I tried to think on my feet (something I’m terrible at.) My neighbor just told me he had all of these books in his basement he didn’t need because his granddaughter was too little to understand.
OK. He’s hitting my zone of passion. Do I dive into all of the research and tell him why reading to babies is so important, tell him what a difference it’s made in our boys, or maybe I simply say “read” and smack him over the head with a book?
Any one of those options probably would have been better than what I chose to do, which was just to say “oh no, she will like it.” Wow. I really pled my case, didn’t I?
Yes, Reading is Different
The truth is, even though we don’t think babies understand, they are always absorbing the information around them. This is your chance to expose them to as much language as possible.
Reading is different than having a casual conversation. Many books are written with a fun rhythm and rhyme of words, and use different vocabulary than we use in our everyday conversations, so babies are exposed to new and interesting language.
I get so many compliments on how my son is able to hold a conversation with a grown-up. His vocabulary is more advanced than his peers, and he understands concepts that other kids his age aren’t quite ready for. Why? Because he’s been exposed to hundreds thousands of books… (or maybe hundreds of books, thousands of times…but who’s counting?)
We read all of the time and because we started from day 1, he’s always loved stories. When he wakes up in the morning the first thing he wants to know is “Will you read a story to me?” If he doesn’t get ready for bed in time and doesn’t have time to story in the evening, you might think the world is ending.
Must Reads for Babies
There is no wrong book to read to babies, especially in the beginning, just read.
When babies get to be more aware and curious, it’s important to keep their interest in the books you are reading. They can’t really follow the storyline, so books that keep their interest in other ways are important.
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Never Touch a Spider by Rosie Greening
The Never Touch A… series is one of our favorites. Babies explore a new texture on each page and reading the rhyming words and fun rhythm is enough to keep anyone’s attention. We always give these books away for baby showers, and every baby loves them. I could list each book in the series, but I won’t waste your time. You can check out the entire series here.
Little Green Box of Bright and Early Board Books by Dr. Seuss
Our favorite Dr. Seuss book is Dr. Seuss ABC, but you can’t beat the price of this board book set. Dr. Seuss books are great to read to littles because they promote imagination and rhyming skills early on. We read these 4 over and over again!
Bright Baby Touch & Feel by Roger Priddy
Bright Baby books are great for littles, especially these touch and feel. They give kiddos many different textures to explore, and with the colorful images, your baby is sure to love them.
We love exploring each animal, touching different textures, and listening to the sounds they make.
We also love Noisy Trucks for the colorful photography and the fun sounds each piece of equipment makes.
This is a must-have for every child! Dear Zoo is a story of a boy who writes to the zoo to send him a pet, and of all the animals he receives. Our boys love lifting each flap to see which animal came in the mail, and finding out why they had to send each animal back to the zoo. We made this book a little more fun by making up our own reasons the animals had to go back to the zoo. “We sent him back because… your mommy hates snakes and she wouldn’t come home until he was gone.” Just saying.
We love reading about different animals and exploring new textures.
Baby Touch and Feel: Little Penguin by Roger Priddy
Another great touch-and-feel book by Roger Priddy!
I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak
My all-time favorite book for babies. I love snuggling up and letting them know how much they are loved.
Sandra Boynton is our favorite author for baby books! The Going-to-Bed-Book, and But Not the Hippopotamus are our favorites, although all of the books in this set are great.
Boynton Board Books Set – Greatest Hits Collection
Or, just get all of the greatest books by Sandra Boynton!
Grab your favorite book, your baby, and get reading!
Want More?
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Best Baby Toys for Educational Play and Boosting Development
Your Turn
What’s your favorite book to read to your baby?