30 Favorite Board Books for Babies

If you love classic literature, you MUST check out the Cozy Classics series by Jack and Holman Wang! Each board book features one simple word on each page to tell the story, accompanied by exquisite illustrations done entirely in felt. They're truly works of art that you'll enjoy as much as your child!

Hannah Scott said:  I confess: I actually like this book by Sara Gillingham more than my baby does. Something about the collage illustrations, the patterns, and the color scheme really does it for me -- not to mention the cute little attached finger puppet who enjoys getting cozy with his family at the end. Melt my heart! When I found out there is actually a whole series of stories featuring different animals in their habitats, I was completely hooked.

Jennie Utsinger said:  Carry Me by Rena Grossman has been a favorite for all three of my children. Babies love looking at photographs of other babies, and each page includes a picture of a loved one carrying a baby, on fronts, backs, and sides, using arms, a sling, a basket, or a structured carrier. The book highlights a wonderful range of countries and cultures throughout the world, so is a great way to add diversity to your library.

Hannah Scott said:  When I first read the description of this Usborne book for babies, it didn't sound all that exciting. When I actually opened it to read with my kids for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by how charming it is! Throughout the story, the reader is looking for little fox through the cutouts on each page. Each page has indented areas (some with texture, some without) for babies to touch, and the illustrations are bright and full of little animals in nature scenes. Such a cute find!

Sue Krawitz Tandoc said:  My kids loved this book when they were little! Written by Don and Audrey Wood, The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear is cute and funny for young children as a little mouse wants a big, ripe strawberry all to himself. As the narrator convinces him, a hungry bear will get it, the mouse tries to hide and disguise the strawberry until a much better solution is created that demonstrates the theme of sharing. My kids would ask to read it over and over and I'm sure other kids will enjoy it just as much!

Hannah Scott said:  This book by Laura Krauss Melmed is everything you could ever want in a children's story: gorgeous painted illustrations (by Henri Sorensen), beautifully crafted poetry, and an overarching theme of unconditional love from mother to baby. I've read this one over and over, and I never get tired of it!

Michael Farina said:  This is a selfish pick -- reading this book with a child on my lap always fills me with the best emotions. I'd read it even if my kids didn't enjoy this book (thankfully they do). This is my go-to gift for expecting parents.

Kelly R said:  Sandra Boynton has a bunch of wonderful board books for babies and toddlers written in her signature silly and sweet style. Moo, Baa, La La La is a great early read aloud book, exploring the different sounds animals make. Kids have fun filling in the animal noises themselves as they get older.

Hannah Scott said:  This classic by Margaret Wise Brown is the perfect bedtime story as all of the farm animals wind down at the end of the day. I love watching the color of the illustrations darken as the day goes on! This story is responsible for my child's love of all things farm, and helped him with his speech delay as he began to point to the animals and make the sounds!

Erika Zuckero said:  It’s an incredibly fun book for babies learning how to talk, because they can mimic the sounds! Moo’s, pop’s, klopp’s, and dibble dibble dopps—this book has it all. A Dr. Seuss classic your family will cherish for ages!

Kelly R said:  This adorable book from Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee is a favorite among babies and toddlers! The snappy and repetitive text is fun to read aloud, with a parent pleading with a little one to correct a variety of typical (and sometimes naughty) toddler behavior that kids get a kick out of.

Kelly R said:  This striking book by Peter Linenthal features high-contrast black and white artwork, making it a perfect first book for infants as they develop their eyesight. Faces, flowers and other bold images are mesmerizing and calming for the youngest babies, and still plenty of fun for older ones as they grow.

Amy S. said:  Littles will love this counting book featuring primate portraits. The animals are rendered with dignity, exquisite detail, and quirky facial expressions. (We always have fun selecting our “favorite face” on each page.) But perhaps the most beautiful feature is the way the author introduces humans in the last pages and situates them among primates as part of “one big family.”

Lisa R said:  Each page of this book is one line of a simple song accompanied by a pictures of baby animals cuddling with their parents or mommy and daddy animals together. The song in the book consists of only a few words: "mommy", "daddy", "and", "baby'", "love". It makes for a comforting bedtime book and was the first book my daughter could read on her own.

Lisa R said:  This long-lasting lift-a-flap book uses felt instead of paper for the flaps, so my baby can safely flip through it by himself without tearing it to pieces. The first four pages have brightly colored animals behind the flaps. The last page has a mirror. Surprise! It's you! I like it for car rides and carrying around in my bag for fussy moments.