The Greatest Baby Gift – Books!

When I had my first son, my office team decided to throw me a mini-shower, and as gifts, everyone brought their favorite children's book. Many of the books were originals they had held on to, some clearly gifts with inscriptions to their own children, and all could recite portions by heart. It was a wonderful gift, and we read all of them to my sons over the years, and some have become our favorites, still pulled off the shelf and read to this day (over 14 years later).

Now, when friends and coworkers have children, I have a go-to gift. No strollers or diaper cakes, no gift cards or onesies. The baby gift I find works every time is BOOKS!

You can classify children's books in a variety of ways. I know there are some kids' books that readers dread, with overly forced rhyming and repetition, but other books (like some of the titles below) offer learning opportunities for the kids, and interesting story twists and challenging vocabulary for the adults.

Know someone expecting a child, or perhaps a new baby in your friend circle? Pick up one of these, and remember, reading aloud is one of the best gifts you can offer a developing mind. Just be prepared to re-read the book many times as kids do love repetition!

Board Books

Gifting to children means considering the audience, and for smaller kids, board books offer an accessible option—they can grip the edges and help turn the pages, and sometimes even gnaw on the spine.

• Freight Train by Donald Crews: Teaches colors (though not a full ROYGBIV) and incorporate speed, all while enjoying transportation. We love to add a little flourish to the end of the story with a loud "choo, choo"!
• Language Nursery by Julie Aigner-Clark: Hola, pato! Te amo, oveja! Simple sentences challenge readers while exposing young minds to multiple languages.

Die-Cut and Lift-the-Flap Books

As children grow, they enjoy the added responsibility of handling the books themselves, and this is especially true for books with a little tactile surprise.

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle: Teaches counting, while offering an interesting picnic menu.
• Open the Barn Door: Teaches animal sounds, and early test taking with a lift-the-flap to reveal the right animal.
• Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden: Easy to guess WHOO is first, later helps kids guess with rhyming vocabulary.

Lessons/Parables

• Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss: Young minds learn the lesson. Power corrupts and absolute power.... Well, you know. With other short stories, makes for a fun and fast read.
• Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent by Bill Peet: Addresses bullying and peer pressure in a fun-loving story with a kind sea serpent.
• Three Hens & a Peacock by Lester L. Laminac: Is the grass greener? Want to walk a mile in another's shoes? This is a great story to explore the perspective of others.

Entertaining for You and Your Kids

• Skippyjon Jones in the Dog House by Judy Schachner: A fun story of a Siamese cat that dreams himself a chihuahua. Family dynamics, and offers entertainment, and there is a whole series if you find you love this one.
• Quackenstein Hatches a Family by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen: A cute story about a duck that adopts a platypus, but be warned, the pace and rhyming make it a bit of a tongue twister when read aloud.
• Micawber by John Lithgow: Who knew John Lithgow would be such a great author? This is by far my favorite of his—a story of a squirrel in Central Park turned artist. Enjoy!
• The Three Ninja Pigs by Dan Santat and Corey Rosen Schwartz: A twist on a classic in which the pigs try out martial arts to combat the wolf. Of course, practical pig saves the day as always, but you'll love the new story and a great book for girls who, while practical are also creative, fearless and, it turns out, ninjas!

About the Author: Nicole Cox runs the Sales & Marketing team at ThriftBooks and with three kids, has read her fair share of children's titles.