Books to Read to Babies
It is a well-known and widely accepted fact that parents should regularly read books to their babies from as early an age as possible. It is also recommended to read books to unborn babies when the mother is in the advanced stages of pregnancy, since it has been scientifically proven that doing so can help develop the child's personality and attention span. Admittedly, a baby who is a few months old cannot understand the words that are being said to her, but when she is being read to, she develops a bond with the voice of the reader. Additionally, she also learns to recognize different shapes, sights, sounds and rhythm of speaking, and all this helps in developing her memory, her learning abilities and her perception of the world.
Babies are an observant lot, and it is more important to read to them with a loud and clear voice so that they always associate reading with warm memories of their childhood days. Babies who are regularly read to turn out to be voracious readers and also tend to pick up things faster in their later years. Reading to babies also helps them understand simple words and vocabulary and this helps to improve their communication skills eventually.
Good Baby Books
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This is one of the most popular baby books around, and it was written, illustrated and designed by Eric Carle in 1969. This book has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, and it has won numerous awards as well. The story is about a simple caterpillar who goes through various stages and becomes a gorgeous butterfly, and the illustrations are what makes this an excellent reading choice for small children. This book is great for introducing small babies to the concepts of numbers, shapes, objects and colors.
Goodnight Moon
Another all-time favorite book for babies, Goodnight Moon was released in 1947, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. The book is a simple poem about a bunny saying goodnight to various objects around him in his room, and the detailed illustrations will teach a baby to look around him and observe objects more carefully. The colors and the rhythm of the poem will also appeal to small babies, and this is a great book to read to your child just before putting her to bed.
Pat the Bunny
This is a Touch and Feel book that takes the concept of interactive children's books and learning to very intimate levels. Each page on the book requires the child to touch a certain material and it helps them associate that sensation to something they can relate with. For instance, a page made of sandpaper will remind them of their fathers face, another page will have a mirror and so on. The book was written on an experimental basis by Dorothy Kunhardt in 1940, and it has been very popular ever since then.
The Cat in the Hat
Dr. Seuss was a renowned author of children's books, and his series of books that chronicled an anthropomorphic cat are perhaps his most famous pieces of work. The Cat in the Hat was published in 1957, and the book is about a mischievous cat who visits babies and engages them in some fun games until the mother returns home. Dr. Seuss's writing style makes the story a great entertainer for babies and the poems also impart them with a firm sense of rhythm.
The Baby's Lap Book
Nursery rhymes are immensely popular with little babies for a reason and this particular book is an excellent collection of the best nursery rhymes around. The book has been written by Kay Chorao and it is an incredible way to teach your baby simple words and the art of nursery rhymes. There are plenty of attractive drawings and illustrations present here as well, and they all add up to an extremely fun time for the baby, who will go on to always associate nursery rhymes and books with a feeling of safety and reassurance.
Parents from all around the world have definitely heard of these aforementioned books for babies, and if you do not own them yet, you should do so as soon as possible. Here are some more books that you can consider as well.
- Black on White by Tana Hoban
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle
- Bus Stops by Kay Chorao
- Good Night Gorilla by Pat Cummings
- Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
- More More More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams
- My Aunt Came Back by Pat Cummings
- Oh Baby! The Places You'll Go by Tish Rabe
- Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
