10 Baby Books We're Loving
Books fill every nook and cranny of our house. There are books on the fire place, the kitchen table, and the bedroom floor. Some books even end up on the book shelves. Now that Maeve has joined us, her little baby books can also be found all over the house.
Even though Maeve and I make regular trips to the library to pick out new books for bed time and story time, some of my favorite books to read with her are books that were gifted to us by friends who share a passion for reading.
Looking to expand your baby bedtime story options? Headed to a baby shower and want to give a book sure to be treasured? Here are a few of Joseph, Maeve, and I’s favorites:
1. Who Sang the First Song
When Joseph and I were dating, he made me a mix CD of songs that reminded him of our time together. A few songs from the CD are by Drew Holcomb, so we were thrilled when a friend gave us this book by Ellie, Drew’s wife, right after Maeve was born. It’s one of my absolute favorites.
The story is beautiful, but it’s the vibrant colors that make me smile every time I open the book. I love the colors in this book so much that the color scheme for baby Maeve’s room is based off of the cover of Who Sang the First Song.
To top it off, Ellie Holcomb has a collection of children’s songs that we’ve also loved listening to. One of the songs, “Sing,” is a musical version of the words found in the book. Each song is tied to Scripture, and speaks of the beauty of creation.
You can bet that song gets quite a bit of play time during the day as Maeve and I play together.
2. Cloud of Witnesses: A Child’s First Book of Saints
If you’re looking for beautiful, Catholic books to read aloud to your baby, look no further than the Faith First Treasury written by Katie Warner and illustrated by Meg Whalen.
Cloud of Witnesses features some of our favorite saints like Pope John Paul II and Teresa of Avila.
Each page includes a quote and a beautiful illustration of the saint. This is a short, sweet book that’s perfect for introducing Maeve to her Heavenly family.
3. Rosie Revere, Engineer
I picked up Rosie Revere, Engineer when I was pregnant with Maeve. After finding out that she was a girl, I bought it for Joseph as a Christmas gift from the baby. We read it before Maeve made her entrance into the world, and it’s a continued favorite.
I love how Maeve gets a short introduction to the idea of engineering (a world Joseph knows much better than I) all wrapped up in a bedtime story.
4. Never Touch a Dragon!
Now that Maeve is more interactive with story time, Never Touch a Dragon is such a fun book to read during our bedtime routine. It’s full of cute rhymes and fun textured dragons to touch - even though you’re never supposed to touch a dragon.
5. Go to Sheep
There are some books that are just as much fun for adults to read as it is for kids to listen to them. Reading through them is kind of like re-watching Disney movies as an adult and catching all of the hilarious jokes you missed when you were a kid.
Go to Sheep is one of those books. The illustrations are adorable, and I find myself laughing at the story every time I read it to Maeve.
6. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Baby
Before Maeve was born, I read quite a bit on the importance of reading out loud to your baby. One resource I loved was Sarah Mackenzie’s Read-Aloud Revival. She shared that her children use phrases and ideas in conversation that they learned from stories she shared with them.
The first page of Twinkle Twinkle, Little Baby includes the line: “Twinkle, twinkle, little bears, time to climb the sleepy stairs.” There have been so many times that Joseph and I have climbed the stairs in our house up to Maeve’s room and talked about the sleepy stairs!
The shiny stars and peek-through pages make this book a favorite around our house.
7. Charley Harper’s I am Wild
A friend gave us this book before Maeve was born and I love how it introduces her to the wild animals in America’s National Parks.
Joseph and I have so many good memories from camping in our favorite National Parks, and being able to share those memories with Maeve while we read this book is such a treat.
8. The Pout-Pout Fish
I can’t tell you how many times Joseph and I have quoted this book in conversation with each other and with Maeve.
When Maeve is having a bad day, we ask her if she is a pout-pout fish.
When I’ve had a bad day, I’m a pout-pout fish.
It’s a great book for both littles and parents.
9. The Great Valentine’s Day Balloon Race
Right before Maeve was born, Joseph and I were out garage sale-ing and found this book. The person running the garage sale ended up talking to us all about their own kids and how much they loved the book. Then, they sent us away with the book for free.
I don’t know if they were just trying to clear out their stuff (since they offered us quite a lot of their other remaining sale items, too), or if they wanted to share how adorable this book is with expecting and excited parents.
Either way, Joseph and I love reading this book to Maeve.
It’s one of the only children books I’ve seen describe hot air balloons in an accurate way, and the illustrations remind me of the times that Joseph and I have been on crew for friends who are hot air balloon pilots. The illustrations are beautiful, the story is charming, and it’s all-around recommended.
10. What Floats in a Moat?
This book is one of Joseph’s favorites to read to Maeve. The adventures of Archie the goat and Skinny the Hen never fail to disappoint. It’s quite a few steps above Maeve’s five-month old reading level, but we enjoy laughing about the two farm animals trying to deliver buttermilk across the moat.