Here are the books I have bought for my little girl and why I think they are great for babies.
Best books for babies
Tactile Book
I ordered this one from Amazon. She loves the crinkle sound and looking at herself in the mirror. I went with this one as the Black & White high contrast pictures have been specially designed to be stimulating for babies. It also has a strap to make it easier to attach to a buggy.
Bath book
I ordered mine from The Works. Babies dribble a lot, are sick and want to put everything in their mouths. These books are wipe clean. I choose this one as I liked the three detachable characters that can be used for matching games.
When she is older I will let her take it in the bath.
Wooden Book
I picked this up from Lidl during a baby event. Being wooden makes it really robust. She has thrown it and chewed it and it still looks perfect.
Not suitable for babies
I did buy these for my son and was sad when they got ruined. However, these do help encourage speaking so as long as you don’t leave your baby alone exploring the books, you should be okay.
Picture books
At this age you should take care with picture books as although they may love it they have a tendency to grab things and love scrunching up and tearing paper.
If you go down this route, look out for nursery rhyme collections like those by Miles Kelly as babies love hearing the repetitive sounds and it can encourage talking.
Board books
Board books might look sturdy but they are made of cardboard. If you leave a baby unattended with one, they’ll chew the corners into a pulp and the picture will peel off.
If you go down this route, look out for stories that rhyme like those by Julia Donaldson.
Touch and feel books
Another good choice is tactile books like the “That’s Not My” line. These books are also useful for developing a child’s vocabulary of descriptive words.
Other touch and feel books will enable them to feel different textures and learn about a topic. The picture below is one about farm animals.
Would you recommend these?
I hope you found my suggestions useful. I would love to hear what books you have loved sharing with a baby too.