I noticed there are a lot of great lists of “the best baby books” out there. But, most are made by adults and it’s baby books that adults like. But, I wanted to make a list of baby books based on what my baby liked. The baby books that he read, engaged with, and loved the most.
Favorite Books 0-12 Months
Look Look
(click the image to shop)
When babies are first born, they only see black and white. High contrast images are very interesting to them. After I realized Miles would spend long periods inspecting the black and white cards from our Lovevery Play Mat, I looked into getting some high-contrast books. We loved the Look Look one by Peter Linenthal. And, the same artist also did a Look at the Animals version! These were great from 0-6 months
Crinkle Books
(click the image to shop)
The sound of crinkling is something all babies love. We had two crinkle book and Miles loved them and they are GREAT for on the go (car seat, stroller, etc.) They can help introduce little ones to the initial concept of a book, such as turning pages.
Almost all of them come with little clips, too. So, they were great stroller/car seat toys.
Finger Puppet Books
(click the image to shop)
Books with little finger puppets in them were very engaging to Miles and helped initially draw his attention to books. You can find these at pretty much every bookstore.
Touch and Feel Books
(click the image to shop)
Right around 9 months Miles started showing a lot of interest in Touch and Feel books. They help promote an early love of books because they’re very sensory and interactive. They come in SO man varieties and options and some are actually very cool and unique. I bought a small variety but Miles honestly loved the super basic ones like “Touch and Feel Farm Animals” and “Touch and Feel Fall”
Tiny Hands Books
(click the image to shop)
Miles liked the really small books from early on, probably around 6 months. I think the fact that they were perfectly sized for his little hands made them perfect.
Favorite Books for 1-Year-Olds
Flap Books
(click the image to shop)
Right around Miles’ first birthday he started to really get into flap books. He understood the concept and we’d read the same flap books over and over and he loved ripping open the flaps. There are endless flap book options, our favorites were Where’s Spot and Dear Zoo and Where is Baby’s Belly Button?
Making Faces
(click the image to shop)
Miles was very into the different emotions that characters seemed to have in books we read, so I picked up this book just thinking maybe he’d like reading it. Inside the book is just 5 pages of different emotions (happy, sad, angry, surprised, and silly.) Miles and I read the book together, and he was so interested in studying the different faces. I would act out each emotion when we read it and also did the baby sign for them (you can just Google “baby sign happy” or “baby sign mad.”) After a few times, these really started to click for Miles. He LOVED this book. He started acting out the feelings on each page with me. I even use it now to help Miles when he’s having big emotions. For example, if Miles is really upset I will grab this book and open to the page of the emotion he’s having (either angry or sad.) I point to it and tell him “Miles is sad.” I’ll sign the emotion. I’m telling you, it typically clicks right with him. It’s no miracle cure by any means, but I find it really helps him calm down quicker. I think he feels like “yea! that is how I feel!”
Lovevery Books
We had the Lovevery Play Subscription, you can read my full review here. But, each box comes with a variety of appropriate toys and books. Not only are the toys some of his absolute favorite but I’d say that the books we’ve gotten in the Lovevery play kit subscription have hands down been our most-read books. The books are all real pictures with real kids (they actually use real families for their books, I love that!).
They either go through a simple scenario (such as going to the park) or are about a simple concept (such as colors or opposites). Miles is just obsessed with these books. I’m not sure what it is about them, I think at this age he connects to the real-life images. But, they have been some of our most-used and most-read books from about 13 months on.
I Love Music Books
(click the image to shop)
I found these at my local books store and Miles really enjoys them. They are board books and each page has a little button. When you press the button it plays a small bit of music. Miles will flip page by page pressing each button over and over again. It’s a great way to encourage a love for books and get them interested. We have the series done by Marion Billet, but there are similar music books like this as well.
Tiny Hands Books
(click the image to shop)
We still really like the small tiny-hand-sized books at this age. We have a set with everyday objects that Miles likes. Now that he’s older he still likes that they are just his size, but he’ll sit and really inspect each page or want to ask about what the picture is.
I Love You Through and Through
(click the image to shop)
So, this books is a mom talking about all the things she loves about her kid (his hair, his nose, his giggles, his fingers when he’s quiet, when he’s loud, when he’s running or walking, etc.) Miles didn’t love this book at first. But, as I read it, I would really act out each thing she loved. If it was giggles I would act out giggling. If it was fingers I’d help Miles identify his fingers. Around 14/15 months when Miles really started getting interested in knowing hid body parts and different commands (like jump, point, pat your head) then he started to really like this book. We read through it and act out each thing together.
100 First Words
(click the image to shop)
As Miles started to know more and more words and items, he loved flipping through this book pointing out things he knew.
Llama Llama Series
Miles LOVED Llama Llama Red Pajama. I think part of the reason he took to it so strongly is that I started reading it to him almost daily when he was a baby that the sound of the rhyming was very familiar to him. But, he continued to love it as he got older as well and could understand the feelings and emotions Llama was having. He also likes the additional Llama Llama for Little Ones series, particularly Llama Llama Hoppity Hop.
Looking for some more book ideas?
Here’s a few more lists of baby and toddler books recommendations I thought were good!
- The 15 Best Books for Babies according to Booksellers
- 25 Best Board Books for an Ultimate Nursery Library
- 25 Books that Celebrate Diversity
