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  • General Recommendations
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Babies Need Books

From birth, babies are hardwired to develop language skills, and consistent exposure to a wide variety of language patterns is what helps them do exactly that. Books introduce words and concepts that children may not see or hear in everyday life. Even the tactile experience of holding or touching a book supports babies’ cognitive development. While you are cuddling together, you’ll be doing the important work of preparing your baby’s brain to learn and grow. Here are some amazing books to get you started.

User from Dayton Metro Library

10 items

  • Every baby’s day is different, but lots of first experiences are shared, too. The youngest reader will delight in recognizing their own daily routine unfold with every turn of the page, as we follow six families from breakfast until bedtime.
    Board Book, 2022New York : Magic Cat Publishing, 2022. — PREST
  • When Mom realizes there are zero eggs in the house, the entire family heads to the store to pick up more. Readers can join the counting fun as the family shops and adds more items to their basket–from three bananas to five plums–amid the backdrop of…
    Board Book, 2023New York, NY : Running Press Kids, [2023] — GREEN
  • As a bus follows its daily route through town, discharging and taking on passengers, readers are challenged to find objects of people sprinkled throughout the pictures. Featuring gorgeous watercolor drawings that are rich with details, the book…
    Board Book, 2011San Francisco : Chronicle Books, 2011. — GOMI
  • Every One is Special is the perfect first baby board book for early learners and is a wonderful celebration of our differences. Every One is Special: Babies explains that every baby has different traits which make them unique and special, in a…
    Board Book, 2023New York : DK Publishing, 2023. — MUNRO
  • Learn to say good night in fifteen languages as babies all over the world get ready for bed. This informative board book introduces simple bedtime routines while teaching you how to say "good night" in English, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish,…
    Board Book, 2023New York, NY : Little Bee Books, 2023. — JBDBK/ GOOD NIGHT BABY
  • A perfect day-in-the-life read-aloud for little ones. Leo is ready to hike. He and Daddy head out on the trail, observing all the wildlife along the way. They see tall trees, tiny flowers, and even some crawling bugs. Soon Leo is determined to…
    Board Book, 2023Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge, 2023. — MCQUI
  • This touch-and-feel fold-out floor book, especially designed for newborn babies, encourages early motor skills. The book features a mix of black-and-white high contrast imagery, appealing photographs of happy babies, and bright colorful handprint…
    Board Book, 2023London : Created for St. Martin's Press by Priddy Books, [2023] — SEE
  • Visually gorgeous and with a genuinely engaging hide-and-seek narrative. You will adore Clare Youngs’s friendly animals with their high-contrast collage artwork, decorative foil highlights, and signature animal noises—but there’s a tiny creature to…
    Board Book, 2023Lincoln, MA : Nosy Crow, 2023. — REID
  • Alma is known for her iconic stripes—but there’s more she’d like to show you! She has arms, hands, and fingers for patting a pet bird—as well as legs, feet, toes, and one adorable belly, below her ever-present heart. Juana Martinez-Neal’s bilingual…
    Book, 2023Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, [2023] — MARTI
  • On an outing to the local community park, a family explores all the colors of the rainbow--from a favorite red slide and purple sprinkler to a yellow bench where grandparents watch and relax. The Rainbow Park is part of an exciting new board book…
    Board Book, 2023New York, NY : Running Press Kids, [2023] — GREEN