Baby First Book Collection
What books are ideal first books for babies?
There are several kinds of books that are ideal for your baby first book collection
such as:
Baby's first books come in a variety of shapes, types and sizes such as:
- Board books
- Soft cover picture books
- Small sized for little hands
- Waterproof bath books
- Fabric books
- Different shape books
- Books with rattles
Books can have words or be wordless. Wordless books are a wonderful way
to encourage you to talk
with your baby about things around them without being told what to say
by an
author.
What would baby want to read about in their baby first book collection?
- Other babies
- Animals
- Loved characters
- Things in their world
You could never read a book too many times to your baby. Your
baby will soon have favourite books and you will be amazed at how
quickly they grow to love certain books. Find books that you
will love and enjoy too. Always ensure that reading is a fun
and
loving experience to ensure your baby wants to do it again and again.
Black
and White Contrast Books
Black silhouetted shapes on a white
background (or the other way around), are ideal for a newborn as they
provide a high contrast, allowing your baby to clearly see the pictures
as their eyesight is developing.
|
Black on
White (Baby Board Book)
Tana
Hoban
A
wordless black and white contrast book which features a leaf, a bib, a
key ring and an elephant.
1993, Greenwillow; Brdbk edition
|
 |
Look, Look! (Baby Board book)
Peter Linenthal
This black and
white contrast book also features words to
extend the book and make it more interesting to older babies as well. “A car
races”, “flowers bloom”.
1998,
Dutton Juvenile; Brdbk edition |
First
Words Books
Your baby first book may be a first words books. These books
have one or two words per page. This allows
you
tell a story about the pictures you see to you baby. It also
helps your baby's vocabulary expand.
 |
Out and About (Baby
Board Book)
Easy
-Open
I
love this book. It is illustrated with black and white
photos, however
the picture of the featured word on each page is in colour to help it
stand out. The story is
of a little boy playing at home, getting ready to go the park,
walking
there with his dad and finally playing there and having a
picnic. Any
parent and child will relate to the story.
Walker
Books |
 |
Bright Baby First Words (Bright
Baby) (Baby Board book)
Roger
Priddy
Bright, vivid and clear photos make this first word book a popular one
with all babies. One word and picture per page make it easy
to
see. There are many others in the series such as: farm,
trucks
and colours.
2004,
Priddy Books
|
Little
Flap Books
Little flap books make wonderful baby first books. They are:
- Fun
- Create an element of surprise
- Help to develop small motor skills
- Help develop speech and language
- Provide great ways of talking to your baby
- Introduce simple question and answers
|
Oh Dear! A
Lift-the-flap book
Rod
Campbell
A
simple story about a little boy named Buster who goes to stay on his
Grandma's farm. Grandma asks Buster to fetch the eggs and he
goes all
over the farm in search of them. He visits the cow in the
barn, the
pigs in the sty, and the dog in the kennel along with other
animals. Each
time the animal is hiding under the flap bringing the element of
surprise. The repetitive sentences will help to attract your
baby's
attention and hold it. As baby grows older they will be able
to read
this book to themselves.
There are other books about Buster, such as Buster Gets Dressed,
Buster's Day and Buster Goes to Playschool. He becomes a much
loved character. |
Touch
and Feel Books
Your baby first book collection should include some touch and feel
books. The tactile experience helps books come alive to
babies
and teaches
your baby about different textures. It is great to help you
introduce words such as: soft, bumpy, smooth, rough and fluffy.
 |
Baby
Animals (Touch & Feel) (Board book)
Dorling Kindersley Corp
DK books never disappoint. This one uses photographs of
animals with cloth on each animal for the baby to touch.
1999, Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. |
Rhythm
and
Rhyme Books
Don't think you need to only have board books in your baby first book
collection. Although the two books below do come as board
books,
from 12 months on your baby may well surprise you at just how well they
can handle the paper back version.
Rhythm and Rhyme books:
- Provide entertainment and
development.
- Have repetition which helps to get your baby's attention
and hold it.
As your baby gets older listening out for
familiar words can help them become involved in the story and engage
with it.
 |
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do
You See?
By Bill
Martin, Jr.
Pictures
by Eric Carle
I think this book is a must for every babies bookshelf. It
has
repetitive sentences perfect to maintain baby's attention.
"Brown bear, brown bear what do you see?"
"I see a red bird looking at me."
The book introduces colours and animals together. The
illustrations by Eric Carle use tissue paper and are big and bright.
Be warned baby will request this book and you will end up reading it
over and over.
2008 sees the anniversary edition of this well loved classic.
2008,
Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks; First Edition. |
 |
Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's
Dairy
Lynley
Dodd
This
is the first in a series of books about the famous dog Hairy
Maclary.
In this book Hairy Maclary goes off for a walk with several of his
other dog friends including Hercules Morse and Bottomley
Potts. With
repetitive sentences and loveable characters this book is sure to win a
place in your babies' heart as well as your own.
Winner of the
1984 Children's Picture Book of the Year Award, it has also attained
accreditation as a Premium New Zealand Bestseller and gone Platinum!
2001,
Tricycle Press
|
Books
You Can Sing To
Books that are the words to favourite songs can really help you have
fun reading together. They are idea for your baby first book collection. Your baby loves the sound of your voice
most especially when you sing. Actions in nursery rhymes and
songs can help to develop movement and co-ordination. The
following two books are well recommended for your baby first book
collection.
 |
Ten in the Bed
Penny
Dale
"There were the in the bed and the little one said, "Roll over, roll
over". This well known song makes a
wonderful
bedtime book (if sung calmly!). The little baby counts down with his
animal friends as each one falls out of bed with a different sound,
bang, ouch, thud.
Walker
Books |
 |
If
You're Happy and You Know It (Board Books)
Annie
Kubler
Other books in this series include: Row, row, row your boat,
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and The Wheels on the Bus. Wonderful books for a baby first book collection.
2001,
Child's Play International
|
Blink
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Simpy
Spurl
Technorati
Y! MyWeb