It’s a fact that a child should hear 500 books read aloud to him or her before entering school.
The children who are introduced to books early in life and continue to enjoy them are much better prepared for literacy learning than those who don’t.
Here are some wonderful baby board books that have stood the test of time. They introduce your babies to the five senses—well, all except for taste. Babies hear, see, touch and even smell things as they experience the language of books. They learn that reading experiences are cozy times with adults and that reading is fun.
Any of the following titles make for good reading times with your grandbabies. And board books are built to last through drooling and teething and all the other dangers of having books in the hands of babies and toddlers.
Eric Carle Books: You can’t go wrong with any Eric Carle book. The illustrations are beautiful and the topics are whimsical and rhythmic.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
The Grouchy Ladybug
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Quiet Cricket
The Very Busy Spider
The Very Lonely Firefly
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown A bedtime favorite.
Hello Baby by Mem Fox Lots of baby animals are introduced.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. A fun and rhythmic introduction to the alphabet.
Baby Gym Books by Sanja Rescek: These books also introduce the sense to little ones. They encourage exercise, singing games, eye-hand coordination exercises and lots of cuddle time with adults.
Wiggle and Move
Touch and Tickle
Bounce and Jiggle
Calm and Soothe
My Little Quiet Books by Pockets of Learning: These are actually books made of fabric and stand up well to many, many reading experiences.
My Color Book
My Counting Book
My Book of Opposites
My Animal Book
Spots and Dots by Chez Picthall This wordless book is specifically for babies six weeks to six months. It introduces visual stimulation through high-contrast images in black and white and bold colors. See also Hearts and Stars.
Kids Little Chunky Books by C.R. Gibson This set of three chunky books introduces colors, shapes and numbers.
The benefits of board books for babies and toddlers can’t be overestimated. They are sturdy and the pages are thick enough for toddlers to turn by themselves. They are usually a smaller size than the hardback of the same title for older children. They can withstand bites and spills and sticky fingers as they can be wiped with a damp cloth.
So go ahead and purchase some of these for the grandbabies in your life. You’ll be setting them up for future success in reading and writing skills.
