Board books and babies go together like cookies and milk. You can have one without the other, but together they become something magical. Watching a baby’s eyes light up while reading a book he can touch, hold, and experience is one of the great first moments of a child's journey.
While the classics are thrilling, sometimes babies need something a little more than “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” After the pages have been closed on that one, here are six unique board books that babies will love:
by Stefan G. Bucher
Letters are people too in this unique alphabet book. “LetterHeads” is the first book of its kind to use 3-D modeling software to sculpt letterforms into human faces. Infused with unique personalities, playful vocabulary, and an intriguing color palette, the letters reflect just how alive language can be.
The book includes an index that explains each color, along with a few Easter egg details. The characters reflect diverse backgrounds, allowing for more grown-up associations and making it fun for parents to read along.
“It’s really fun to watch kids scrutinize each letter for its details. When they turn the pages, they’re fascinated to discover that they can inspect each letter front and back. For babies, there’s the happy head-tilt of ‘human, but also not human’ when they encounter the faces,” says author Stefan Bucher.
by Matthew Porter
Known for his wide-eyed animal art and vibrant acrylic paints on distressed pinewood backgrounds, indie artist Matthew Porter brings playful tigers, foxes, and pigs to life in his creative board book, “Tails Chasing Tails.”
Using green and blue paint, babies can only see one part of each animal until the pages are turned. Then the face and front end of each fanciful creature are revealed. Help your baby guess the animals she sees.
The School Library Journal calls the author, Matthew Porter, "the undisputed king of the hipster board book genre.”
by Jennifer Adams (Author) and Alison Oliver (Illustrator)
Jennifer Adams takes classic literary stories and reinvents them so that babies can learn and interact with the characters and stories. In “Alice in Wonderland,” babies journey with Alice in her black shoes as she follows the white rabbit down the hole into Wonderland. There she meets an orange cat, a blue caterpillar, and the Queen of Red Hearts.
“The many peculiar characters in Carroll's novel, such as the Red Queen of Hearts and the time-conscious White Rabbit, lend themselves to a natural introduction to colors. The literary ties are creative, but the illustrations take these primers to the next level and make them shine,” says Whitney Butters’s Deseret News.
by Susan Marie Swanson (Author) and Beth Krommes (Illustrator)
A Caldecott Medal Winner, “The House in the Night” is an intriguing board book that uses dark colors contrasted with vivid gold to provide a mesmerizing experience for babies. In pages that nearly glow, little minds can explore the inside of a house at night.
“Executed in scratchboard decorated in droplets of gold, Krommes’ illustrations expand on Swanson’s reassuring story (inspired by a nursery rhyme that begins, ‘This is the key of the kingdom’) to create a world as cozy inside a house as it is majestic outside," says Booklist.
by Vicki Churchill (Author) and Charles Fuge (Author)
"Sometimes I like to curl up in a ball, so no one can see me, because I'm so small." What a great reminder for children that it’s okay to be small.
In this captivating picture book with soft-toned illustrations, babies can follow along as a little wombat does all its favorite things. Each page is filled with extraordinary details and a menagerie of adorable animals. Does your baby like the same activities as the wildlife?
by Ashley Evanson (Author and Illustrator)
"Hello, World" is a board book series that pairs early learning concepts with colorful, stylish illustrations of cities around the world.
Paris is an enchanting destination with all sorts of wondrous shapes – triangles at the Louvre Museum, rectangles at Notre-Dame Cathedral, arches at the Arc de Triomphe, and stars in a beautiful Parisian night sky. Your baby can find them all in this beautifully illustrated book.
What’s your favorite board book for babies? Tweet us and let us know @HelloParentCo or post them in the comments section below!
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