Bookworm Cottage Style

Reading to my baby daily is one of my top parenting priorities (along with getting him outside every day). He is still a little infant so I have just been sticking with shorter board books, and will introduce longer picture books later as he builds up his attention span and comprehension. I have tried A LOT of different books and many of them I would not pick up again. But I’ve also discovered some gems! If you’re looking for new board books to mix into the rotation for your infant, these have been some of our favorites.

Hello, Baby Animals by Duopress Labs, Julisa Mora

High contrast books are ideal for the first couple of months when newborns are more nearsighted. I read this book to baby multiple times per day for the first three months or so, starting when we brought him home from the hospital, to help build the reading habit. He quickly took to it and would often smile when we brought it out, and we still mixed this book in every now and then in the months that followed since it was familiar.

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, Marla Frazee 

This is hands-down my favorite board book to read to baby, and he seems to like it too. The words are rhythmic and soothing and the illustrations are peaceful and warm. Just lovely! 

Little Blue Truck Leads the Way and Little Blue Truck by by Alice Schertle, Jill McElmurry

Baby LOVES these Little Blue Truck books. There are others in the Little Blue Truck series but these two are by far the best. He lights up when we read them. 

Kindness Makes Us Strong, Love Makes a Family, and Change Starts with Us by Sophie Beer

Kindness Makes Us Strong is right up there with Little Blue Truck in terms of books that baby LOVES and are guaranteed to hold his attention. We enjoy it so much that I checked out Sophie Beer’s other books too. She has several, but Love Makes a Family and Change Starts with Us are my other two favorites that I highly recommend. These books are really simple and short yet really impactful and positive.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Something about this book is so soothing. We’ve had a very snowy winter so this has been an on-theme pick. It has definitely been one of the most frequently read books in our household the past few months.

I Love You to the Moon and Back by Amelia Hepburn, Tim Warnes;  and Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd

These are the two books that I read to baby each night before bed. When we first brought baby home from the hospital, neither my husband nor I could get through I Love You to the Moon and Back without tearing up. Something about it just really captures how much we love him. My husband thinks that Goodnight Moon is strange and boring (and he’s not alone!) but I think it’s a classic and oddly soothing, especially when you read it in a hushed voice. So it stays in the rotation (for now).

We Share this Neighborhood and We Share this Earth, by Dan Saks, Brooke Smart

This author is my latest discovery! I LOVE We Share this Neighborhood. It’s a really lovely book about that warm, community feeling in close neighborhoods – something I value greatly. I have since requested all of the other titles from this author. They haven’t all come in yet but so far We Share this Earth is also a standout.

Olivia by Ian Falconer

This is a lovely read about an energetic and opinionated  little pig who wears out her family! Something about this just feels classic and comforting.

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler

This book has a really satisfying rhyming pattern that I enjoy reading out loud. It is slightly longer than most of the other books on this list, but it is also a really cute story and I never minded. I was sad to have to return this one to the library. 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.,  Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle 

These classics still hold up! Engaging, short, and beautifully illustrated. I bought my copies at a thrift store (Savers) – a great place to shop for baby books.

Daddy, Mommy, and Snow by Leslie Patricelli

I checked out the Daddy book and loved it so much I was determined to find the Mommy version. After borrowing several other Leslie Patricelli books, these three are my favorites.

Hippos Go Berserk! By Sandra Boynton

Sandra Boynton has a TON of books and I’ve only read about half. Some are a little out there for me, but my clear favorites are Hippos Go Berserk and The Going to Bed Book.

Which board books should we request from the library next?? I’d love to hear your family’s favorites.