As you walk down the aisles of your local children’s bookstore, you’re overwhelmed by the countless options available. Which baby books are actually worth your time — and money? It might seem strange to read to babies when they can’t yet respond, but reading has incredible developmental benefits. “Reading to babies is crucial because language and literacy is the foundation for future learning,” explains Tonya Wright, an early childhood educator with more than 20 years of experience. Reading the best baby books available to your baby exposes her to lots of language.
It’s also a great bonding experience. As Dr. Brian Sturm, a professor of library science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who specializes in children’s literature, shares, “The physical contact and shared experience of reading aloud and talking to infants helps build neuronal pathways and exposes infants to early literacy skills that they will need later.”
Here are 30 of the best baby books to help you teach and bond with your little one:
- Dr. Seuss’s ABC by Dr. Seuss. Introduce your baby to the alphabet through silly rhymes.
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. This classic baby book teaches through repetition and simple words.
- Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. Make up the words in this book about a zookeeper and a mischievous gorilla.
- Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. A little hare and his father show how much they love each other.
- One, Two, Three! by Sandra Boynton. Practice counting in this fun rhyming book.
- Global Babies by the Global Fund for Children. Introduce your little one to babies from around the world.
- Black on White by Tana Hoban. Make up your own story with this wordless black-and-white picture book.
- How Does Baby Feel? by Karen Katz. Teach your baby feelings through this interactive lift-the-flap book.
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle. Introduce your baby to animals through colorful images.
- Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker. This fun rhyming book is about hard-working trucks.
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault. This is an energetic book about the alphabet.
- The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. A mother bunny shows how much she loves her baby bunny.
- Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino. A baby llama learns what types of mamas other baby animals have.
- Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy E. Shaw. A group of sheep gets in a bit of trouble in this silly rhyming book.
- Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle. Have fun making animal and truck sounds as this little truck goes on an adventure with farm animals.
- Silly Sally by Audrey Wood. Giggle along to the Sally’s silly rhyming adventures.
- Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. Find the perfect pet in this classic lift-the-flap book.
- Hug by Jez Alborough. A monkey has a simple request that his friends don’t seem to understand.
- 10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes by Mem Fox. Teach your little one about the similarities of babies all over the world.
- Little Humans by Brandon Stanton. This beautifully photographed book is the children’s version of “Humans of New York.”
- Jamberry by Bruce Degen. A boy and a bear go on an adventure in this fun rhyming book.
- 10 Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth. Learn about numbers as the ladybugs disappear in this tactile book.
- The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. Cheer on a very determined engine in this abridged version.
- Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora. Join this toddler in a fun game of peekaboo with special people in his life.
- Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow. Five monkeys get into some trouble in this silly repeating book.
- Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton. Have some laughs at the sounds animals do — and don’t — make!
- On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman. Celebrate how special your baby is.
- Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill. Find Spot the dog in this lift-the-flap adventure.
- I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak. This book about love also introduces emotions.
- Counting Kisses by Karen Katz. Learn about body parts in this kiss-and-count book.
Bev Feldman is a parent and blogger in the Boston area. She has a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a background in early childhood development.