It should come as no surprise that my kid is going to have a substantial library from the day she is born. I’ve already talked about my plans to be a Reading Mom, which include keeping up with my own reading as much as I can. But babies get books too; at least in my house they do! Here are some of the classic children’s books that will be part of the baby’s library from day one:
Goodnight Moon: This has always been one of my favorites. I love the sweet, calming “goodnight” message.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?: I’m sure the baby will end up with this book because my mom just loves it. Either I, or someone else, will definitely pick it up for her.
Make Way for Ducklings: It’s a classic, and I think every kid should own this one.
Blueberries for Sal: Another book I LOVED as a child. And it makes me want to eat blueberries.
Tails: This book is too new for me to have read it as a child, but I saw it at a baby shower and was charmed. It’s going on baby’s shelf for sure.
The Mitten: I’ve always thought this book was just gorgeous, and the story of a forest full of woodland creatures who crowd together into a dropped mitten to stay warm is a classic.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type: My college (yes, college) collective bargaining professor read my class this hilarious story of a group of farm animals who band together and form a union and then “negotiate” with their farmer over their working conditions. I’m clearly not expecting baby to understand collective bargaining, but it’s an important part of what I do for a living and I want to share it with her. Plus this book is freaking hysterical.
Madeline: In an old house in Paris, that was covered with vines… oh, how I love the Madeline books. All of them. You bet these will be in baby’s library.
BabyLit Board Books: These darling books are charming. I love the fun, bold illustrations, and of course I want to introduce the little miss to Lizzy Bennet and Jane Eyre from an early age.
Diary of a Wombat: I bought this for the three-year-old son of some friends and laughed myself silly in the bookstore as I flipped through it. Hubby read it too and also found it hilarious. And then he “demanded carrots.”
Of course, baby is going to have plenty of cloth and board books to start, since I know that when they’re that young books go straight into the mouth. But I’m looking forward to sharing these gorgeous, cute and funny books with the baby and starting that love of reading early.
What were your favorite books as a child? Any recommendations for picture books that I should get for the little one?
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I love, love, love your decision of building up a library for your little one even before she is born! How sweet is that! 🙂
Good luck, and have fun with building the library! 🙂
All of these sound like great books. Sadly, I haven’t read even a single one of them. 😦
What about Paddington, Pooh Bear, Cinderella and other fairy tales?
Paddington is a good suggestion! And the other fairy tales too. Pooh Bear will definitely feature prominently in the baby’s library – he’s coming up in Part II, “Children’s Classics” – I’ve always loved the Hundred Acre Wood and baby’s reading list won’t be complete without it!