Ah, has this happened to you? You scour the shelves in your local bookstore and find the “perfect” book for your baby. It’s sweet, it’s sentimental—heck, it even brought tears to your eyes. You wrap it up, take it home, and present it to your baby, only to have them:
A. Throw it
B. Rip it
C. Show no interest in it at all
This happened to me with both of my kids. Reading to a baby is important. It promotes early language skills, and instills and early joy of books, which is so important in today’s media-frenzied society. But reading to your baby is NOT always easy. There are some tips, however, that can make reading to your baby more enjoyable for both of you.
First, choose age-appropriate books. For babies and young toddlers, touch-and-feel books or cloth books are a great introduction. They can’t be torn and if the baby throws them, or chews on them (as is often the case), no harm done. From there, purchase board books. They’re sturdy and hold up well to “abuse.” Finally, if you do purchase books with standard pages for your baby, make sure to purchase stories that are not too long. Books with long texts will quickly bore your baby’s short attention span and leave you looking at the book by yourself.
Here are my picks for great books for babies:
Goodnight Moon – By Margaret Wise Brown (This is my FAVORITE bedtime book. The text is ultra simple, and both of my children adore it.)
If You Give a Pig a Pancake – By Laura Numeroff (This book and the others like it in her series are simple to read and keep my children’s attention.)
The Baby Einstein Books – The pictures are bright and lovely, and the text is simple enough that even the youngest babies stay focused.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? – By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague (This book and others by the duo are entertaining…and they have animals in them, which delights any child.)
These are just a few of my favorites. What are you favorite books for babies and toddlers up to age two? Are there any books you’re curious about? Let me know and I’ll do a book review in the future.