Best Books to Boost Your Newborn's Development

#babydevelopment #books #recommendedproducts Jul 29, 2024

It’s never too early to introduce the joy of reading to your child. Even babies in the womb can hear some sounds outside your body as early as 27-29 weeks.

With so many book options available, it can be difficult to narrow down the best options that target early language development and connection with your baby! I’ve taken the guesswork out of curating your baby’s library with this list of my favorite books for newborns.

When looking for books to encourage your newborn’s development, consider options that include some of these features and themes:

1. Soft Fabric

This soft fabric is perfect for little hands exploring books for the first time. This cloth book also has a rattle handle great for your baby to explore with their hands or mouth. This Visual Quiet Book offers developmental opportunities for babies throughout their first year.

2. Touch and Feel

Babies learn best by exploring their senses. Books like Baby's First Touchy Feely Book encourage your baby to touch the book and engage their senses. The "That's Not My...." series has countless options of animals and objects to explore.

3. Crinkle Pages

Your baby can explore their senses while on the go with crinkle books like these animal tails books that my boys adore. Crinkle Jungle has also been a fun go-to in our family. My boys love the crinkle effect on every page and I feel confident that I am supporting their visual development and engaging their concentration.

4. Music

Incorporating music into reading time is so beneficial for your baby. Music can help babies develop pattern recognition and rhythm prediction skills, which are important for learning to speak. This interactive Playtime Songs or Baby's First Musical Playbook are great options. Musical books will engage even a tiny baby's attention and as babies grow they will love to press the sound buttons themselves.

5. Faces

Babies are drawn to faces and prefer to look at images longer that include the focal point, like a face, at the top of the page. Newborns can also learn to differentiate between emotional facial expressions within a matter of days. Baby Faces and Smile are simple options that will captivate your baby.

6. High Contrast/ Black and White

At birth babies' eyes are not fully developed and are highly sensitive to light. They have poor eyesight and limited color vision so they typically see in black and white with shades of gray for the first few months. Books like Baby Animals Black and White, Hello, Baby Animals and On The Farm with simple language and high contrast colors are wonderful options. This set of high contrast crinkle books is perfect for the stroller and also grows with your baby’s development!

7. Tummy Time

Engaging your baby with books during Tummy Time is a fantastic way to promote their core muscles and overall development. We love this portable option that easily travels with us. This Black & White Foldout Book is perfect for capturing your baby’s attention with high contrast black & white images.

8. Mirrors

Babies are drawn to faces and love to look at themselves! I have enjoyed this book with my boys as it features cut-through pages. This sweet story that features vibrant colors and a mirror so your baby can see themselves is so much fun. This book from beloved author Eric Carle is an adorable choice.

9. Simple Sounds and Words

Moo Baa La La La is a household favorite that models simple word structures. Modeling basic sounds structures will lay the foundation for your baby’s language comprehension and verbal expression in the future.

10. Nursery Rhymes

Even though newborns cannot understand what you are reading, they can recognize tones and rhythm in addition to being soothed by your voice. Hearing familiar nursery rhymes can also help your baby store up information and develop their understanding of language. These classic nursery rhymes are also a great option. This beautiful book is sure to be a family favorite.

11. Bonding

Bond with your baby and encourage social-emotional development with these sweet favorites such as I Love You Like No Otter and How Do I Love You? These are wonderful options for snuggling up at bedtime.

Establish a reading routine with your baby early on to lay the foundation for literacy and a lifelong love of reading. Check out the links below for the full list of newborn books from Amazon and Paper Pie.