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Hand-picked books for more purposeful living

Welcome, book lover! You've reached the home of hand-picked suggestions lists you can share with family and friends, plus ideas on why and how to ask for books in lieu of cards or presents.
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Suggestion lists are hand-picked selections for sharing with family and friends when you request books in lieu of cards or gifts. Share this list.

Best Board Books

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.)

  • Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

    Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

    by Bill Martin Jr.

    An old stand-by alphabet book, still as good as ever, from the author of the Brown Bear, Brown Bear series.

    View on Amazon
  • Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins

    Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb

    by Al Perkins

    Repetition and rhythm make this a kid favorite.

    View on Amazon
  • The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

    The Pout-Pout Fish

    by Deborah Diesen

    A nice tale about attitudes and acts of kindness.

    View on Amazon
  • Harry the Dirty Dog

    by Gene Zion

    A cute story kids can relate to (because they, too, like to get dirty beyond recognition whenever the opportunity presents itself).

    View on Amazon
  • The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss

    The Foot Book

    by Dr. Seuss

    A typically silly Seuss story and a good introduction to opposites.

    View on Amazon
  • Toot Toot Beep Beep by Emma Garcia

    Toot Toot Beep Beep

    by Emma Garcia

    My 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.

    View on Amazon
  • Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

    Are You My Mother?

    by P.D. Eastman

    A sweet little adventure of a baby bird searching for his mama. It has a happy ending, of course!

    View on Amazon
  • Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

    Caps for Sale

    by Esphyr Slobodkina

    A classic with a dash of humor. Bonus parent points if you can pronounce the author’s name!

    View on Amazon
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

    The Very Hungry Caterpillar

    by Eric Carle

    Doesn’t everyone love this story? And with the caterpillar’s nibble holes here in sturdy cardboard, it’s simply children’s book perfection.

    View on Amazon
  • Duck & Goose: 1 2 3 by Tad Hills

    Duck & Goose: 1, 2, 3

    by Tad Hills

    There 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.

    View on Amazon
  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.

    Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

    by Bill Martin Jr.

    A gentle introduction to colors and animals. There are more in the series, also available in board-book form, sold individually or as a set.

    View on Amazon
  • Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz

    Where Is Baby’s Belly Button?

    by Karen Katz

    A fun interactive read and introduction to body parts.

    View on Amazon
  • Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle

    Little Blue Truck Leads the Way

    by Alice Schertle

    A gently instructive story about patience and taking turns.

    View on Amazon
  • Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox

    Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

    by Mem Fox

    There’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.

    View on Amazon
  • Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? by Brianna Caplan Sayres

    Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?

    by Brianna Caplan Sayres

    It’s always the illustrations that get me. I mean, a truck with a teddy and blankie. Who could resist that?

    View on Amazon
  • Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

    Harold and the Purple Crayon

    by Crockett Johnson

    I love, love, love the concept of this book. The jumbling of imagination, adventure and reality reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are.

    View on Amazon
  • Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

    Little Blue Truck

    by Alice Schertle

    A story about teamwork and friendship, with a truckload of animals kids will love.

    View on Amazon
  • The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

    The Snowy Day

    by Ezra Jack Keats

    A timeless winter tale of cause and effect with charming illustrations.

    View on Amazon
  • Duck & Goose: Goose Needs A Hug by Tad Hills

    Duck & Goose: Goose Needs A Hug

    by Tad Hills

    This book is so cute I can hardly stand it. But I do, and I happily read it over and over at my kids’ request.

    View on Amazon
  • Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire

    Put Me in the Zoo

    by Robert Lopshire

    This 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.

    View on Amazon
  • Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

    Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

    by Dr. Seuss

    Full of noises that will appeal to kids.

    View on Amazon
  • Baby Love Gift Set: All Fall Down/Clap Hands/Say Goodnight/Tickle, Tickle by Helen Oxenbury

    Baby Love Gift Set: All Fall Down; Clap Hands; Say Goodnight; Tickle, Tickle

    by Helen Oxenbury

    From 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.

    View on Amazon
  • There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss

    There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!

    by Dr. Seuss

    A typically silly Seuss story and a good introduction to rhyming.

    View on Amazon
  • Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman

    Go, Dog, Go!

    by P.D. Eastman

    A 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.

    View on Amazon

Filed Under: Babies, Suggestions Tagged With: Award Winners, Babies, Classics

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Our Suggestions for Babies

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