Did you know that reading to your baby at least 15 minutes a day is important for preparing your child to read? Board books for babies are recommended because your infant can’t tear the pages. He can also manipulate the pages easier. 
You don’t have to read the recommended 15 minutes a day all in one session. You can read five minutes in the morning, five minutes in the afternoon and then five minutes in the evening if that works better.
As your baby grows older, increase the amount of time in each session.
See this article for an age-by-age guide to reading to your baby.
Where to find affordable (or even FREE) books
You might be wondering where to access board books for babies if funds are tight. Here are ways that we get most of the books at our house:
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Click here to find out more information about how your child can receive one free book a month from newborn until age five. Both my children are enrolled in this amazing program and they look forward to each getting a new book in our mailbox each month.
Local Library. Visit your local library and sign up for a library card. Use the card to check out books on a regular basis. Most libraries have a good selection of board books. I got a couple from our local library last week.
Parents as Teachers. This program is offered through our nearby school district. A program facilitator comes to our house once a month and works with our children on appropriate developmental skills. She provides us with resources to help us teach our children the skills they need as they develop. She also lends us books to read to our children so our home library is always full of fresh books.
Prime Book Box for Kids. Amazon.com offers a subscription that delivers children’s books every 1-3 months. The books that come in the box depend on the age of your child. Babies through age two, receive four board books in the Prime Book Box.
Visit this site to learn more ways to get free books for your children.
Recommended Board Books for Babies
These are the top board books for babies I recommend. I read most of these books to my nephew, niece, son and daughter when they were infants. Board books don’t have to be read just to babies. Since these books are more durable than the paper books, you can read them to your kids for many years.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and subsequently make a purchase from the linked website, I may receive a commission. Please read my affiliate disclosure for more information.
1) Goodnight Moon
Goodnight Moon is a perfect bedtime book. It’s the story of a bunny preparing for bed in a “great green room.” He tells all the surrounding objects goodnight in a very gentle and sleep inducing manner. This story is especially good for language development because of the many words and pictures it introduces your baby to.
2) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? This book of predictive text is perfect for introducing babies to the names of animals, colors and rhyming. It is such a simple book, but the rhythm and the illustrations make it appealing to even the youngest “reader.”
3) The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This interactive book introduces the days of the week and the life cycle of a butterfly. Your baby will be mesmerized and captivated by the beautiful illustrations. This book may be 50 years old, but it will continue to capture the hearts of generations to come.
4) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! Will there be enough room? Read to find out if all the letters of the alphabet can fit in the coconut tree. The rhythm and rhyme in this fun book will delight both you and your baby.
5) Little Blue Truck
Little Blue Truck is loaded down with all his animal friends after they helped him pull a dump truck out of the mud. Introduce your baby to animals and their sounds as well as the importance and power of friendship with this book.
6) Goodnight Gorilla
Read about bedtime at the zoo when it is your baby’s bedtime tonight. Discover how the zookeeper tells the animals good night and makes sure they are safely in their cages. Or are they? There is a mischief maker on the loose and he has a different destination planned for the animals to spend the night. That is, until the zookeeper’s wife finds out.
*Fun tip: See if you and your baby can find the balloon on each page of the book.
7) Snuggle Puppy
Snuggle Puppy is one of my favorite board books for babies. My son loves this book and we sing the song together sometimes when we snuggle. Click here to listen to the song version so you can learn the tune and sing it to your baby every day. The endearing lyrics and story line by Sandra Boynton will melt your heart and you will want to read this book over and over.
8) Barnyard Dance
Welcome to the Barnyard Dance! This is another fantastic book by Sandra Boynton. It is a fun way to introduce your baby to farm animals and their sounds. The twirling pigs, fiddle playing cows and prancing horses will make you want to dance or at least stomp your feet to the beat.
9) Moo Baa La La La
Can you tell we love books written by Sandra Boynton at our house? I have recommended three of them in this article.
Moo Baa La La La is yet another fun way of introducing your baby to animals and their sounds. The cow says moo, the sheep says baa and the pigs say la la la. Wait! That’s not right! Read to find out what pigs really say in yet another spectacular book by this talented author, illustrator and song writer.
10) Love You Forever
Get out the tissue box! This book will definitely bring tears to your eyes. There is a reason I always buy this book to give to the mama to be at a baby shower. It will make you snuggle your baby and cherish every moment you have with him because he grows up so quickly!
11) Guess How Much I Love You
The bond between a parent and child is immeasurable. This book portrays that bond in a very sweet and gentle way. You and your baby will become even closer as you share this book together.
12) The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and The Big Hungry Bear
Another one of my son’s favorite books! Read to find out how the little mouse tries to keep the red, ripe strawberry away from the BIG, hungry bear. Your baby will be delighted by both the plot and the illustrations in this humorous tale.
13) Llama Llama Red Pajama
Don’t worry little Llama! Your mama will be here soon to tuck you in and kiss you goodnight. Llama is not as confident, though. Find out what Llama does when his mama doesn’t come as fast he would like her to.
14) On the Night You Were Born
What happened on the night you were born? Polar Bears danced and the moon stayed up till morning because you brought wonder and magic to the world. This book celebrates each child’s uniqueness in a beautifully enchanting way.
15) If Animals Kissed Good Night
At bedtime, a young girl asks her mom how animal families might say good night. Would Wolf and his pup “kiss and then HOWL? What about Bear and her cub? Would they “kiss and then GROWL?” This cute book is a perfect bedtime story for you and your baby.
Read to Your Baby Every Day
This list of board books for babies will get you on the way to introducing your baby to the wonderful world around her. Take time every day to snuggle with your baby and read! Make story time a part of your bedtime routine. It is a wonderful way to bond with your baby and share precious moments that will be gone too quickly.
Do you have any other board books that you recommend for babies?
Did you read some books on this list to your baby? How did story time with your little one go?
Share your recommendations and reading experiences in the comments below.
May you and your baby discover a joy of reading that will last a lifetime!
Leave a Reply