Books for Baby

calleyw

My SIL is expecting.

I would like to give my nephew/niece a small selection of books as part of a birth gift. To hopefully get them to have a life long love of books and reading.

I don't have any children myself so have no idea what books to buy.

Can I have suggestions of books for just after birth and say for the first year. So mummy and Daddy can read to baby as well.

The only one I thought about was the very hungry caterpillar but think that will be too old for the baby.

Any other ideas.

Thanks in advance.

Yours

Calley

balletshoes

I would choose some cloth books (the type which can be attached to prams/pushchairs) then some board books (colours, numbers, sounds, animals, hungry caterpillar etc), and possibly a pop-up or "feely" book, like the "thats not my bunny" series. No paper pages yet - baby will be too young for them.

have a look at Usborne books -
http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?cat=1&area=EY

Or the Book People, for some ideas -
http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_category_tbp?categoryId=59607&filters=&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100

I always loved having books around my DD from when she was first born, she loved them too.

Chakani

Most books are beyond small babies - but they still love story time, so it really doesn't matter. My DS loved the "That's not my....." series - there are lots of them to choose from, and they have touchy-feely bits and easy to turn pages.

The Snail and the Whale was a favourite (still is, but is now in 2 pieces) - anything with a sort of cadence to it that is easy to read aloud.
Janet and Allan Ahlberg books are great as well - Cops and Robbers is nice to read and they love it as they get a bit older, so is Peepo, that will go down well with granny.

Where the Wild Things are is a current favourite with my two year old, as is the Thomas the Tank engine anthology (the original stories) and Winnie the Pooh - that's lovely to read aloud.

ETS - my DD is 13 weeks, and she sits with me while I read to her brother, she seems to enjoy that more than the specifically baby-oriented books - but babies are as different as adults are!

go_cat

some nice ones at Bookbargainsdirect - not a book club and free postage over £5 or somewhere like The Works will have some nice ones for good prices

http://www.booksdirectbargains.co.uk/search.php?action=navigation&supercategory=BRN00015&wcategory=CAT00211&super=0030BRN00015~0010CAT00211&treecode=TRE00003&nbResult=58&lastPage=3&seekpage=3&searchId=&catdesc=Baby%20&super=0030BRN00015~0010CAT00211&treecode=TRE00003

midnightraven3

when my children were born, they were given lovely big books
oldest daughter, it was a huge book, a lovely, old fashioned winnie the pooh, and another huge volume of 5 minute bedtime stories
they were beautiful books, and we read them so many times, first me reading to her obviously but she also read the winnie the pooh book herself when older, she had outgrown the bedtime book by then, but we kept both (as well as many others) she is almost 21 now

books are the very best gift to give a child!

cazziebo

My favourite favourite children's book that I give to all little kids I know is "Guess How Much I Love You" . I read it to my own two when they were little.

calleyw

Chakani wrote: »

Most books are beyond small babies -

I realise that. I don't have any child of my own but I am well aware that very young babies can't focus on things properly for a number of months. So was not planning on given them war and peace to read before there 1st birthday.

But wanted some books that would keep everyone going for the 1st year. So really wanted something that baby when old enough can look at but also so mum and dad can read on a regular basis at story time.

Also when the 1st birthday comes around I can then slip a few more books in to story time keep it ticking over.

Yours

Calley

MX5huggy

I like reading my one year old books that rhyme. So anything by Julia Donaldson author of the Gruffalo (which you can get as a small board book) the best being Cave Baby or The Hairy Maclary from donaldson's dairy series.

shy-but-need-help

"Gallop" by Rufus Seder, the words are a bit errrm... pants but it's a lovely book as it's a scanimation book and the pictures move as the pages are turned. (Youngest is one and loves it)

I'd have to say though kids gain a love of reading not just from having their own books but by seeing those around them enjoying reading and reading for leisure> Our five have all grown up with their dad more likely to be reading than watching TV and they've all gained a big love of reading from him.

They can also sign the baby up with the local library and attend story times right from baby age.

calleyw

shy-but-need-help wrote: »

"
I'd have to say though kids gain a love of reading not just from having their own books but by seeing those around them enjoying reading and reading for leisure

I would say it depends. Neither of my parents where big readers.

When I was 10+ I found the only way I could get to sleep was to read a chapter of book.

Not sure where my love of books comes from.

I don't know if my Sil reads for pleasure. But I pretty sure my brother does not.

I personally find it strange to go in to a house and not see any books.

But each to there own.

Yours

Calley

go_cat

Children are never too young to be introduced to books . I read to my DS from when he was a baby now he loves to pick up a book even though he can't read and can even tell me if i have missed a page when i read his bedtime story he probably has as many books as i have