Book Buying Guide—Babies

Choosing books for children can be overwhelming. Never fear, though, because we are here to help!

In the first of our series on buying books for children, we have a list of what to look for when you're shopping for that special baby from birth to 12 months old.

• High Contrast 
  • Babies’ brand-new eyes and vision are still developing. Simple pictures with contrasting colors and clear “edges” help them focus on the page.
• One Image on a Page 
  • One clear, uncluttered picture with no background details helps young eyes focus on the page.
• Songs and Nursery Rhymes 
  • Listening to songs and rhymes is soothing and an important way for babies to begin to learn about the sounds of their first language. Look for board books with just one song or rhyme, or a collection with one on each page.
• Animals 
  • Children are fascinated by the creatures that share their world! Books with both familiar and unusual animals give them lots to look at and think about.
• Soft Books 
  • Soft cloth or vinyl books are easy for babies to grab as they start to explore how pages work!
• Baby Photos  
  • Very young babies love looking at faces and photos of faces—especially baby faces! Simple photos of familiar objects have high appeal, too.
• Touch & Feel 
  • Babies use all their senses to explore books! Books with textured pages are very appealing and catch their attention even before they can understand all the words.
• Familiar Objects 
  • Books with pictures of toys, clothes and objects help babies learn about the world around them. They’ll also learn that the things they love can be found in books!

Also check out our buying guides for Toddlers and Preschoolers.