Best baby board books

I love reading.  Probably one of my favorite parts of parenthood is getting to share this love of reading and books with my children.  After 5 kids, I’ve had a chance to read many children’s books.  Here is a list of my favorite board books that I love to read again and again to my kids (and they love them too):

Night, Night, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton.  I’ll be honest, I love all of Sandra Boynton books but this is one of my favorites.  Pookie is such a cute little character.  I love that the Pookie books have little lines in it that Pookie says so as your child gets older, they can interact and say what Pookie says along with you.

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Time for Bed by Mem Fox.  I got this book as a baby shower present with my first and have loved it ever since.  So much so, that I re-bought it after it got lost so I would have it to read to my fifth child.  My husband and I both had this book memorized at one point.  I love the realistic paintings on every page but I especially love that each page has a different animal snuggling in with their baby, getting them ready for bed.  The rhyming is super sweet and this book is also educational because it teaches the name of animal babies.

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Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t love this book right away.  I thought it was a little boring to name the things off in the room and then say goodnight to each one.  But as my children got older, I realized how valuable that is for some children who may need to be aware of the things in their room and not be afraid of them once the light gets turned off.  This book shows kids they can say goodnight to the objects in their room, and even any noises, and still be able to fall asleep.  It also is a fun book for finding and seeking because as you read off the objects in the room, your child can learn to find and point them out.

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That’s Not My Puppy by Fiona Watts.  I love the whole “That’s Not My…” series, actually, but the Puppy one was the first one I ever got.  This book has a different puppy (doll, cat, monkey, etc depending on which book you get) that has a section of touchy-feely texture that your child can touch on every page.  Every one of my toddlers has loved books that have different fabrics or materials to touch.  This book also teaches adjective vocabulary as your child sees why that’s not their puppy ("That's not my puppy, its tail is too fluffy.") until they find the puppy that is theirs on the last page.  

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Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton.  Yep, how could I not include another Sandra Boynton book?  Seriously, her books are the best.  I have wasted so much space storing so-so books for my older children that I decided with my 5th that I would focus on providing quality books over quantity and that means Boynton books!  Infants and toddlers really love animal books and this one has cute illustrations while also teaching the animal sounds.  

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Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? By Dr. Seuss.  This is another book that I was given with my first and had to re-buy later because it got lost and I had to have it!  You can buy a paperback version of this book but it’s slightly different than the board book version, for some reason.  I personally like the board book version because it’s safer for little hands not to accidentally rip plus I love when Mr. Brown knocks on the door, that I can knock on the book to simulate the sound.  Just as Moo, Baa, La La La goes over animal sounds, this book goes over lots of other sounds, from lightning to cuckoo clocks.  It's a fun, rhythmic read and another book my husband and I have memorized because we’ve read it so many times.

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Indestructibles:  Baby Babble by Kate Merritt.  Yes, technically, this is not a board book but it's meant for the same age of children so I’m including it.  The Indestructible books are made out of a sturdy paper-y, fabric-y material that doesn’t rip, tear, wrinkle, or even dissolve upon first drops of drool.  They’re just as the title says, indestructible.  There are several books in this series but my daughter’s favorite was Baby Babble because she liked seeing everyday objects and learning their names.

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From Head to Toe by Eric Carle.  This probably isn’t the first Eric Carle that comes to parents’ minds when they think of Carle but it’s one of my favorites.  Any book that can combine animals with fun movements for my kids to mimic is my kind of book.  From bending your neck like a giraffe to thumping your chest like a gorilla, kids will enjoy learning about the animals and acting just like them.

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