Babies & Books

Books right from the start!

If you need help finding these books or want to know about other good books, just ask your librarian.

It is never too early to begin with books. Sharing books with your baby will create a love of books and reading which will last a lifetime. Here are some tips and titles to get you and your baby started.

Recite and sing nursery rhymes to stimulate your newborn's language and listening. Mother Goose is a great first choice.

Begin to show picture books to your baby as soon as he/she can focus on the pictures (about 4 months), pointing to and naming objects. Choose Word Books with large, clear pictures in black and white and other boldly contrasting colors. Toddler Books that show familiar things such as food, toys, and clothes are good choices too.

The next step is to read First Books from the Picture Book Collection. Read and reread books to your child. Repetition, predictability, and familiarity are enjoyable at this age.

MOTHER GOOSE / NURSERY RHYMES

Call #	Title
JP Mother Goose	Favorite Nursery Rhymes From Mother Goose
	Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose
	Neighborhood Mother Goose
	Sylvia Long's Mother Goose
	Tomie dePaola's Mother Goose
	Yum! Yum! Delicious Nursery Rhymes

PLAY RHYMES

Call #	Title
JP Calmenson	Welcome, Baby!
JP Cravath	My First Action Rhymes
JP Wilner	Baby's Game Book
J & JPARENT 398.8 Dunn	Hippety-Hop, Hippety-Hay
J 398.8 This	This Little Piggy: Lap Songs, Finger Plays, Clapping Games, and Pantomime Rhymes

POETRY & RHYMING STORIES

Call #	Titles
JP Hughes	Nursery Collection
JP Meyers	Everywhere Babies
JP Read	Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young
JP Titherington	Baby's Boat
JP Yolen	Three Bears Rhyme Book

WORD BOOKS

Call #	Titles
JP Hill	Spot's Big Book of Words
J Toddler	First Words (Baby Genius)
JP Scarry	Richard Scarry's Best First Book Ever
JP Taback	Simms Taback's Big Book of Words
J Toddler	My Very First Look at Words

MUSIC FOR BABIES

Call #	Titles
J Orange / J Songs Buck	Car Songs
J Songs Koz	Golden Slumbers: a Father's Lullaby
J Songs Lullabies	Lullabies: Dreamsongs Around the World
J Songs Raffi	Quiet Time
J Songs Sunseri	Baby-o!
J Songs Sunseri	Mother Goose Melodies
For more songs and lullabies, see our Music for Babies page!

TODDLER BOOKS COLLECTION
This special collection of small, sturdy board books with rounded corners and thick pages is just right for little hands to learn how to turn pages.

Suggested Authors:
Hoban	Katz	Miller	Oxenbury	Wells	Yolen

Also look at the board book magazine Babybug, filled with simple stories and rhymes.

FIRST BOOKS TO READ TO BABY

Call #	Titles
JP Anastas	Mommy's Best Kisses
JP Barton*	My Car
JP Brown*	Goodnight Moon
JP Butler*	Can You Growl Like a Bear?
JP Crews*	Freight Train
JP Cruise	Only You
JP Fleming*	Everything Book
JP Henderson*	Look at You! A Baby Body Book
JP Hindley	Baby Talk
JP Hudson	Hands Can
JP Isadora*	Peekaboo Morning
JP Johnson	Look at the Baby
JP Katz*	Daddy Hugs 1 2 3
JP Martin*	Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
JP Milord	Love That Baby
JP O'Hair	Star Baby
JP Tafuri*	Whose Chick Are You?
JP Walton*	What Do We Do With the Baby?

*Try other books by these authors, too.

Santa Clara County Library
Children's Services
October, 2008