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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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,...
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 been waiting so...
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
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...
Run, Run, Run!
Gomi, Taro.
Paper Book
Run, Run, Run! is a fun, fun, fun board book for on-the-go toddlers! It's time to run a race like no other! Finish line? Winning? None of that matters here. Exploring is the goal! In this colorful board book by bestselling author-illustrator Taro...
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
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...
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...
Hello, hands!
Khalil, Aya
Paper Book
Books made for the very youngest of readers! Hello, waving hands! From saying hello to playing peekaboo, from gripping toys to blowing kisses, join baby in discovering what tiny hands can do. High-contrast designs and photographs engage infants...
You are new
Knisley, Lucy
Paper Book
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, this board book introduces the world to newborns (and new parents) with humor, honesty, and unmitigated sweetness. Award-winning author Lucy...
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...
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...
Let's eat
Penfold, Alexandra
Paper Book
It's time to come together and eat with the beloved characters from the New York Times bestseller All Are Welcome! A great introduction to different food groups for the very youngest foodies. Do you like noodles? Rice? Greens? No need to choose, we like them all! A...
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
Key Selling Points Dr. Roberts is a child psychologist, professor and author who is a regular contributor to HuffPost, Global News and CBC. This book offers a gentle reminder for adults that keeping themselves calm is important to be able to bring an upset child into a state...
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...
Prairie mamas & babies
Tekiela, Stan
Paper Book
Introduce children to 10 common animals--and their babies--that live on the prairie with this wildlife-themed board book. Board books put images and words in the hands of young children who are eager to learn. Feed their curiosity and jump-start their education with the Mamas and...
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...
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
Key Selling Points Illustrator Julie Flett received a BolognaRagazzi Special Mention (2019) for her book with Richard Van Camp, We Sang You Home. Little Youhas been translated into more than five languages, including Bush Cree, South Slavey, Chipewyan, Spanish, French and...
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...
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
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...
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.
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...
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 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...
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
"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...

Auteure canadienne.


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