On World Book Day, I thought I would share some amazing baby books that our family have enjoyed reading in the baby years.
Reading aloud to your little one contributes to the development of their growing brain and they tune in to the rhythm of our voices, making it easier for them to learn new sounds and language.
1. Baby's Very First Black And White Little Library - Communication, Language & Literacy from Early Years Resources UK
Before your baby is born they can tell the difference between light and dark. As newborns, their perception of colour is limited. It is assumed that the first colours they see are black and white so these books are a particularly good starting point if you want to read to your child when they are very small. Babies will often focus on black and white for longer than other colours.
Sensory books are great for encouraging your baby to explore, inspires imagination, supports cognitive growth and develops their motor skills. They also stimulate their senses and enhance physical activity. This book is a lovely first sensory book as one side is in black and white and the other is in colour. I love the fabric books for small babies too as they are nice and soft for them to hold.
Thats not my.... range of books are popular for babies. These are another great option for sensory books, where the child can feel a different material on each new page and the pictures are kept nice and simple to help your baby focus.
Dear Zoo is a book your baby will enjoy reading right up to school age. They will love lifting the different flaps on each page to find out what animal is underneath and the pictures are simple and clear so the baby can start to recognise what they are.
Another lovely sensory book for an older baby as this is full of colours and lots of different textures, patterns and pictures. This one is more stimulating as they can follow trails or look at themselves in the mirror.
As my daughter approached 12 months and started moving around the room, she would always head towards this collection of books. In fact, I couldn't even tell you how many times I have read them to her but they are a perfect introduction to first words. The books are hard and small so perfect for tiny hands who are likely to also drop them/sit on them etc so they last a long time.
Musical books have been shown to help develop your baby's language and sensory skills. I noticed that both my children's first sounds or words were recognising the sounds that animals make, so I especially like this Noisy Farm touch, feel and sound book. You can press the button to hear 6 different animal sounds so it's not too overwhelming.
One of my absolute favourites. This is such a beautiful story about the love a parent has for a child told by little rabbit characters. There are plenty of books to choose on the Guess How Much I Love You webpage but I particularly like the board book with the cute bunny toy as a gift for a new baby.
This is another great book to buy as a gift as you can personalise it with the baby's name. The story tells how a little girl or boy has lost their name and collects letters as you read so they can spell out what their name is at the end. When your child is older and recognises their own name, its a lovely moment when they realise the book is all about them.
A lovely bedtime story. We were recommended this book by my sleep fairy when my first born was resisting bedtime. It's a great book, its easy for them to follow with similar sounds and lots of pictures and gets them familiar with a bedtime routine. Repetition of the same story can also help with your child's intelligence; increasing their vocabulary and gain logic skills. And even better, bringing a familiar book into a bedtime routine decreases a child's cortisol (stress hormone) levels meaning they are much more likely to relax and fall asleep. (Tip for the cheeky toddler years)
Hope you enjoy exploring new books with your little ones.