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
W
Winnipeg Public Library
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Bed! Bed! Bed!
Florian, Douglas
Paper Book
Lead kids through their wind-down routine as they get ready for Bed! Bed! Bed!, the latest board book in the popular series for toddlers! Sweet dreams fill your head! head! head! In your cozy bed! bed! bed! Bright smiles and enthusiastic kids...
The numbers store
Green, Harold, III
Paper Book
This stunning, early-concept board book series features an intergenerational Black family over the course of a day at the local grocery store, as readers learn colors and numbers.  When Mom realizes there are zero eggs in the house, the entire family heads to...
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
You are new
Knisley, Lucy
Paper Book
"A delightfully assured debut picture book . . . a true standout." -- The New York Times Book celebrates the joys of having -- and being! -- a baby: A world of being new is waiting for little ones and the grown-ups who love them in this warm and funny book. From...
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...
The nose, toes, and tummy book
Nicholls, Sally
Paper Book
What happens when you press my nose? Can you tell a stinky foot from a sweet one? Join in and play silly games as families name the different parts of the body. "Humorous play throughout ends with the featured child being told 'Good Night!' Good...
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...
The wheels on the tuk tuk
Sehgal, Surishtha
Paper Book
From the mother-son duo behind the New York Times bestselling A Bucket of Blessings comes a zany picture book about a wild ride on a tuk tuk taxi in India! This picture book brings an international twist to the beloved nursery rhyme, The Wheels on the Bus, by...
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...
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...
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 from the 2025-2026 Young People's Poet Laureate! 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...
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 finally asleep. But everyone is much too loud! Can Mom, Daddy, Grammy, Pop Pop, Shae, Dante, Rover the dog, and even the...
Love
de la Pen?a, Matt
Paper Book
#1NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER " A poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child's life . . . eloquent and moving."-People "Everything that can be called love -- from shared joy to comfort in the darkness -- is gathered in the pages of this...
Here we are : notes for living on planet Earth
Jeffers, Oliver
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller A TIME Magazine Best Book of the Year A NPR Best Book of 2017 A Boston Globe Best Book of 2017 "Moments of human intimacy jostle with scenes that inspire cosmic awe, and the broad diversity of...
Here we are : notes for living on planet Earth
Jeffers, Oliver
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller A TIME Magazine Best Book of the Year A NPR Best Book of 2017 A Boston Globe Best Book of 2017 "Moments of human intimacy jostle with scenes that inspire cosmic awe, and the broad diversity of...
That's me loving you
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse
Paper Book
From the author of the New York Times bestselling author of I Wish You More comes a book that promises continuous love in the traditon of the classic The Runaway Bunny. A heartwarming story that will comfort kids with separation anxiety about going back to school!...
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...

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