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Must Have Books to Stock Your Baby's Library


Regardless if this is your first kid or your 5th kid, it's always fun to grow your children's library, and books make the best gifts as well. If you're looking for a list of wonderful children's books organized into easy-to-classify categories, you've come to the right place!


One of the best investments you can make in your child's future is reading with your child every day. I can't stress enough the importance of reading early on and getting kids to be excited about books. We started reading to my daughter at 2 months and at 10 months old, her favorite things are still books. We have a few crates of books and a few totes of toys in her nursery, but she always gravitates towards the book bin as she loves pulling the books out and looking through them. Even at 10 months, she loves being read to, looking at the pictures, and turning the pages on her own. Start good habits early, and as always, keep the end goal in mind!

If you are starting a registry, one of the things you'll want to include is books for baby! Below I've made a list of some of my favorite baby and children's books with many of them transitioning well into toddlerhood and early childhood. Find them on Amazon!

If you are having a baby shower, another great idea is for the hostess to include an insert in the invite to bring a baby book instead of a card. My friend included this cute poem insert below in the shower invite. This was one of my favorite things at one of my baby showers as each person brought a book and included a handwritten message inside for our daughter which we read each time we open the book.


Savvy Shopper Tip: Another way to stock your library is to check out books at consignment sales. We have a variety of books - both previously loved and brand new. A child won't know the difference either of course!


And BONUS for anyone that loves FREE books... Keep reading to find out how to get a free book every 1-2 months for children from birth to age 5!


LOVE FOR BABY / CHILD:

  • I've Loved You Since Forever (Tender book that demonstrates timeless love between a parent and child)

  • I Love You to the Moon and Back (Sweet rhyming book with lovely illustrations)

  • Welcome Little One (A precious tribute to babies and the joy they bring; perfect gift for new parents)

  • I Wish You More (Encouraging, inspirational, and uplifting book for kids)

  • When I Pray for You (Beautifully written this book is packed with heartfelt emotion and affirmations. Great gift too for Baptisms and Baby Dedications)

  • Mama Loves You So (Lovely lullaby texts and beautiful illustrations - perfect for new parents)

  • Guess How Much I Love You (Another classic that illustrates the endless love a parent has for a child)

  • Bear Hugs (Charming rhyming book with cute illustrations and adorable nicknames)

  • I Prayed for You (Sweet book about praying for you child daily, in the eyes of a Mama Bear)

  • My Dad Loves Me! (Precious book that simply illustrates the way a Dad loves his child)

  • My Mom Loves Me! (Same as above book, but from a Mom's perspective)

  • Love You Forever (A classic with the unforgettable poem, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, My baby you'll be.")


TIMELESS / CLASSIC BOOKS:



PERSONALIZED BOOKS:

Personalized books are a huge hit for your littles and also make amazing gifts that parents and children will be so thankful for!

  • Goodnight Little <Insert Chlid's Name>  (This lovely book can be customized with any name. Each page has beautiful pictures with the baby's name incorporated into the beautiful illustrations. This is a fan favorite for sure!)




UNIQUE BOOKS:

  • P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever (A quirky and amusing book that uses alliteration while giving great examples of words that defy the standard rules)

  • Shine-a-Light Flashlight Books (Use a flashlight behind each page to see the hidden images on the page! These books are one of my favorite books to give as gifts as they are not only unique but fun, interactive, and informative. They have so many different topics: the Farm, Dinosaurs, Seashore, Space, Human Body, Wonders of the USA, and so many more!)



LEARNING BOOKS:

COUNTING BOOKS:


COLORS:

  • What Makes a Rainbow (This is a fun interactive way to learn about colors, rainbows, and other lessons as there are colored ribbons that accumulate on each page until the rainbow is complete on the last page)

  • Dr. Seuss's Book of Colors (Great for teaching colors to a very young children)

  • Mix it Up (Interactive book for toddlers learning colors. Each page shows what happens when you mix or manipulate colors. Think finger paint style. It's both visually simple and stunning!)

  • Splatter (A cute story about colors but also includes lessons in teamwork, cooperation and collaboration)

  • Colors: (This boardbook is perfect for babies and toddlers)

ABC's:


ANIMALS:

  • Moo, Baa, La La La! (A catch rhyming book that is super short and fun to read, perfect for the smallest of babes!)

  • On the Farm Shine-A-Light (These Flashlight books are not only interactive and fun but informative as well! Use a flashlight (or your phone flashlight) and shine the light through the back of each page to see the hidden images! Perfect gifts for toddlers and slightly older kids!)


BODY:




LIFE LESSONS:

  • Be Brave Little One (A beautiful story with great life lessons on each page that encourages bravery in ways a child would understand)

  • The Wonderful Things You Will Be (Great for kids, young and old)

  • Pals with Purpose series (After working almost 3 years on this series, I'm excited to announce my Pals with Purpose series officially launched! Each pal in the series has a unique purpose and story to share, and each book teaches wonderful values and life lessons to kids and offers a bonus section with practical steps and tools for kids and caregivers alike. These books are not only adorable rhyming books with endearing characters and heartfelt stories, but an amazing reference that parents and kids will keep coming back to. From working through emotions, to practicing gratitude and kindness, to embracing diversity and uniqueness, to practicing patience, and overcoming fears, there is a story for everyone! Check out the series on Amazon or check out https://thegivingheartbooks.com/ for coordinating pillow pals, learning and teaching resources, and more books in the series! Thank you for supporting a small mom-owned business!)

  • The Giving Tree (A timeless classic about the gift of giving and learning to receive)

  • Cuddle Bear (A cute story with kindness and hugs to save the day)

  • The Jesus Storybook Bible (Perfect for teaching about God's unconditional love)




CHILDREN'S COLLECTION OF STORIES:

  • The Berenstain Bears (Each book has a great life lessons and learning opportunities and presented in a fun and easy to understand way for children)

  • Dr. Seuss (You can't go wrong with the creativity, rhyming, and silliness of Dr. Seuss books)



FUN / FUNNY BOOKS:

  • The Wonky Donkey (Super cute and fun story to read, especially if you use a Scottish accent... Check out this YouTube where a Scottish grandma reads to her grandson... I guarantee you'll be laughing right along with this adorable Grandma and her amazing cackle by the end of the video!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbsZohEMn38&t=29s

  • Barnyard Dance! (Another fun sing-songy book by Sandra Boynton)

  • Belly Button Book (Because any book about belly buttons is fun, espeically when the author is Sandra Boynton)

  • Good Night Gorilla (A childhood classic! Bonus, if you sign up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, this may be one of the free ones you'll get in the mail)

  • DaDa (With Jimmy Fallon as the author, you know this book will be on the funnier side. Great gift for first-time dad's to encourage baby's first word to be "DaDa")

  • Moo, Baa, La La La! (A catchy rhyming book that is super short and fun to read, perfect for the smallest of babes!)

  • How to Babysit a Grandma (Creative spin on child babysitting Grandma and the unique bond grandparents have with their grandchildren. Perfect book for the first time child spends the night at Grandma's!)


NIGHTTIME BOOKS:

  • Goodnight Little <Insert Child's Name> (This was also mentioned in the "Personalized books section" but worth mentioning twice as it is one of our favorite nighttime reads!)

  • Pajama Time (Catchy rhymes with fun characters by the creative author Sandra Boynton)

  • Goodnight <insert state> (Example: "Goodnight Nebraska" - Explore each state which includes unique aspects and iconic places of interest in the state which makes reading not only fun but also a way to relate to real-life experiences)

  • Time for Bed (Calming and affectionate nighttime book)

  • The Going to Bed Book (Another adorable book by Sandra Boynton with fun rhymes that you will memorize within a couple nights of reading)

  • Goodnight Baby Jesus (Learn about Baby Jesus in this simplistic and sweet bedtime book)

  • Goodnight Moon (Classic (A cute and super short rhyming book)llustrations that has been passed down for generations)

  • Llama Llama Nighty Night (A cute and super short rhyming book)



FEELINGS BOOKS:

We teach our children about shapes, colors, animals, etc., so why not teach them about their feelings and how to understand and deal with their emotions? These books are great tools to help explain feelings to children.

  • Breathe Like a Bear (One of my favorites! This books contains 30 mindful moments and meditations for kids to feel calm and focused anytime, anywhere, with amazing examples kids can understand.)

  • Eli Elephant Works Through Emotions (An endearing rhyming story that teaches kids about friendship and working through tough emotions in a relatable way while also practicing kindness and gratitude. It also features a bonus section for parents and caregivers with steps to work through emotions. A must-have that not only looks adorable in the nursery but is practical and a great reference too!)

  • The Color Monster: A Pop-up Book of Feelings (Teach toddlers and young children to identify feelings in a fun and interactive way with a great story and pop up illustrations.)

  • Listening to My Body (Guide to help kids understand connection between sensations and feelings so they understand how to figure out what they feel and need.)

  • Grumpy Monkey (A lesson on learning to recognize and understand their feelings.)

Eli Elephant Works Through Emotions

You can also buy other books in the Pals with Purpose series along with adorable and cozy pillow pals which make a great baby or birthday gift at https://thegivingheartbooks.com/shop/! The website also has lots of fun activities, teaching resources, and learning opportunities associated with the books like search and finds, coloring pages, a Kids' Calm Down Kit for managing big emotions, discussion questions, etc.




OVERCOMING OBSTACLES & FEARS:

  • A Big Kid Bed is Coming! (A book on how to transition and keep your toddler in their bed)

  • I Can't Eat This Stuff (How to get your toddler to eat their veggies!)

  • Slumberkins Sleepytime Rhymes Fox (Teach kids how to build positive coping skills and deal with anxiety in an easy-to-understand way with cute rhymes. Check out the other adorable books and stuffed animal combos by Slumberkins as well)

  • Look Out Kindergarten, Here I come! (This book encourages children to look forward to Kindergarten and gives them reassurance of what's to come and an extra boost of confidence)


PUPPET BOOKS:

Early on, an easy way to get a baby interested in books is with puppet books. These are some of my daughter's favorites as she gets excited to listen to them each time I tell the story with the puppets.



TOUCH & FEEL BOOKS:

Touch & feel books are perfect as early as 6 months as baby will look forward to feeling the textures. This is another easy way to get babies interested in books since their attention span is so short early on. Some of my daughter's favorites:


USBORNE BOOKS: (Great textures, bright colors, and iridescent accents)

OTHER:

  • Bathtime Peekaboo (Touch and feel pages along with baby's favorite peekaboo)

  • Animals (A small touch and feel book for the young baby)



OPEN FLAP / INTERACTIVE BOOKS:

Open Flap Books are enjoyable for babies while they take part in the fun. Here are a few of my favorite open flap books:



GIRLY GIRLS:

  • Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet (Fancy Nancy books are perfect for the girly girl with their fun illustrations, fancy words, and even more importantly, wonderful life lessons that are woven throughout the books)



BOYS WILL BE BOYS:




BOOKS FOR PARENTS:

  • Rules for my Newborn Daughter (One of my favorite gifts to give parents of a new daughter. This book contains advice from a Dad for raising a daughter to be independent, intelligent, courteous, honest, classy, adventurous, self-reliant, and much more. This quick and fun read packs witty nuggets of wisdom in a concise and artistic way!)

  • Rules for my Unborn Son (Fun gift for parents of a new boy)

  • The Whole-Brain Child (12 Revolutionary strategies to nurture your child's developing mind while working with both the right and left sides of the brain)

  • Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family (If you're interested in Biblical insight about the Gospel on raising your littles, this is the book for you)


If you are interested in getting a free book mailed to you (at no cost) every 1-2 months for your child, sign up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (a book giving program that sends out FREE books to children from birth to age 5 in participating communities)! We signed up and have received a free book almost every month so far! Sign up today HERE!


Thanks for reading! Check out my Nursery Decorating post to take a full tour of the nursery or for organizational hacks, check out my post, Nursery Organizational Tips and Tricks!


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This lifestyle blog is a sampling of my many passions and interests that are a reflection of my soul essence.
 
There's something for everyone here to inspire and channel their inner soul essence.
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