Favorite Baby Books

It’s no secret that babies need a lot of stuff. Some things aren’t that exciting (see: diapers), while others are super fun to pick out (clothes! Nursery decor!). Some of the best things to start collecting for your (or a family member’s, or a friend’s) little one are books.

While it’s great to stock up on favorites you remember from your own childhood — everyone needs a Harry Potter shelf, after all — you’ll also want some books that baby can enjoy right away.

For babies up to six months old, typical favorites are board books that are high contrast and/or full of bright colors with few words. It’s never too early to start enjoying books with your baby, so no need to wait if reading is your thing.

Here are some great books for babies up to six months old, inspired by my own little one’s favorites!

Baby Sees Colors: A Totally Mesmerizing High-contrast Book for Babies, Akio Kashiwara

This book brings it with both high contrast and bright colors. Its colorful pages are filled with swimming fish, sneaky cats, and slithering snakes. The book’s animals and patterns form bold stripes and big swirls, perfect for tracing. All this colorful fun along with just a few words on each page make it a fun read.

Black White, Tana Hoban

Black White is a book filled with high contrast black and white images. The illustrations range from everyday objects to bugs and animals (including a particularly enthralling butterfly). Images abound in this book — there aren’t any words here. It’s particularly fitting for newborns.

Hello Baby: Baby Grip: A High Contrast Book, Roger Priddy

Like Black White, Hello Baby is illustrations only, no text to be found. However, Hello Baby sprinkles in some bold colors with its images. The high contrast images make it great for newborns as well.

Everything is Mama, Jimmy Fallon (Author), Miguel Ordóñez (Illustrator)

Everything is Mama is my baby’s current favorite. We read it just before bed, and she’s mesmerized every time. In this book, mama animals teach their babies about fun different words, like “noodles” and “pajamas.” It’s filled with lovely, colorful illustrations, lots of babies and mamas and a sweet message. We’re big fans!

Little Traveler Board Book Set, Mudpuppy (Author), Erica Harrison (Illustrator)

The Little Traveler book set is a series of four books, each with a different theme: animals, food, landmarks, and vehicles. Each book showcases illustrations of things from around the world. The pages are awash with brightly colored images and few words, perfect for inspiring a love of travel in your little one.

Never Touch a Monster, Make Believe Ideas Ltd.

Never Touch a Monster is another current favorite. Each page is packed with playful fonts, silly monsters, and textured rubber bits. With its bright colors and touchable pages, it’s great for babies who are all about reaching out and grabbing all the things.

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