Best Books for Babies: Ages 0-12 Months

Bold, black-and-white illustrations are an excellent choice to support a baby’s developing eyes, but for the first few months, any book will do, even Tolkien. The secret to getting caregivers to read longer and more often to their little ones is encouraging them to read what THEY enjoy. Babies thrive when snuggled up with a special adult, and listening to the rhythms and sounds of their voices promotes connection and comfort. Here are my favorite books to recommend to caregivers of babies aged 0-6 months and 6-12 months, both enjoyable for the baby and the caregiver.

A quick note: As Donalyn Miller said in The Joy of Reading, a list is only as good as its maker. While these titles have been successful with the families I’ve served and my own children, I don’t expect you to share them wholesale with yours, as you know your community best. I hope that you discover a few new titles that help you connect with your own readers and give your readers’ advisory a quick boost.

Books for
0-6 Months

It Had To Be You
By Loryn Brantz
A beautiful poem from parent to baby.
Tummy Time Friends
By Pat Brisson
Baby faces on fold out pages for baby to enjoy during tummy time.
If Mama Sings
By Laura Wittner
Mama’s voice is always there as baby sleeps, eats, and grows.
Wish
By Matthew Cordell
If you struggled to become a parent, I dare you to read this beautiful book with your new child and not cry.
Black on White
By Tana Hoban
Bold, high-contrast images perfect for an infant’s developing eyes.
You Are New
By Lucy Knisley
All the things new babies do and the experiences as they grow.
Hello, Baby!
By Little Bee Books
Say hello in 15 different languages with babies from all over the world.
I Love Colors
By Margaret Miller
All of baby’s favorite things, from a sunny orange flower to purple sunglasses.
I Kissed the Baby!
By Mary Murphy
Eye-catching, bold illustrations with adorable actions.
Hush, Little Bunnt
By David Ezra Stein
Great bedtime story and perfect for papas to read to their own little bunnies.
Baby Animals Spots & Stripes
By Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Realistic black and white drawings with unexpected full-color finale.
Baby’s Here!
By Jessica Young
Wave hello, count each toe. Give a cheer – baby’s here! Great for older siblings, too.

Books for
6-12 Months

I Am a Baby
By Kathryn Allen
All the fun things baby interacts with daily! My 18-month-old still loves this classic.
Whose Toes Are Those?
By Jabari Asim
Fun for caregiver-child interactions.
Everyone is Yawning
By Anita Bijsterbosch
All the animals are yaaaawning and look at those teeth! This one will be a hit all the way thru age two.
Barnyard Dance
By Sandra Boynton
Bow to the horse, bow to the cow, twirl with the pig if you know how.
Where is Baby’s
Belly Button?
By Karen Katz
Interactive fun for identifying baby’s parts.
Leo Loves Baby Time
By Anna McQuinn
Leo enjoys the greatest hits of baby storytimes – songs, scarves, play, and more!
By Says
By Flowerpot Press
Babies showing different emotions and experiences like Grrr, Yay, & Yuck! My 10-month-old is enthralled by this one.
Hey Baby!
By Andrea Pippins
Enjoy a day in the life of baby with nap, snack, play, and more.
The Babies and Doggies Book
By John Schindel
Lots of things babies do, doggies do too.
Give Me a Snickle!
By Alisha Sevigny
A snuggle. A tickle. It’s time for a snickle! Fun interactive wordplay for babies & caregivers.
Toesy Toes
By Sarah Tsaing
Babies have squishy-squeezy, pouncy-bouncy, sudsy-wudsy, toesy toes!
Hands On!
By Anne Wynter
Perfect for baby storytime with lots of movements you can do with baby’s hands and feet – shaking, drumming, splashing, smashing!