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Baby books come in all sizes and shapes, but often the best baby books are board books.  This type of book is sturdy and will last much longer if baby wants to pull, tug or even drool on it.  I have compiled some of the best, newest books made to keep baby interested for as long as possible.  All of these books are for newborns through preschool. (If you aren’t reading to your newborn, you are missing out on many wonderful learning and nurturing experiences taking place such as language development and, of course, bonding.)
Gossie & Friends Go Swimming, by Olivier Dunrea, is not a true board book, but it’s still sturdy.  It’s a soft, waterproof book.  Gossie is a cute yellow duck and this packaging comes with a small plastic duck to play with in the tub.  This is one story in a series called “Gossie & Friends” and centers around cute little ducks and behavior that toddlers can identify with and learn from.
Bizzy Bear, by Beni Davies, is another series of books featuring this darling little bear that youngsters adore! “Ambulance Rescue” is the most recent in the series. This book is about Bizzy Bear riding in an ambulance where he helps an injured cyclist. What makes these books so popular is the movable parts you can move or slide with your finger. This activity, which is on every page, is part of the story and the movement thrusts the story along.
Let’s Go, Construction Trucks!,published by Scholastic, is the second book in a series that little hands enjoy. Each page features a truck you would find on a building site. There is a bulldozer, a steamroller and more. What makes this book, along with the first book: Let’s Go Rescue Trucks!,is every truck has two wheels that rotate.
Look, There’s a Submarine!, by Esther Aarts, is another book in a new series. This book, along with Look, There’s a Rocket!, features peak-a-boo holes showing parts of what’s coming up on the next page. This book has a young girl exploring the ocean floor in her submarine.
Our Little Love Bug!,by Sandra Magsamen, features a different brightly colored bug on each page. Each large bug also has components of vivid felt that youngsters can touch and move. For instance, there is a yellow butterfly that fills the page with brilliant orange felt wings that are moveable.
I am Little Fish!,by Lucy Cousins, is a finger puppet book. The way this book is made becomes an interactive story. The little orange fish is attached to the back page and pokes through every page. You can place your finger inside and become part of the story. Another fun story to read, or better, sing is “You are my Sunshine”, by Sandra Magsamen. This book is in the shape of a heart with a sunshine finger puppet attached in the same way as the aforementioned book about fish.
I Love Classical Music: My First Sound Book,by Marion Billet, has a sound button on each of the six open pages which can be pressed to listen to a short musical phrase. The compositions are beautiful and go perfectly with the picture in the book. For instance, The Trout Quintet, by Frank Schubert, has a picture of a trout swimming. The text asks for the reader to listen to the “Happy sounds of the trout swimming along.”
Blocks: Let’s Share!,by Irene Dickson, teaches sharing and colors. Ruby has red blocks and Benji has blue blocks. But one day, Benji takes one of Ruby’s blocks and she doesn’t like that one bit! Until all the blocks come crashing down and now both children discover it’s nice to have both colors. Be sure to check out the last page when another dilemma arrives.
Lois Looks for Bob at Home, by Gerry Turkey, is the newest book in this delightful series where Lois the cat is looking for her Bob. Â Bob is a small yellow parakeet and as she explores throughout her home, every page features a large big flap that is hiding another animal. Â Other books in this series include Lois Looks for Bob at the Park and Lois Looks for Bob at the Beach.
Flip Flap Dogs,by Nikki Dyson, is a creative and fun book that sparks kids’ imaginations. The top half of each page shows the top half of a dog. The pages are cut in half lengthwise, so you can line each dog up according to what they should look like. Or you can create a completely unique dog by lining up different bottom half’s that don’t belong. The opposite side of the open page has a description of the dog that you can also split in half making some pretty crazy animals.
The British Museum has a new series that teaches basic concepts. A B C has paintings and artifacts from the museum that teaches the alphabet. For instance, “N is for necklace”. Pictured above the N is a photo of an actual necklace from Egypt. The other books just published from this series is: 1 2 3, Opposites and Colors.
My Little Garden, by Katrin Wiesel, is a book in a planned new series completely made from recycled materials. Â The colors and pages have an earth-tone appearance and each page has a definite recycled feel. Â The text is sparse and easy to grasp what is being taught. Â There are three cute animals you meet immediately on the first page as you begin to learn about their garden: Hedgehog, Mouse and Sparrow. The other new book just published is My Little Forest.
Tough Chicks to the Rescue!, by Cece Meng, and brightly illustrated by Melissa Suber, has another ingredient that youngsters enjoy: different textures. These smart baby chicks are helping their farm friends. Each page has something unique to touch, like sheep has soft fabric, and Pig is stuck in sticky feeling mud.
