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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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
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 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...
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...
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...
Also available in eBook format.
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...
Canadian author.
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...
Nous sommes là : notes concernant la vie sur la planète Terre
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 New York Times bestselling author of Uni the Unicorn comes a tender, emotional picture book promising a love that will never end. The perfect way to show your love to your little one this Valentine's Day.   Wherever you are, ...
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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