended stories to celebrate the joy of reading with your child.

Updated March 28, 2024
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Winnipeg Public Library
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123 Zoom
Urban, Chieu Anh
Paper Book
Kids will learn to count and write numbers in this fun, colorful, and interactive hands-on novelty book from the talented Chiêu Anh Urban! Stylistic in design, this colorful and interactive counting book invites youngest readers to zoom on trains, submarines, spaceships,...
Love makes a family
Beer, Sophie
Paper Book
This fun, inclusive board book celebrates the one thing that makes every family a family . . . and that's LOVE. Love is baking a special cake. Love is lending a helping hand. Love is reading one more book. In this exuberant board book, many different families are...
Now that you're here
Brantz, Loryn
Paper Book
From bestselling Feminist Baby and It Had to Be You creator Loryn Brantz comes a fun-filled high-contrast black-and-white board book that celebrates the experiences kids of all abilities may have with their loved ones Now that you're here, there's so much we can do. We've...
The moon is a silver pond
Cassidy, Sara
Paper Book
A young child skates, bakes and milks the cow while the moon wondrously transforms above. The moon is a silver pond when seen through the trees. When they tend the cow, the moon is the milk at the bottom of the pail. With stunning illustrations by Josée Bisaillon, this simple board...
Canadian author.
My family, your family!
Cole, Kathryn
Paper Book
This book includes a diverse array of characters and celebrates gay parents, single parents, blended families, and other family groups rarely seen in board books.
Canadian author.
Who takes care of you?
Eliot, Hannah
Paper Book
Celebrate the many different caregivers in a child's life with this tender and inclusive board book! No matter who takes care of you You are loved by those who care Mommy, daddy, aunt, or granny For you, they will always be there
Hello, world!
Hepworth, Amelia
Paper Book
Babies can see black-and-white images from birth, and this captivating series has been specially designed to delight even the youngest readers. Babies will love to experience the appealing, high-contrast black-and-white images in this engaging board book. With a tactile die...
A is for anemone a first West Coast alphabet
Budd, Robert
Paper Book
With crisp, luminous illustrations by celebrated Indigenous artist Roy Henry Vickers, and a simple rhythmic text, this sturdy board book introduces the alphabet using iconic imagery of the West Coast, creating a book that will be cherished by young readers and their families. Starting with...
Canadian author.
You are new
Knisley, Lucy
Paper Book
A sweet look at the first year of a baby's life from bestselling author Lucy Knisley--now in board book format! A world of being new is waiting for little ones and the grown-ups who love them in this warm and funny book. From napping to crying to cuddling to playing...
Black bird yellow sun
Light, Steve
Paper Book
From the creator of Have You Seen My Dragon? comes an exploration of color that truly soars. As a solitary black bird wings its way through the day, little ones are treated to a magnificent flight from one vibrant color to another. Inimitable illustrator Steve Light...
Hello, baby : say hello in 15 languages!
Stilwell, Stephani
Paper Book
This adorable, photo-filled board book will teach toddlers how to say "hello" in fifteen of the world's most spoken languages. Selected as a 2024 Best Books for Babies by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh! Hola! Ni Hao! Marhaba! Bonjour! Say hello in...
Oups!
Massy, Julie
Paper Book

Que se passe-t-il si on cogne sur un oeuf fragile, si on secoue la boite de cereales dans tous les sens, que l'on ecrase le tube de dentifrice avec son poing, que l'on frappe fort dans les mains pres d'un arbre ou sont posss des oiseaux ou que l'on crie tres fort pres du panier ou dort un chaton ? Oups, oups, oups et encore oups !

Auteure canadienne.

Oops!
Massy, Julie
Paper Book
Tap the page, shake the book, shout, clap and imagine a silly world of before-and-afters in this interactive picture book. What happens when you knock on an egg? Flip a plate of sloppy spaghetti? Clap your hands near a tree full of birds?...OOPS! When children might otherwise be encouraged...

Canadian author.

Leo at the park
McQuinn, Anna
Paper Book
Leo, Lola's little brother, is back with a fun-filled day with Mom at the park! A perfect everyday read-aloud for little ones, this playful spin-off of the best-selling Lola Reads series is sure to delight. Leo is hot hot hot! So he and Mommy head to the park to cool...
Daddy, Papa, and me
Newman, Lesléa.
Paper Book
A heartwarming board books about gay parents! A great purchase for new parents and new babies alike, and the perfect gift to show your love for daddy, pappa and more! Rhythmic text and illustrations with universal appeal show a toddler spending the day with its daddies. From hide...
It's tummy time!
Parsley, Elise
Paper Book
Celebrate babies' daily exercise with this exuberant board book from a New York Times bestselling children's book creator! Play time. Game time. Nap time. Tummy time! All ages of family members will want to recite this jaunty, infectious verse during...
I already love you
Perlman, Willa
Paper Book
From wiggly toes to sweet, sparkling eyes, this heartfelt board book radiates with the love a parent feels for every part of their child. I already love your fingers. They will curl around mine to say, "hello, I'm here." This board...
Calm
Roberts, Jillian
Paper Book
"When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it's our job to share our calm, not to join their chaos." --L.R. Knost This soothing board book by child psychologist, professor and author Dr. Jillian Roberts was written to remind us that the little people in our lives need us to be...
Nibi is water = Nibi aawon nbiish
Robertson, Joanne
Paper Book
A first conversation about the importance of Nibi, which means water in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe), and our role to thank, respect, love, and protect it. Babies and toddlers can follow Nibi as it rains and snows, splashes or rows, drips and sips. Written from an Anishinaabe water protector's...
Peekaboo! Nanuq and Nuka Look for Shapes: Bilingual Inuktitut and English Edition
Rupke, Rachel
Paper Book
Can you help Nanuq and Nuka look for shapes? In this interactive book, Nanuq and Nuka explore the world around them and look for different shapes. Children can pull up the flap and find the hidden shapes with Nanuq and Nuka!
The wheels on the tuk tuk
Sehgal, Kabir
Paper Book
From the mother-son duo behind the New York Times bestselling A Bucket of Blessings comes a zany Classic Board Book about a wild ride on a tuk tuk taxi in India! In this international twist to the beloved nursery rhyme, "The Wheels on the Bus," anything can happen...
Give me a snickle!
Sevigny, Alisha
Paper Book
★ "The rhyming cadence makes this title a great one for baby story times and one-on-one readings...A first purchase for all libraries, and not limited to the conventional board book audience."--School Library Journal, starred review A hug and a giggle? Who doesn't love a good higgle!...
Canadian author.
My moms love me
Membrino, Anna
Paper Book
Cuddle up and celebrate love in this picture book that shines a spotlight on LGBTQ+ moms! "A hug from Mommy, warm and tight. A squeeze from Mama feels just right. This is how my mommies say, 'We love you, baby, night and day!"' Two...
Hello, happy faces
Townsend, John
Paper Book
Say "Hello!" to the animals of the world with this beautiful board book designed specifically for babies! From alligators and elephants to lions, sloths, and frogs, Hello, Happy Faces is the perfect first baby book. A great early introduction to animals for your baby, every linocut artwork...
Little you
Van Camp, Richard.
Paper Book
"You are life and breath adored. You are us and so much more..." Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author of the hugely successful Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns, has partnered with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett to create a tender...
Canadian author.
Tout Petit Toi
Van Camp, Richard
Paper Book
Richard Van Camp, reconnu à travers le monde à titre de conteur et d'auteur des ouvrages à succès Welcome Song for Babyet We Sang You Home, s'est associé à la grande illustratrice Julie Flett. Cet album cartonné destiné aux bébés et aux bambins rend hommage, avec tendresse, à l'enfant...

Auteur canadien.

Little you = Gidagaashiinh
Van Camp, Richard
Paper Book
★ "Van Camp composes a lyrical ode to a newborn child, which is matched in its loveliness by Flett's exquisite, collage-like images of a young one with his or her parents."--Publishers Weekly, starred review Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling...
Kitapisîsisin Little You--Bush Cree editio
Van Camp, Richard.
Ebook
Key Selling Points Illustrator Julie Flett received a BolognaRagazzi Special Mention (2019) for her book with Richard Van Camp, We Sang You Home.  Little You has been translated into more than five languages, including Bush Cree, South Slavey, Chipewyan, Spanish, French...
Little you = Kîya-k'apisîsisîyân
Van Camp, Richard
Paper Book
★ "Van Camp composes a lyrical ode to a newborn child, which is matched in its loveliness by Flett's exquisite, collage-like images of a young one with his or her parents."--Publishers Weekly, starred review Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling...
Little YouNën Nechíle: Little You - Chipewyan Edition
Van Camp, Richard
Ebook
"You are life and breath adored. You are us and so much more..." Richard Van Camp, internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author of the hugely successful Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns, has partnered with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett to create a tender...
Sometimes babies... : a book for a new baby
Trounce, Charlotte
Paper Book
Babies change and babies grow. They're different every day. But you're the baby I love best . . . in every single way. There are so many different kinds of babies in the world: big, small, short, tall. They can even be jumpy or grumpy! With bold animal artwork on every spread and...
Rock-a-bye romp
Ashman, Linda
Paper Book
Turning a beloved lullaby on its head, this wonderful read-aloud pairs playful text and enchanting paintings to create a rollicking escapade with a clever premise and a cozy conclusion. 'Rock-a-bye, Baby, in the treetop. How did you ever get so high up?' That's a good...
Babymoon
Barrett, Hayley
Paper Book
In a perfect gift for new and expectant parents (and siblings), a gentle story pays tribute to the wonder and emotion of a family's first quiet days with a newborn. The house is hushed. The lights are low. We're basking in a newborn glow. Inside...
Love you head to toe
Barron, Ashley
Paper Book
Pairing creative rhyming similes with cut-paper collage art, Love You Head to Toeis an adorable book that compares newborn babies to baby animals on every page. Bright, playful illustrations show a different baby and a different species of animal, both engaged in similar behavior: babies...
Canadian author.
King Baby
Beaton, Kate
Paper Book
A laugh-out-loud picture book with royal appeal!All hail King Baby! He greets his adoring public with giggles and wiggles and coos, posing for photos and allowing hugs and kisses. But this royal ruler also has many demands, and when his subjects can't quite keep up, King Baby takes matters into his...
Canadian author.
Sugar pie lullaby : the soul of Motown in a song of love
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
Celebrate family love with this heartwarming and soulful bedtime book perfect for toddlers 1-3! Shoo-be-do-wop along with your little one as you introduce them to the legendary music of the Motown era. Heartfelt text and whimsical illustrations will touch the hearts of sentimental parents...
Shhh! The baby's asleep
Brown-Wood, JaNay
Paper Book
Celebrate the silliness that comes with a big family in this playful read aloud about a big brother, a sleeping baby, and a very noisy family. Baby is finallyasleep. But everyone is much too loud! Can Mom, Daddy, Grammy, Pop Pop, Shae, Dante, Rover the dog, and even the...
Here we are : notes for living on planet Earth
Jeffers, Oliver
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller and #1 TIME Best Book of the Year for 2017! The exquisite and thought-provoking book from the multi award-winning, internationally best-selling picture book creator of Lost and Found, Oliver Jeffers. Well, hello. And welcome to this Planet....
Nous sommes là : notes concernant la vie sur la planète Terre
Jeffers, Oliver
Paper Book
That's me loving you
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse
Paper Book
From the NewYork Times bestselling author ofUni the Unicorncomes a tender, emotional picture bookpromising a love that will never end. The perfect way to show your love to your little one this Valentine's Day. Wherever you are, Wherever you go, Always...
Hush, little rocket
O'Hara, Mo
Paper Book
Bedtime goes out of this world with Hush, Little Rocket, a new picture book by New York Times-bestselling author Mo O'Hara! Hush, Little Rocket, don't make a bleep. We're heading home now, it's time to sleep. At the end of a very...
Remember
Harjo, Joy
Paper Book
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER .AN AMERICAN INDIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION HONOR BOOK.A BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK HONOR AWARD . NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal. Publishers Weekly. The Horn Book .NPR . The Bulletin. Kirkus Reviews ...
Sweetest Kulu
Kalluk, Celina
Paper Book
"Dream a little, Kulu, this world now sings a most beautiful song of you." This beautiful bedtime poem, written by acclaimed Inuit throat singer Celina Kalluk, describes the gifts given to a newborn baby by all the animals of the Arctic. Lyrically and tenderly told by a...
Canadian author.
Kulu adoré
Kalluk, Celina.
Paper Book
« Rêve un peu, Kulu, ce monde te louange avec la plus magnifique des chansons. » Dans cette magnifique histoire poétique à raconter au coucher imaginée par la chanteuse de gorge de renom Celina Kalluk, les animaux de l'Arctique viennent offrir leurs plus beaux présents à un nouveau-né. ...

Auteure canadienne.

Read Talk Play: Baby Steps to Reading
McDougall, Carol
Paper Book
Three books in one: the perfect starter collection to introduce babies to the joy of books and reading. Rub a dub dub Splashing in the tub You can say bubble BUB, BUB, BUBBLE Rub a dub dub The road to reading begins at birth, and talking, playing, and reading with your...

Canadian author.


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