A special book can make the perfect holiday gift. Kids and parents alike love settling down with a good book. With so many options in local bookstores and online, it can be overwhelming to choose. I love getting book recommendations from friends because sometimes other people pick something I wouldn't have chosen myself. I hope are able to gift some of these books to family and friends!
Babies
Have you heard of Indestructibles? This is a series of books that are meant to be chewed on and have pages pulled without having to worry that a piece will come off or the pages will rip. These books are chew proof, rip proof, non toxic and washable. My eight month old is so happy to have a book that I'm not taking away from her when she starts grabbing pages and throwing the book around. The books are very simple with minimal text and are great for encouraging first words. Baby Faces is a fun one with basic words and phrases such as 'uh oh', and 'night night' that you can continue to practice with your baby.
Brown Bear is a classic and one of my favorite board books for babies. It is full of opportunities for language development with a different animal on each page. Parents can show their child the sound each animal makes and talk about the colors of each animal. The sing song rhythm and rhyme of the book keep babies engaged and promote phonological awareness.
First 100 Words This is a book that can be read over and over again and used in so many different ways. I love having this book out at the breakfast table because it's easy to point to pictures and talk about it as we eat. The bright colors and photographs will also keep babies interested.
Ten Little Fingers The rhythmic rhyming about baby fingers and baby toes is meant to be read over and over again. This book has beautiful illustrations and celebrates all things baby. It makes a great gift for new parents, too.
Toddlers and Preschoolers
Grumpy Monkey is a fun book for toddlers who are starting to learn about their feelings. The story also serves as a great reminder for parents that sometimes we just need to feel grumpy! It's silly and funny and toddlers love Jim Panzee and all his jungle friends.
The Rabbit Listened is a special book for any age. This is a book that can be as simple or as complex as you make it when discussing it with your child. It is about the importance of listening and being there for a friend during difficult times. It reminds us that when times are tough, sometimes your friends need a listener rather than a 'fixer.'
Bodies are Cool You know how toddlers notice everything and ask LOTS of questions? I love this book because it normalizes all different types of bodies and talks about how amazing and cool they are. This book has been great when my toddler inevitably asks why a certain person walks with a cane, or uses a wheelchair, or has purple hair...or one of a million other questions about how people look. In this book all sorts of people are shown and it provides kids with the opportunity to ask lots of questions and become familiar with all different types of people.
Red and Lulu This is a special story about birds, Red and Lulu, who make their home in a nest in a beautiful evergreen tree. One day their tree is brought to New York City and the birds are separated. This is a beautiful Christmas story about how they find each other and where they make their home going forward.
Little Blue Truck's Christmas Our favorite blue truck has Christmas Trees to deliver! We meet lots of animals along the way as the Little Blue Truck delivers Christmas trees. There are many opportunities to build language with 'beep' beeps' and animal noises, too.
Poke a Dot Goodnight Animals All of the Poke A Dot Books are fun but I like Good Night Animals because it lets kids practice counting the animals with each poke. We also have Dinosaurs A-Z but it is a little more text heavy and geared toward older preschoolers.
