The Best Baby and Toddler Books I’ve Bought (So Far) – Info Computing

On Aug 3, 2018

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As shown by my overflowing floor to ceiling bookshelves, you can never have too many books. And besides that, it’s impossible to read too much to your baby or be too young to enjoy reading. While it seems silly to read to a tiny baby, it’s pretty great as a new parent to have something you can do that you already know how to do and requires basically no work or thinking (hey, parenting is hard and being a new parent is brutal). I found that reading with my child, even when she was really little, was a nice, calm, quiet activity that’s so rewarding, even when you don’t think a baby is “getting” any of what you’re reading.

Now that my child is older, I continue to buy tons of children’s books. It’s so much fun to go to bookstores and just pick up whatever your kid seems interested in. We’re lucky to have Books of Wonder and McNally Jackson here in NYC, and 57th Street Books in Hyde Park, Chicago, as well as Oblong Books in the Hudson Valley, but Amazon and even your library are excellent too.

Also, I wish Amazon would make a way to send a printed gift sticker that could be pasted into books you buy as gifts for kids. A little To/From/Happy Whatever, would be so great and the recipient could peel and stick it into the book and remember you when they read it. Can someone get on that?

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Such a clever concept, though again, in a book meant for babies, the pages and pop ups could be a lot sturdier. The lion cage part always ripped completely in a matter of days, though I’ve learned to tape it back together pretty well. I give this to everyone I know that’s having a baby. We still keep one in the car because the animal noises are really fun to make.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A classic, and the bright colors really do capture babies’ attention. The sturdy board book edition is great for smaller babies so they don’t rip up the pages putting their fingers through the “bites” that the caterpillar has made.

Who’s At Home by Jane E. Gerver and Kathryn Lynn Davis
This book was a huge hit. The hidden flaps are sturdy and easy for babies to grasp on their own.

Maisy Lift-the-Flap books by Lucy Cousins
These are great! The Where is Maisy one was our favorite and we still read it sometimes. Also, Maisy is a delightful, calm, not-annoying alternative to the horrible Peppa Pig (why are the kids so badly behaved? Why is the whole family so mean to the dad pig?). The Maisy series also has excellent board books where Maisy drives a bus, conducts a train, sails a boat, works on a farm, etc.).

The Indestructibles Series by Kaaren Pixton
I used to keep one of these in my purse when commuting to daycare and work so that if there was a subway delay, I could just grab this book and keep my baby entertained. The pages are chewable, waterproof (I put one through the washing machine accidentally and it was unscathed), baby proof, so they can really go to town flipping, chewing, etc. Of the series, the Jungle and Mama and Baby ones were my favorite.

That’s Not My Monkey by Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells
This book delighted my child, while irritating my husband (he’s right, a gorilla is not a monkey!). This series has elements that kids can touch (a rough tongue, corrugated teeth, furry ears, etc.). Small kids love them! Some of the books in this series are ridiculous (“Teeth are too shiny” makes no sense; you can’t feel shiny) but we were really into them for a while. They are sturdy and getting several makes for a nice present.

Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt
(I think the flowers smell weirdly stinky and this book is kind of silly, but babies really do respond to it. Note that the weird plastic binding means it will get destroyed and you’ll need like 3 more).

Hello Animals by Smriti Prasadam
Look, Look! by Peter Linenthal
Black & White by Tana Hoban
Apparently, for very young babies (like 0-4 months), black and white, starkly graphical images really hold attention. We bought a lot of black and white books to read and look at, to supplement classic simple stories for reading out loud (like Good Night Moon, etc.).

Article Prepared by Ollala Corp