When I was the last person in our family, last person of my contemporaries at the time, last person in the world in my mind, to finally get pregnant, I eventually came around to the absolutely normal question of “do I have GOOD bedtime books to read my baby?” I realized there were a thousand things to know about being a Mom that I had to learn, and it was like going to Disneyworld for the first time…does everyone here know where to go? Do they all know which rides to do first? What’s going on? Someone get me a manual!
Luckily, my big sister and all my friends were happy to share their favorite baby books. What happened in real life was not as simple as “having the right books.” Our daughters ended up picking their own favorites, and they all ended up picking the same books in our library of Suess, Boynton and Katz. So let’s get to it, the favorites they loved most:
10. Animally – Lynn Parrish Sutton, UBAM
Whether you love them “hugely like a whale,” or “shyly like a quail,” this adverb adventure through the animal kingdom is perfect to share with all the birdily, bugily, animally loved people in your life.
ALL photos credit: Amazon.com
9. Little Mommy – Sharon Kane
This delightful story about an adorable little girl caring for her dolls is perfect for any day of the year! If you have daughters, this classic is a must.
8. Pale Green Pants – Dr. Seuss (Book Title: Sneetches and Other Stories)
Embrace diversity with Dr. Seuss and the Sneetches in this collection of stories about acceptance!
7. Pajama Time! – Sandra Boynton (also The Going to Bed Book)
Pajama Time! is a good-night book with the irrepressible language, the inimitable illustrations, the irresistible cast of characters only Sandra Boynton could create.
6. Huggy Kissy – Leslie Patricelli
When you’re an adorable bald baby, your family finds lots of ways to show you how much they love you: Mommy lifts you uppy, Daddy kisses you on the tummy, and everyone wants to snuggle. What’s not to love? With comedy and warmth, Leslie Patricelli offers a universal tribute to love and affection in a board book full of instant appeal for little valentines everywhere.
5. Goodnight Gorilla – Peggy Rathmann
It’s bedtime at the zoo, and all the animals are going to sleep. Or are they? Who’s that short, furry guy with the key in his hand and the mischievous grin?
4. Goodnight Moon – Margaret Wise Brown
In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. “Goodnight room, goodnight moon.” And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room—to the picture of the three little bears sitting on chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one—the little bunny says goodnight.
In this classic of children’s literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day.
3. I Love You Through and Through – Bernadette Rossetti Shustak
A rhyming story of unconditional love and adorable illustrations of a toddler and a teddy bear who declare “I love you through and through!”
2. You Are My Cupcake – Joyce Wan
*A friend gave us this book as a baby gift and I created hand motions or sounds with each page and my kids have fallen in LOVE with this book. The look forward to the interaction we have with it.
This bite-sized board book is an ode to all the names we call our children: cutie pie, sweet pea, peanut, pumpkin. With a candy-colored palette and irresistible art with glitter and embossing, this is the perfect baby shower gift!
- Uh-Oh, Oh-No! – Ann Hodgman
*I almost hid this book the first time I read it’s title (someone gave it to us), but I gave it a try and it has become one of our favorite books…for whatever reason!
When baby accidentally drops a sippy cup on the cat, a chain of silly messes ensues! Simple, repetitive text is complemented by comical illustrations sure to tickle a toddler’s funny bone and will have parents smiling with recognition!The soft padded covers, rounded corners and sturdy board pages make this title a perfect fit for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers!
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