The availability and choice of baby books has increased considerably over the years, as it has been recognised that access to books can help a child’s development, as well as entertaining them. It is great to have a good variety of baby books, so that you have lots of different stories to read to or with your child. Most children are happy being read their favourite story again and again but you might like some variety!

Baby books vary in style, but there are some common features that will be found in most baby books. An example of this is that you will find bright and vibrant pictures in most baby books, which help keep a child’s attention and interest. Also, the language used will be very simple, so that children can get accustomed to the sounds of different words, a key development in helping them speak and read.

Many baby books now also have tactile surfaces so that children can touch the ‘fur’ of an animal in the book, which helps them enjoy being read to even more. Some books also contain sounds or music which again adds another sensory experience for the child. With bright pictures, interesting sounds and pleasant surfaces to touch, baby books have developed a lot and are now arguably far more enjoyable for children.

Some Classic Baby Books:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
From my own experience of being read this book as a child, and from the fact that it is still popular, this really is a classic baby book. It traces the story of a caterpillar eating its way through different foods before emerging as a beautiful butterfly.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Again I was read this book when I was very young and it is a particularly effective bedtime story, as it about a child saying goodnight to different objects that are in his/her surroundings.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? By Eric Carle and Bill Martin
This book is not one I was read as a young child, but it is great because it helps children associate colours and meanings to different objects. The narrator asks the animal in question what he can see, which in most cases is another coloured animal. The new animal is then asked the same question and so on and so forth.