Before we had our twins we were given four copies of Goodnight Moon and five copies of I’ll Love You Forever. Five.
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that I have a lot of book loving mama friends and while I appreciated them doting on my babies (was absolutely overwhelmed by their support and generosity is more like it) I hope they won’t be offended to learn that I exchanged those copies.
There is no doubt that these are classics and books my babies loved listening to, but if you’re hoping to get your new mom friend a baby shower or new baby gift that she won’t get five copies of then you are in the right place.
When I’m headed to a friend’s baby shower I can’t help getting them one of my favorite children’s books for babies, but I also try to pair it with some fun and cute.
Here are the best bookish baby gifts around that mom and baby will appreciate.
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Best Bookish Baby Gifts
1. Black & White Baby Gift
It is said that babies brains respond in amazing ways to the contrast of Black and White. Tana Hoban is historically the master of these in the world of children’s books, but I have recently fallen in love with a new black and white collection from Happy Fox Books. For a great baby gift full of contrast pair:
one of these adorable finger puppet books
one of these sturdy, high contrast black and white board books
PLUS
Baby Car Seat Covers + Discover Shapes Travel Activity
or a Rainbow of Color Baby Gift
Or if you want to go the opposite direction, bring a gift full of a rainbow of colors for the new baby and her mama. In that case, pair an awesome color book with colorful toys for baby.
PLUS
Rainbow Stacking Blocks + Rainbow Stuffed Friend
2. Hello World Baby Gift
Alison McGhee wrote a beautiful book about the possibilities of the newest baby’s first moments. It inspired this gift.
First the book. WORLD SO WIDE begins, Somewhere in the world, the world so far, the world so wide, someone is the youngest person alive…What will be the first sights they see? and goes on to address all five senses and the world of possibilities alive for them.
To go with the book I also like this sweet little Hello World keepsake book (order here)
3. Guess How Much I Love You Baby Gift
Guess How Much I Love You is a gentle classic love story about a parent and child. This is a wonderful story to bestow upon a new mama and her baby. The illustrations alone are full of so much warmth they fill like a big hug.
The book and adorable milestone cards in one easy gift box
PLUS
If you want to go all out you could include this gift set in a basket with this adorable snuggle blanket, this sweet little bunny, and this little teether toy. You can even wrap it in themed paper.
4. Bath Time Baby Gift
Bath time was one of my favorite times with my twins when they were babies. Most kids love to splish splash in the bath and this is a gift that will be used every day for at least the next couple of years.
PLUS
Rubber Ducks + Cozy Duck Towel
You Might Also Like: 10 Best Children’s Books for Older Babies
5. Indestructible Baby Gift
These Indestructibles baby books were a new thing when my twins were born 6 years ago. We had all 5 books that existed at the time and they were favorites. They were crawled on, chewed on, spit up on, carried everywhere and still looked great when my twins were 3. They are made of a soft, but tough material that is perfect for the first few years of love from a little one. Pair these books – there are a TON of them now to choose from – with a fun chewable item and you have a cute indestructible baby gift that mom can carry with her anywhere she and her new little one go.
PLUS
Teething Necklace for Mama and Baby
6. Eric Carle Baby Gift
Eric Carle is a must have on the shelf of every new mama, but I recommend steering clear of Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle has such an enormous wealth of wonderful titles to choose from. Find a little less known one and pair it will a fun Eric Carle themed toy for baby for a bright, colorful, and classic gift.
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7. Open & Shut Baby Gift
Lift-the-Flap books are so fun for babies when they get a little older. Get mama ready for this fun stage with a board book and toy that are perfect for a little practice with open and shut. No one does Lift-the-Flap or colorful board books for babies better than Karen Katz so that is your starting point. Find one you love from her huge list of books and pair it with an equally lovable learning toy.
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8. Little Fingers and Little Toes Baby Gift
If I had to pick just one, I think this is my favorite board book for new moms and babies. I adore the simple text by Mem Fox this beautiful and meaningful book and Helen Oxenbury is probably my favorite illustrator for kids under 3. I also think there is nothing cuter than tiny little baby socks.
For this gift, pair this beautiful book with cute little socks, or if you want to go all out – add in some little baby shoes, little mittens, and/or a baby nail clippers.
Ten Little Fingers & Ten Little Toes
PLUS
You May Also Like: Children’s Books to Read Together for Mother’s Day
9. Peek-A-Boo Baby Gift
Peek-a-Boo is the first game most parents play with their little babies. It’s a classic and also happens to be great for development. One of the most loved books in our home when our twins were little was Peek-a-Who. It plays off of this classic game and was just magic to my kids. They read this book until they were at least 3, by which point they had it memorized and would “read” it to each other.
I love to gift this book because it brings back those amazing memories and I hope I’m giving them to a new family. For a simple, peek a book themed game pair this book with a blanket or two – because beyond a pair of hands that is all you need to play peekaboo.
PLUS
My Absolute Favorite Baby Blankets
10. Winnie the Pooh Baby Gift
The first chapter book that I read aloud to my twins was Winnie the Pooh. I actually read it aloud to them while I was nursing – I might be a little book nuts. But they listened contentedly, as newborns tend to do when anyone is talking to them, and to this day they adore Winnie the Pooh. Regardless, I think this is another must-have book for any home and there are a number of darling gift pair options for Winnie the Pooh. This is my current favorite.
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh
PLUS
Pooh Onesie and Cap and/or Pooh Swaddle Blankets
One more gift idea I have to throw in here in the beautiful book MAMA: A World of Mothers and Motherhood by Helene Delforge and Quentin Greban.
MAMA is a stunning book – this truly cannot be over stated. The artwork by Quentin Greban is gorgeous. They are portraits of all different kinds of moms in all different cultures, phases in life. The artwork was the inspiration for the text, which is backwards of how books are typically created. The text is series of poetic portraits that strengthen the illustrations. The pairs are powerful and evoke all kinds of emotions that go with motherhood, both negative and positive. All of that being said, this is not a book for children. This is written about moms, to moms. It is a captivating collection that could be gifted to a mom – perfect for mothers day – but it’s not one that you would read to children. Find Online
Happy Shopping 🙂
