- Tamil Montessori
Baby friendly books
Updated: Apr 12, 2021
On this World Book Day I'd like to share a list of baby friendly books LO has enjoyed in her first year. The purpose of this list is to serve as a guide to help you select books for your little ones. We have a mix of books that we own and books that we borrow from the local library.
In the baby's first year, I'd recommend board books, indestrucibles and cloth books, preferably in that order. Cloth books can be tricky for babies to flip the pages unlike board books. Also the categories mentioned below are not mutually exclusive; the books can often belong to more than 1 category.
High contrast books:
These types of books are for the earliest readers whose vision is still developing.
Hello, Bugs! by Smriti Prasadam-Halls
Look look! by Peter Linenthal
Baby sees first colors by Akio Kashiwara
Books with few words:
Typically these books have 1 or very few words in a page.
My mom loves me by Marianne Richmond
My dad loves me by Marianne Richmond
Cheep cheep! by Soumya Menon
Toot toot beep beep by Emma Garcia
Baby's first book of birds and colors by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Eating the alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Books with simple storyline:
The very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle
Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? by Eric Carle
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Nana's garden by Larissa Juliano
Bear snores on by Karma Wilson
On the night you were born by Nancy Tillman
Wow! said the Owl by Tim Hopgood
Touch and feel board books:
These type of books include texture books, die cut books.
The purpose of introducing die-cut books by Xavier Deneux is mainly to provide opportunities to the child to explore / feel the die cuts.

Interactive board books:
These type of books include finger puppet books, lift the flap books, pop up books, books with peepholes, mirror sheet.
I'm a tractor by Jack Redwing
A little horse by Brick Puffington
Farm friends by Jack Redwing
Little blue boat by Ginger Swift
Little green frog by Ginger Swift
Little yellow bee by Ginger Swift
Little red barn by Ginger Swift
Plant and grow by Jack Redwing
Where is baby's belly button? by Karen Katz
Peek-a-who? by Nina Laden
Other baby friendly books - Cloth books, Indestructibles
These books are chew proof, rip proof and washable too!
The itsy bitsy spider by Maddie Frost
Busy city by Maddie Frost
Baby animals by Stephan Lomp
Things that go by Stephan Lomp
Baby, let's eat by Stephan Lomp
Baby, find the shapes! by Ekaterina Trukhan

While our books are predominantly board books, we try to incorporate elements such as rhymes, seasons, diversity, faith, native language.
Rhyming books:
Felties: Twinkle twinkle little star and other nursery rhymes
You're my little cuddle bug by Nicola Edwards
I love you funny bunny by Barbara Herndon
You're my heart by Marianne Richmond
Play this book by Jessica Young
Head, shoulder, knees and toes and other action rhymes by Zita Newcome
The twelve days of Christmas, a peek-through picture book by Britta Teckentrup
Bedtime books
Although we read a variety of books during bedtime, these are exclusive bedtime reads.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
If animals kissed good night by Ann Whitford Paul
I would tuck you in by Sarah Asper-Smith
Good night sleepy caterpillar by Patricia Hegarty
Good night farm, a touch and feel storybook by Patricia Hegarty

Books on seasons:
Leaf man by Lois Ehlert
In the middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes
Apples and pumpkins by Anne F. Rockwell
Winter is here by Kevin Henkes
The mitten by Jan Brett
Books that embrace diversity:
Baby faces - SMILE! by Roberta Grobel Intrater
Ten little fingers and ten little toes by Mem Fox
All the world by Liz Garton Scalon
Thanking the Moon by Grace Lin
Hanukkah by Roni Schotter

Books on culture:
Tamil books:

The purpose of reading to your baby is to enjoy those bonding moments, to allow the baby to explore the books (this is why baby friendly books are important) and to foster a fun and positive experience. That's how the love for books and reading begin to develop. ❤
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