board books Archives - Newly Sharpened Pencils

Several months ago, I ran into my friend Sophie, who has a sweet baby girl. She was on the hunt for some age-appropriate books for her baby and asked my opinion. First of all, I am SO flattered whenever someone asks me for book recommendations, especially for their kids. They could turn to AI (the bane of my existence as a writer) or a search engine. And second of all, my babies are 12 now, so I feel like a fish out of water when it comes to board books.

However, I still like to thrift these books for friends who are expecting and for my cute nephew who is nine months old, and there are certain books I always keep an eye on. These are my tips for choosing the best board books for babies that will engage your little one and kick off a lifetime love of reading!

Keep it simple.

Babies are soothed by the sound of your voice reading to them and the ritual of picking up a book at bedtime (or anytime during the day). You may be tempted to buy those cute board books based on popular adult books, but I am speaking from experience. I read a lot of books to my twins as babies, and they did not grow up to pick up Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book simply because I read a board book of this story to them. The best board books are short (20 pages at the most), durable, and brief. If the pages have tons of words or direct quotes from a classic novel (looking at you, Babylit), your baby is not going to understand it or be interested.

Don’t assume that a popular picture book will work as a board book.

I have made the mistake several times of buying books for my kids online and ending up with a board book format instead. One of my saddest errors was ending up with Strega Nona in thick, baby-proof cardboard. I LOVE Strega Nona and have read it to my kids many times (the audiobook is amazing, too), but it does not work in a board book. The font is tiny, it’s too long, and babies are going to wiggle out of your arms before you can say “Bubble, bubble, pasta pot.” If you’re thrifting and see a bunch of board book versions of your favorites (and you will), consider the length of the story and the complexity of the words before buying it.

Remember that babies love babies.

I remember both my kids walking around with dolls from a very early age. They also adored board books that had photos of other babies and toddlers in them or mirrors so they could see their own faces. When in doubt, look for books that allow your children to see themselves or other kids like them.

Look for appealing textures and colors.

While kids are definitely drawn to bright colors, contrast can also draw kids in. One of my favorite children’s book illustrators is Beth Krommes, who drew the pictures for The House in the Night. The entire book is drawn in black and white with yellow accents, and it is so captivating. My children also loved the Jellycat book If I Were an Owl so much that the spine fell apart, with its different textures for the owl’s claws, eyes, and feathers. The Jellycat books are pricey, but your kids will spend hours poring over them.

Read the book aloud to test its rhythm and rhyme.

There is nothing more annoying to me than a book that purportedly rhymes but has terrible rhythm. Before you buy a book for your baby (or even older kids), read it out loud to yourself. Do you stumble over certain sentences or words? Does it follow a recognizable pattern? If not, look for something else. The best books have repetition (Goodnight Moon, Moo, Baa, La La La, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom are favorites) and aren’t clunky to read aloud. I also love books by Anna Dewdney for rhythm and rhyme. Llama Llama Red Pajama was the one we turned to again and again.

Buy books that teach letters, shapes, words, sounds, and emotions.

When my kids were little, they loved the Alphaprints series by Roger Priddy, which focus on ABCs, numbers, and colors. All of the books use fingerprints in clever ways to make letters, animals, and shapes and feature bright colors and rhymes. Roger Priddy’s First 100 Words is also amazing. While you shouldn’t expect your baby or toddler to learn their ABCs or colors immediately, they will start to recognize and memorize these symbols as you read the books to them. My twins’ absolute favorite book when they were little was Babylit’s Emma, because it focused on emotions and had pictures of faces that visibly showed these emotions. “Emma is happy! Mr. Elton is angry.” They also loved Babylit’s Sherlock Holmes, which introduces a different sound on each page, like “creak” or howl,” and has engaging illustrations. Those were the only two Babylit books we actually enjoyed reading.

Stick to the classics.

The board books that you remember reading during your childhood are popular for a reason. We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar (look for the Eric Carle audiobook, too!) many times. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is also great. My kids also loved Good Night, Gorilla and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.

Invest in interactive books for toddlers.

Remember above when I said that the best books are short? I hold to that when we’re talking about babies. However, toddlers (about 18 months to 3 years old) and preschoolers will love the Press Here series. The author instructs readers to press on the dots, then move the book around to shake the dots, and on and on. We loved the original, plus Mix It Up, Let’s Play, and Say Zoop! Christie Matheson’s books are also interactive and SO fun for kids. Check out Tap the Magic Tree, Plant the Tiny Seed, and Touch the Brightest Star. And if you love Cheerios, check out The Cheerios Play Book! It has indentations so your child can add Cheerios for wheels, bubbles, and buttons while looking at the pictures.

Find options with real photographs.

My babies gravitated to board books with photos of things they encounter in real life, like food, toys, animals, and cars. The DK Baby Touch and Feel series is perfect for this. The books are durable and smaller than other styles, which makes them perfect for throwing in a bag when you’re traveling.

I would love to hear your suggestions for the best board books for babies! I’m always on the lookout for a good baby gift.

Several friends and family members are welcoming new babies this spring and summer, and with social distancing still in place, it’s impossible to have traditional baby showers. That doesn’t mean you can’t show them you care, though! Whether you’ve bought some essentials and want a board book to tuck into the gift or were asked to bring a book instead of a card, these are a few of my favorite books to give to a new mom.

Emma: An Emotions Primer by Jennifer Adams. Contrary to what you might think, your babies are not going to learn the classics from these literary-inspired board books you read to them. However, we had several of these when my twins were babies, and this was their favorite. It has bright colors and tells Jane Austen’s Emma through the different characters’ emotions (like excitement, anger, boredom, and surprise). My kids reached for this one again and again.

If I Were an Owl by Jellycat. It looks like my favorite Jellycat book isn’t available on Amazon anymore, but there are a bunch of similar books to choose from. My kids and I loved the textures of this book on every page, especially the soft owl feathers on the cover and the scratchiness of its claws. All of the titles look adorable!

Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny set by Margaret Wise Brown. I have almost the entire book of Goodnight Moon memorized because we read it so much to our kids at bedtime. This is a classic for a reason. The rhythm and rhymes are so soothing, and kids love the bright pictures (what kid’s room has bright green walls and red floors?). This board book set also includes The Runaway Bunny, which has enchanting illustrations and lets you search for the hidden bunnies in the pictures.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. This is another one of those books my kids can recite from memory. I love the rhyming and rhythm, and I also like that it’s an easy way to introduce even babies to the alphabet. Lois Ehlert’s illustrations are bright and colorful. When my kids were too old for board books, we upgraded to a paperback and they still love it.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I absolutely adore this book, and so do my kids. The board book version still has the holes showing what the caterpillar ate, and it’s fun for little fingers to grab these as you turn the pages. What’s even more fun is to watch the caterpillar transform from a fat green blob to a stunning butterfly at the end. Eric Carle also narrates the audiobook, which I highly recommend.

I posted the following items on my previous blog a while back in response to a coworker who wanted to know what he really needed for his new baby. I feel it’s applicable now, when so much is scarce or takes weeks to deliver. Manufacturers and influencers want you to think having a baby requires a ton of gear, but it really doesn’t. When I had my twins nearly six years ago, I tried to be conscious about what we could do without. Here’s my list:

Bumbos: I seem to be in the minority here, but I’ve always thought Bumbos were ugly and expensive. A friend brought over her old one for us to try, which was nice, but my kids didn’t really like sitting in it. Some pediatricians also say it doesn’t help your baby develop the abdominal muscles needed to sit on their own.
High chairs: I am pretty anti-high-chair, mostly because they take up a ton of space and are a pain to clean. When my babies were born, we were living in a condo with a pretty small kitchen, and the kitchen in our current home is also pretty small. High chairs are not worth the cost or space, in my opinion. The alternative is inexpensive booster seats that strap to kitchen chairs or even folding chairs. They wipe down easily (you can even spray them off outside), and your kids can sit in them for years. Mine used them until they were almost three and were tall enough to sit up to the table.
Swings: I know some people swear by swings, but I don’t like the giant amount of floor space they take up. I recommend waiting until your baby is born to decide whether you really need a swing. You may be able to find one secondhand or get one that folds or doesn’t take as much room.
Bouncers: We had a bouncer I bought secondhand for about two weeks, hoping it would help my son’s croup if he was more elevated while sleeping. I don’t think it really helped. If you want something to entertain your baby while you do something else, propping a Boppy or nursing pillow behind him does the job.
Diaper Genies: Dirty diapers are gross, and no one wants to smell them or deal with them, but I thought this gadget was way overpriced and unnecessary. We put all the dirty diapers in a small garbage can with a lid and then took the bag to the dumpster when it was full. As a new mom, it was also a chance for me to get some fresh air even just running out to the dumpster.
Walkers: We borrowed an old walker from my husband’s mom, and my kids did like playing in it. However, these also take up a lot of room, and you use them for a short time. They’re also gross to clean when your kid spits up on them (or worse).
Big baby tubs: You use baby tubs for such a small window of time before your baby can sit up on their own, and the big, bulky plastic tubs take up room. We loved our Puj flyte tub because it was easy to fold and clean and didn’t take up a ton of room. Once my kids were bigger, we bought an inexpensive inflatable duck bath you could deflate and store flat. At about 10 months old, they were fine sitting in the tub on their own.
Bassinets: Because bassinets are so small, your baby can only sleep in it for a few months. Then you’re stuck with another piece of gear you have to store. I suggest buying a pack ‘n’ play instead. You can easily fold it and take it with you when you travel, and your kids won’t outgrow it for a few years.
Toddler beds: Toddler beds aren’t worth it because you have to buy specific toddler sheets and mattresses that then don’t fit a twin bed OR a crib. We bought cribs from IKEA with one removable side instead so we could keep the crib mattresses and the crib sheets. Once they were three and too big for the cribs, we bought two twin beds and mattresses they can hopefully sleep in for years.

I’m always curious what your must-haves are for babies and what you wish you’d never bought. Please also share your favorite board books!

board books

Best board books for babies