The 25 Best Books for Babies (In the First Year)
I opened the book and began reading to my 6-week-old son as he squirmed in my arms.
I rushed through the book as he began to fuss. He hates this, I thought to myself. Maybe I should just give up and try again when he’s older.
Sometimes reading to a baby is joyous and sometimes it’s hard. They don’t interact or even seem to be paying attention. Or, as they get older, they grab at the book and make the whole process seem like more of a hassle than anything.
But we all know we’re supposed to read to our babies. Babies love the sound of your voice and reading develops language skills, helps improve their vision, and even advances your baby’s brain.
I’ve put together a great list of age-appropriate books for babies under 1, so you can find a few great books that will make reading enjoyable for you both.
The Best Books for Babies
The Best Books for Babies – Quick Shop
- Look! Look! Peter Linenthal
- Hello, Animals! Smriti Prasadam
- Follow Me!: A Baby Montessori Book Chiara Piroddi
- Hello, Baby Animals Duopress Labs
- Hello Head to Toe (Happy Fox Books) Baby’s First Book John Townsend
- Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
- Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
- You’re My Little Baby by Eric Carle
- Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
- Llama Llama Hide & Seek by Anna Dewdney
- The Itsy Bitsy Dinosaur Tiger Tales
- Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden
- Never Touch a Dragon! by Rosie Greening
- Poke-A-Dot by Melissa & Doug
- Baby Dino by Hippo Books
- Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La! Sandra Boynton
- Baby Touch and Feel Merry Christmas DK
- Christmas in the Manager Nola Buck
- My First How to Catch Santa Claus Alice Walstead
- Llama Llama Jingle Bells Anna Dewdney
- Spooky Pookie Sandra Bonyton
- Llama Llama Trick or Treat Anna Dewdney
- Find Spot at the Halloween Party Eric Hill
High Contrast Books for Newborns
1. Look! Look! Peter Linenthal
Look! Look! includes descriptive words about everyday items, such as “hands reach” and “sun shines” along with black and white images to help babies visualize them. It’s a great way to introduce them to your baby. He’ll love this simple book early on.
This book is mostly black and white, with splashes of red, which is the first color a baby can see.
2. Hello, Animals! Smriti Prasadam
Similar to the Hello, You! books, these offer an introduction to different animals in black and white with the inclusion of one color on each page. The colors aren’t as vibrant in Hello, Animals! but these are some of my favorite books because of the bright colors and the fact that they say hello to each animal and include the sounds they make. My babies always loved it when we added animal sounds to books so I love that this one includes them in their introduction.
Other Books in This Collection: Hello, Bugs!
3. Follow Me!: A Baby Montessori Book Chiara Piroddi
These baby Montessori books ask your baby to naturally interact with the book. This book asks Baby to follow the designs on each page. Trace each from start to finish and encourage your baby to use his little fingers to do so too.
These books are all black, white, and red (red is the first color a baby can recognize).
Other Books in This Collection: Animals, The Garden, & Big or Small?
4. Hello, Baby Animals Duopress Labs
Another Hello book, this book says hello to each animal in a different way such as, “Hi there,” “Good to see you,” and “What’s going on?” It includes high contrast images that are all in black and white and clearly defined. The book is illustrated by Julissa Mora and the white pictures are the perfect way to help your baby’s visual development. Plus, this is a sturdy board book that will hold up.
Other Books in This Collection: Hello, My World, Hello, Ocean Friends, and Hello, Garden Bugs.
5. Hello Head to Toe (Happy Fox Books) Baby’s First Book John Townsend
Teach your baby to recognize body parts with this high-contrast book that you can read. Hello Head to Toe (Happy Fox Books) Baby’s First Book follows different animals as they point out body parts, asking Baby to do the same. It also includes a mirror. This is a great book to hold Baby’s attention and to make them aware of their own body.
This is mostly black and white but includes a little color.
More Black and White Books for Newborns
The Best Baby Books to Read to Your Baby
6. Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill
This book has flaps Baby can lift as the mama dog looks for her puppy, Spot. I have to admit, as an adult, I didn’t think much of Where’s Spot?, but it was the first book that both of my babies started to interact with at a young age. Around one year old, he started lifting the flaps and saying, “no,” to each animal that wasn’t Spot. My second would laugh and get excited when the puppy was finally found. It’s the perfect book to introduce animal names, interaction, and hide and seek to babies.
7. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
From the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, comes another simple picture book that’s perfect for babies. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? goes through different animals, asking what they see. Since the book repeats the same phrases, your baby will quickly get into the rhythm of it. It inadvertently teaches colors.
This book was an immediate hit with my son and his favorite for a good few months when he was a baby.
8. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
This classic book engages babies with its rhyming and shifts from color to black and white each time you turn the page. Goodnight Moon is another book where you will notice young babies quiet down and pay attention. It’s also a good night book. Watch the sun go down as you read!
9. Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
This book follows a llama as he asks other animals about their mamas. Is Your Mama a Llama? is the perfect way to teach babies the names and characteristics of different animals, but it also rhymes and repeats similar phrases, which helps with language development and holds Baby’s attention. I noticed from around 6 months of age, that my babies seemed to quiet down and focus when I read this book. Plus, it has beautiful illustrations.
10. You’re My Little Baby by Eric Carle
Often we don’t know which books our babies are connecting with until they start getting a little older. You’re My Little Baby has a few meaningless flaps, mediocre touch-and-feel aspects, and a heart-shaped mirror at the end that adds to this sweet book.
But, at 1-year-old my baby went straight for each flap, touched each texture, and sat up with a big smile on his face when I turned the last page just so he could see himself in the mirror. Because of his clear connection with the book at this age, I can see that he’s loved it for a long time.
More First Books for Babies
Interactive Books for Babies
11. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Interactive Element: Lift the Flap
Dear Zoo is a book that both of my kids loved when they were babies. Lift the flaps to find the animal that was sent from the zoo. Lift the flaps to help the narrator find the perfect pet. Babies love lifting flaps. This book has sturdy flaps that will survive rough hands. Our one copy has survived both of my kids (unlike some others).
12. Llama Llama Hide & Seek by Anna Dewdney
Interactive Element: Lift the Flap
The Llama Llama books are some of our favorites because the rhyme scheme is quickly engaging for babies. Llama Llama Hide & Seek has Lama Llama looking for his favorite stuffed animal. Baby is asked to lift the flaps to help find him. It includes bold illustrations and various interactive elements. Plus, it exposes babies to fun activities, like hide and seek.
13. The Itsy Bitsy Dinosaur Tiger Tales
Interactive Element: Pull-Tabs
The Itsy Bitsy Dinosaur is a fun book about a dinosaur that gets caught in the rain. This pull-tab book is set to the tune of the “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” You can sing or read this book to your baby. Use the pull tabs yourself to change the pictures while they’re young and wait for the day when they’ll do it themselves.
14. Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden
Interactive Element: Cutouts & mirror
Peek-a-Who? is one of those simple, seemingly unimpressive books that babies love. The book shows a peek of an item and asks Baby to guess who. Babies love books that offer questions with answers on the following pages. This is also a fun way to introduce your baby to some animals. The book rhymes, has bright illustrations, and has a mirror on the last page—always a big hit with babies.
15. Never Touch a Dragon! by Rosie Greening
Interactive Element: Touch & Feel
Never Touch a Dragon! is one of many of the Never Touch Books. You can find one for any interest you or your child might have. These touch and feel board books are all unique and all engaging for young children. The Never Touch the… books tend to have counting in them. For example, Never Touch the Monsters! is about five little monsters going to a movie. The Never Touch a… books have fun and unexpected stories. For example, Never Touch a Snake! is about a circus (who would have thought?).
16. Poke-A-Dot by Melissa & Doug
Interactive Element: Poke the Dots
Babies love these Poke-A-Dot books. It was one of the first items both of my boys started playing with on their own for extended periods. There are a few options for these that all simply go through different items with a dot on each. Your baby can use their little fingers to poke the dot as you identify the item. I don’t think the baby gets much reading out of the book but the dots are a good way to keep Baby engaged. And they learn the names of the items in the book.
17. Baby Dino by Hippo Books
Interactive Element: Finger puppet
I chose Baby Dino for the finger puppet. Babies love finger puppets. Put your finger inside and move it around while you read. You will have your baby’s full engagement even at a young age with this fun board book. The story is simple, asking who does one thing or another. The answer is always “It’s Baby Dino!”
More Interactive Books for Babies
Holiday Books for Babies
18. Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La! Sandra Boynton
This book is fun for young children of all ages but is the perfect Christmas board book for babies. It’s the Christmas version of Moo Baa La La La. Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La! is set to the song Deck the Halls, using animal sounds instead. Sandra Boynton’s books are always funny, but I think this fun book is a special gem in her collection.
19. Baby Touch and Feel Merry Christmas DK
These simple touch-and-feel books are always an early hit with babies as their first interactive books. They have small patches of different textures. Perfect for Baby’s little hands and younger babies. Each page includes only simple text.
Baby Touch and Feel Merry Christmas is the Christmas edition of the DK Baby Touch and Feel series. It’s the perfect way to introduce items Baby may encounter during Christmas time with a texture for each.
20. Christmas in the Manager Nola Buck
Christmas in the Manager is a short board book that resonates with babies. It introduces different characters who were present at Jesus’ birth and explains their role. But does so engagingly and emotionally.
This beautiful book is a great way to introduce the story of Jesus’ birth to a baby. It doesn’t explain everything but it helps toddlers understand that this event is important. What better thing to help your baby begin to understand this Christmas?
21. My First How to Catch Santa Claus Alice Walstead
My First How to Catch Santa Claus is a fun, short book for babies that centers around catching Santa on Christmas Eve so they can give him a surprise. The book describes toys and tasks that are common to babies–like building towers with blocks. If you want to teach your baby about Santa and the North Pole, this is a great book.
22. Llama Llama Jingle Bells Anna Dewdney
This line of Llama Llama books is made specifically for babies and toddlers. While they aren’t as clever as the older kids Llama Llama books, they do rhyme and serve the simple purpose of introducing a concept engagingly.
Llama Llama Jingle Bells is about Christmas and all the things we do during this time—like baking Christmas cookies and buying gifts. It’s a great book to get young readers into the holiday spirit. These holiday books do a great job of staying vague about specific traditions so you can choose what you want to teach your child about the holiday.
More Christmas Books for Babies
23. Spooky Pookie Sandra Bonyton
Join Spooky Pookie as he chooses his Halloween costume. Will he be a dragon, a bear, or a ghost?
Spooky Pookie is a cute book to introduce your toddler to trick or treat. And to help him/her think about wearing a costume. All of Sandra Bonyton books are simple and rhyme in a way that sticks with you. Add this fun little book to your Halloween shelf.
24. Llama Llama Trick or Treat Anna Dewdney
This simple book rhymes along as Llama Llama gets ready for Halloween. Follow along as he chooses a costume, carves a pumpkin, and gets ready to trick or treat.
Llama Llama Trick or Treat has just the right cadence to keep even your youngest toddler’s attention. It’s a great Halloween book to introduce Halloween traditions to babies.
25. Find Spot at the Halloween Party Eric Hill
This Spot book starts out with Spot getting ready for a Halloween party. But wait…where’d Spot go? Help the others find him before the party starts.
Find Spot at the Halloween Party is a fun, Halloween-themed lift-the-flap book that your toddler will ask to read again and again. Perfect for young older babies.
More Holiday Books for Babies: Valentine Books for Babies & Toddlers & Easter Books for Babies & Toddlers
“No,” I emphasized as I lifted the flap. “Not there.”
My now 11-month-old laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. He repeated it with me as he lifted the next flap.
Sometimes it’s hard to see the benefits of reading to our baby early on, but once your baby gets close to a year and begins to interact, you’ll know all that time you spent reading mattered.
I hope this list of the best books for babies helps you build some great memories in your baby’s first year. And reading becomes the special time you spend together as he/she enters into toddlerhood (see this list of the best books for 1-year-olds when you get there).
Want to instill a love of reading in your young readers? Don’t forget to sign up for my free email course on raising readers.
