Board books, with their sturdy cardboard pages, are the perfect first books for babies. But which ones? Some books sold for babies are super simple, providing just one- or two-word labels for everyday things and concepts. Those have their place and are very easy to come by. But for some timeless stories and charming art, consider the 25 books on this list.
Suggest these selections to guests at your baby shower and you can avoid receiving 10 copies of Goodnight Moon, 5 copies of … you get the idea. (As a side note: You don’t need any copies of Goodnight Moon. That book’s creepy.)
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Put Me in the Zoo
View on AmazonThis is another one that I think actually benefits from abridgment. Our kids love the full version, but it was always a touch too long for Mom and Dad’s taste. The ’60s illustrations are my favorite part.
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Toot Toot Beep Beep
View on AmazonMy middle son adored this parade of cars with their individual sounds. He quickly learned to “read” it himself. There are two more in the series, but we found them underwhelming.
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Little Blue Truck
View on AmazonA story about teamwork and friendship, with a truckload of animals kids will love.
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Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
View on AmazonAn old stand-by alphabet book, still as good as ever, from the author of the Brown Bear, Brown Bear series.
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The Pout-Pout Fish
View on AmazonA nice tale about attitudes and acts of kindness.
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Duck & Goose: Goose Needs A Hug
View on AmazonThis book is so cute I can hardly stand it. But I do, and I happily read it over and over at my kids’ request.
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The Snowy Day
View on AmazonA timeless winter tale of cause and effect with charming illustrations.
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Harry the Dirty Dog
View on AmazonA cute story kids can relate to (because they, too, like to get dirty beyond recognition whenever the opportunity presents itself).
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Duck & Goose: 1, 2, 3
View on AmazonThere are several Duck & Goose books, but this one and Goose Needs a Hug are my favorites. The author’s choice of things to illustrate each number 1-10 are subtly genius.
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Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
View on AmazonFull of noises that will appeal to kids.
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There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!
View on AmazonA typically silly Seuss story and a good introduction to rhyming.
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Are You My Mother?
View on AmazonA sweet little adventure of a baby bird searching for his mama. It has a happy ending, of course!
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Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
View on AmazonRepetition and rhythm make this a kid favorite.
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Caps for Sale
View on AmazonA classic with a dash of humor. Bonus parent points if you can pronounce the author’s name!
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Go, Dog, Go!
View on AmazonA fun, colorful and slightly oddball book. We’ve come to own both the full hardback version and the abridged board-book version, and I’d say I actually prefer the latter precisely because it’s abridged. The full text has this conversation woven throughout that always struck me as strange. The board-book omits that and loses nothing for it.
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Little Blue Truck Leads the Way
View on AmazonA gently instructive story about patience and taking turns.
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Harold and the Purple Crayon
View on AmazonI love, love, love the concept of this book. The jumbling of imagination, adventure and reality reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are.
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The Foot Book
View on AmazonA typically silly Seuss story and a good introduction to opposites.
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Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
View on AmazonThere’s a pleasant multicultural aspect to this book, and the illustrations are so sweet. We own a ridiculously large paperboard edition, but I think this small board-book format would be better. The super-simple story makes it more appropriate for a baby book anyway.
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Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?
View on AmazonIt’s always the illustrations that get me. I mean, a truck with a teddy and blankie. Who could resist that?
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Where Is Baby’s Belly Button?
View on AmazonA fun interactive read and introduction to body parts.
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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
View on AmazonA gentle introduction to colors and animals. There are more in the series, also available in board-book form, sold individually or as a set.
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Baby Love Gift Set: All Fall Down; Clap Hands; Say Goodnight; Tickle, Tickle
View on AmazonFrom the same illustrator as Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (see item below) is a set of mini board books. We loved mini books in our household; one of my sons was especially attracted to all things tiny. They’re ideal to tuck in a diaper bag or stroller cupholder. But if you prefer, these books — and several other examples of the illustrator’s excruciatingly charming art — are also available in standard size.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar
View on AmazonDoesn’t everyone love this story? And with the caterpillar’s nibble holes here in sturdy cardboard, it’s simply children’s book perfection.