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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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...
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...
My Little Ogichidaa : An Indigenous Lullaby
Poll, Willie/ Pichette, Hawlii (ILT)
Paper Book
My Little Ogichidaa is inspired by Indigenous motherhood. It invites readers to explore the compelling dreams and hopes of an Indigenous parent for her soon-to-be-born warrior. The word Ogichidaa itself means warrior in Anishinaabemowin, and this beautifully illustrated book is a tribute to...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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 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...
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.
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...
Little you = Kîya-k'apisîsisîyân
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...
Kitapisîsisin Little You--Bush Cree editio
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...
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...
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
Are you a lover of rhythm and blues? Shoo-be-do-wop along with your little ones, as you introduce them to the legendary music of the Motown era. Enjoy a jazzy drift into dreamland, filled with sentiment and heart, as together, child and caring adult can share their musical love in this bedtime...
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...
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 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...
?m ?os??ikones = Dear dandelion
Okemow, SJ
Paper Book
A debut picture book that celebrates self-love, care, and resilience with one of the most widespread plants--the dandelion. Both a love letter to the dandelion and a call to love ourselves in a difficult world, Âmî Osâwâpikones reminds us that we are not defined as others see us. Following...
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
USBBY Outstanding International 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...
Canadian author.
Kulu adoré
Kalluk, Celina.
Paper Book
USBBY Outstanding International 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...

Auteure canadienne.


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