11 Essential Board Books To Add To Your Baby Registry
When I was pregnant with my little girl and building my registry, there was so much to think of (especially since I was doing it in a foreign country). I am a somewhat minimalist personality (not to the extreme) and really didn’t want an overwhelming number of baby items or things before actually meeting my baby.
On my baby registry, I remember only adding 2 book sets. Looking back such a small number of books was a bit silly, however, I was truthfully overwhelmed figuring out which items were essential, and didn’t want my tiny Parisian apartment full of books my baby couldn’t read on her own.
That being said, I wish I would have built her out a little library before being born, and have since spent hours researching books as reading is one of our favorite activities to do together.
So if you’re currently pregnant and looking to build a starter library for your little one on the way, here are the essential board books I would add to your registry (you really don’t need a lot at first). Our baby has grown to love each of these books as she’s gotten older, and they ended up being how she’s developed such a wonderful vocabular at 16 months (and when she was younger).
a note on board books (vs. non board books)
All of the books in this list are board books (aka baby friendly books). If you’re expecting, and looking to purchase books other than board books (with non thick pages), just know your baby will likely want to destory / rip the pages when they are infants or toddlers.
At 16 months old, we’re still using board books as my daughter hasn’t mastered not ripping the pages of a real book. The board books listed here can be used during tummy time as “toys” which allow your child to develop familiarity with books. Of course they will become well loved and might get a bit of wear and tear, but books are meant to be read and not just sit pretty on a shelf.
how many board books do you need?
If you’re wondering how many board books you need for your baby, the short answer is not a lot. Truthfully, your infant won’t know the difference if you read the same book every single time. However, YOU will know the difference, so I recommend purchasing a handful of books that you find beautiful, as you will be the one reading them over and over again!
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By Tabitha Paige
One of the only book sets I registered for, and we’ve been reading them with our daughter since day one. They are now her go-to bedtime story books at 16 months, and she especially enjoys practicing the vocabular words in the back of each book.
By Freya Hartas
I ordered Slow Down on Your Door Step pretty early on after our daughter was born and it was a fan favorite by both parent and baby. It is a short book of nature rhymes that are honestly incredible (we’re talking about rhyming metamorphosis with chrysalis), and a great way to begin explaining the phenomena of nature to your little one.
By Pamela Kennedy
Gifted to our daughter when she was around 3 months old, this is another board book favorite and a great book for developing fine motor skills. Great & Small - Prayers for Babies has thick lift the flap pages that our daughter learned how to open a few months after receiving the book. It’s one of her most “worn” books and she still loves it at 16 months (she can now make all the sounds under each flap).
By Eric Carl
At first, I only wanted “beautiful” board books, but there are just some classics that babies love, such as Eric Carl’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It’s another great board book for babies to develop their fine motor skills, and my daughter learned to turn the little pages very early on during her tummy time.
By Eric Carl
Another Eric Carl classic, The Very Lonely Firefly is actually a book I remember from my childhood and asked my mom to find and bring when our baby was born. The thing I remember (and still love) about the book are the flashy lights at the back of the page, and our daughter ended up becoming very engaged with the entire story during her first year. Still a fan favorite at 16 months.
By Sandra Boynton
If you’re a millennial, you likely grew up on Sandra Boynton books, and my parents couldn’t resist getting a few for my daughter’s library. She has loved them from day one, and the one I’d recommend adding to your registry is Moo, Baa, La la la, but we also own a few others and my daughter loves them all.
Written by Devon Provencher Illustrated by Jessica Robyn Provencher
Once my daughter was born, I wanted to introduce some faith-based books into her rotation, and I discovered the Theology for Little Hearts books. We purchased the Jesus book, and she has really enjoyed the single words on the page describing different aspects of who Jesus is.
By Tabitha Paige
I ended up purchasing this for when my daughter was around 9-months old, but I wish I would have had it before then! Another great book by Tabitha Paige (just buy all her books), with beautiful illustrations of first words for babies. This is probably my daughter’s most requested book.
Written by Melissa Marr, Illustrated by Teagan White
I purchased this for our daughter’s first Easter, but Bunny Roo, I love you, would be another great baby registry book. It’s a short, bed-time story about different animals and a momma’s love.
By Freya Hartas
An immediate second purchase for our daughter’s library after her falling in love with Freya Hartas’ Slow Down on Your Door Step. This small nature focused board book highlights things you might see in the park: ducks, squirrels, mushrooms, woodpeckers, water lilies, and thunder and lightning. Again, amazing nature rhymes and visuals that our daughter (and we) love.
The classic Peter Rabbit books are small, hardback books with paper pages, so although they are a great registry add, they aren’t really “board books” and might not be used after the newborn phase for a bit.
For a great Peter Rabbit add to your baby registry, we love this Peter Rabbit Little Library, that consists of four board books, perfect for tummy time or a young toddler.