I find such joy in getting books for kids. Which is why I was surprised when I overheard quite a few guests at a baby shower confess that they didn’t know what books to get for Baby, either because they didn’t have kids of their own or because their own had grown up years ago and they felt out of touch. So I wanted to share my approach to finding books for babies and new parents.
I’m speaking mostly as a mother here. I am an educator, but my experience is with teenagers. When it was time to get books for and read to my own kids, my goal was to find ways to get my little ones to find magic in this strange object that they can hold in their hands, open up, and flip through. I have seen so many teenage students bored by books and groaning when they open them; I just wanted to see how to get my own to feel that opening a book is exciting.
My biggest guidelines for picking books for kids:
- Think on their level. What is this particular age group interested in? Pick books that highlight those interests. Baby brains are curious and want to learn as much as possible, so pick things on their level that help them understand their world.
- Will you actually enjoy reading this out loud? I do not mean entertainment value in content for adults; I am speaking logistically for bedtime/naptime read alouds. I want my books to take less than 5 minutes to read, with sentence structure/rhyme/rhythm that’s easy to read out loud.
- Will the kid like holding this book and flipping through it? You’re getting a book for a kid who won’t read for years. Pick bright colors and tactile features–anything to get them to flip through the thing and think there’s something fun in there.
The types of books that I DO NOT get for my friends’ baby showers:
Note: I don’t like bashing books, so I’m not going to share the titles of the books that didn’t vibe with me in this section! But next time you go book shopping, flip through the kids books and look out for these!
- Books designed for adults: There’s a certain genre of books that’s really intended for grown-ups. The sappy ones to make them cry that their babies are growing up too fast. The funny ones with curse words in them because babies don’t know any better. Pretty much anything that an adult would smile at, but would bore the heck out of a kid if you look at it through their eyes. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but when it comes to storytime, the kids are first in entertainment for me. Anything where the intended audience is actually adults is a hard pass.
- Books that have too many words for baby attention spans: Infants have the patience for one word and one picture per page. Then when they get older, they can handle a sentence or two per page. And once they’re toddlers, they’re going to give you so many books to read for them that you’re going to crave the books that you can finish in less than five minutes. I like books that have about 2-3 sentences per page for the early years.
- Books that you are too scared baby will damage: First of all, the books are for the kids, so let them hold all of it, even if that means ripped pages. What’s more precious: the book, or your kid learning to love engaging with a book? But I get it, you spent $25 on that hardback. Get a board book instead and let them love it.
- Books that have terrible rhyme scheme/rhythm: Sometimes a book looks good, but the writer clearly did not pay attention during their high school lessons on iambic pentameter and other types of literary rhythms. I hate it when my kid falls in love with the pictures of a book, but reading it out loud makes me roll my eyes.
When I get books for my friends, I think of the different stages that my own kids went through with books. I try to give them one of each, depending on my budget.
The Perfect Types of Books For Babies and Baby Showers
Board Books (infant-toddler)
Always. Get. Board. Books. This is that hard cardboard material that’s hard to destroy. Babies and toddlers will chew on books, throw them, touch them with their gross food-and-booger-encrusted fingers, drop them in the dog’s water bowl. Get them books that won’t get hurt easily.
Cloth/Crinkle Books (infant)
Some of these will come with a little rubber thing on the corner for them to chew on, too. These are great for traveling with because they can’t hurt anyone when they throw it and you can easily wash them when they get them dirty.
Tactile Books (infant-toddler)
Confession: I thought this was the dumbest thing when my MIL gifted this to my firstborn. I thought, my baby is too smart for this stupid touchy-feely book with simple words and phrases on each page. But I was so wrong. I forgot to think on my kid’s level. She loved these books–they actually turned out to be her favorite. She didn’t know language well enough to enjoy a book, but she did understand color and texture–these books are what started showing her that opening a book can be fun!
Concept Books (infant-toddler)
These are the simple ones that teach numbers, letters, colors. I know, it’s boring for grown ups to read. But part of storytime is giving your kid time to absorb the words they need to understand the world. There are so many different types of books for this — so pick a theme that fits your friends’ tastes and run with it! (Try the Abrams Block Series, BabyLit Primers, and Baby University)
Interactive Books (toddler)
This is for when the kid gets a little older, like over 6 months. Lift-the-flap books let a kid play with the book while you read to them.
Rhyming (infant-toddler)
Rhyming books are a staple in children’s literature. But after reading quite a lot of them, I’ve learned that there are good rhymes and bad rhymes. Read it out loud to yourself before buying one.
Simplified Versions of The Parents’ Favorite Things (toddler)
This is more of a niche thing, and a way to show your friends that you still see and love THEM as individuals even as they are transforming into a parent role. It’s also a fun way for them to be able to share something they love with their kids. My favorites in this category are simplified classic literature, science concepts, historical events and figures, pop culture/movies, and culture/heritage.
One Last Rule: Pick Something LITTLE YOU Would Enjoy Reading (Over and Over and Over Again)
You’ve got to think like a kid. Remember how excited they are about the entire world around them, how short those attention spans are, and how playful and spongelike their brains are. Find something that makes you smile. Choose art that will fill their brains with beauty and words that will sing in their ears.
Have fun picking out books! Let me know what you end up choosing, or what your favorites were with your kids!
NLD x Swapna 