In today’s mail, BookPage received a beautiful 25th anniversary edition of Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose, published by Penguin Young Readers. When my daughter was a baby (she’ll turn 25 this fall), this wonderful volume of dePaola’s cheery artwork and classic Mother Goose rhymes was a family favorite, and our well-worn first edition still rests on a bedroom bookshelf. Looking at the 25th anniversary edition, I realized that some new mother, just starting a library of books for her baby, would love to have it. And that got me thinking: if I was putting together a collection of books for a newborn, which ones would I choose? What books should be on every baby’s bookshelf?
Here’s what I came up with — a personal Top 10 List of “Best Books for Baby,” ranging from classics to some newer books:
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr, illustrated by Eric Carle
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Freight Train by Donald Crews
The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Where Is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz
If you were going to a baby shower (with a book theme) what book would you take? Keep in mind that I’m asking about picture books you would give to a new baby. Requirements are: wonderful artwork and very few words on a page.
What books would be on your “Best for Baby” list?
This is a great list! My daughter is 8 months and I try to read to her daily. Right now, she mostly teethes on the books, but I’m hoping something will sink in and she’ll learn to love books as I do. There are several on this list that I want to buy for her. Knuffle Bunny is one of them–what a fun book! I’d add Give a Mouse a Cookie. It doesn’t always have “very few words on the page,” but it’s a cute, easy story.
Based on my 3-month-old granddaughter’s reaction, I’d have to say The Penguin Who Wanted to Fly. Watch this video of her. She is totally engaged in the book, proving it’s never too early to read to your kids!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_KppgQeGk0
And, I also must add my favorite, Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman. I loved it as a child and both my kids did, too!
Love the video! Baby Hannah will definitely to grow up to be a booklover — or maybe an author!
My favorite book to gift is by Maryann cusimano it is titled you are my i love you. Lovely watercolor illustrations and a simple story combine to make a wonderful story. Check out the first page on amazon. You won’t be disappointed and neither will the mom or dad receiving it.
Two books I always recommend and also buy for baby gifts are “Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney and “Good Night Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown. They are both available in a board book format and are classics in my opinion.
I’ve always loved “Make Way For Ducklings” and was ecstatic when my daughter received it at her baby shower!Having grown up in Boston,the familiar scenes, especially the Swanboats! make this former Bostonian homesick!
She always laughed when I recited the ducklings’ names as fast as I could!