book recommendations for young baby?

[mshen]

I got a $50 gc for Barnes & Noble for xmas, and it's still just sitting around. I was wondering if you ladies have any recommendations for me. DD is 6.5 months, and her library could use some new books. BTW, I was thinking about getting some Dr. Seuss books, since she has none. But are they more suited for older kids? Should I look at the toy section at BN? Or are these cheaper at other places?

TIA

[kimbe]

I don't think that any book is too old for a child. Any reading you do is great. We have a few Dr. Seuss books (DD loves The Foot Book.) Some of our other Favorites are Goodnight Gorilla, Goodnight Moon and Is Your Mama a Llama.

Anything by Sandra Boynton or Eric Carle
Touch and feel books like "Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings" and Pat the Bunny
DD still loves her little 3x3 board books
My Big Animal Book

We had a $50 gift card at BN too and here is what we got!

Sammy the Seal
Where the Wild Things Are
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
John Deere Snow Day (DH pick!)
The Emperor's Egg

Have fun shopping -- anything that you get will be great!

[kedss]

DS loved chewing on his board books as a baby, and most dr seuss, and carle come in small board books. You might consider getting a book of poems or fingerplays you can do with your DC. I also liked the soft cloth books. :)

[Beth568]

Many of the Dr. Seuss books are more appropriate for older kids, because they have longish stories (I'm thinking of books like Cat in the Hat and the Horton books), but that doesn't mean you can't flip through them with her now, as PPs have said.

I'd just go to the kids' department at BN and see what she reaches for. They'll have a huge selection of board books, which make the most sense for babies (easiest to handle). Yes, many are cheaper at other places (TJ Maxx and Marshalls often have a great selection of board books), but maybe you could use the BN gift certificate to buy her some beautiful hardcover books with lovely illustrations (there's so much wonderful childrens' art in books).

I always think it's nice to have copies of the classics - Eric Carle, Leo Leonni, Seuss, the Olivia books (new "classics" which are wonderful), Bear Snores On and the sequels, Jan Brett books, Matthew Van Fleet books (maybe not for young babies because they have flaps and things that can rip), etc.

Just go and have fun! :)

[jse107]

Owen's first favorites were all board books--especially ones that had a "touch and feel" effect. I bought almost the whole set of the Usborne Touchy-Feely books: "That's Not My..." and Owen LOVES them. Great quality. He also loves "The Hungry Catepillar" (Eric Carle), "The Foot Book" and the "ABC Book" (Dr. Suess), "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" (I forget the author), "Dinosaurs Roar."

I love taking him to the book section and letting him flip through books. Sometimes I'm surprised by what interests him!

Have fun!

[zoestargrove]

Mama Mama and Papa Papa board books haven't been mentioned yet. They were favorites for both of my boys even my youngest who always was too busy to sit for a story.

[jgriffin]

We got a bunch of the Dr Seuss board books for DS; he especially likes "Hop on Pop" and "Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You?" They are abridged versions, so they go pretty quickly. We've tried "Green Eggs and Ham" but it was way too long.

Our favorite bedtime book is "Goodnight Gorilla," which a friend handed down to us. It's a picture book, so we can make it as long or short as necessary, and it's got wonderful pictures.

DS is also starting to like touchy-feely books. We all went to Borders, DH sat with DS in the corner, and I brought over bunches of books. We bought the one he seemed to respond to the most. I forget the name, something like "Frosty Friends" (it's got an owl, wolf, polar bear, etc). My only gripe with the book is that is says the penguin has fur!!!

[WooChx]

Some of our favorite books are:

I know a Rhino, Charles Fudge
Found you little wombat, Charles Fudge
Sometimes I like to curl up in a ball, Charles Fudge
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo, Kevin Lewis
My Truck is Stuck!, Kevin Lewis
I Am a Bunny (Golden Sturdy Book), Richard Scarry
Big Bugs, Small Bugs: Which Bug Would You Be?, Alex Lluch

[jvs195]

Some of these are repeats, but they are all favorites for DS:
Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings
Goodnight Moon
The Priddy Books: Happy Baby Things that Go and Colors
All the Byron Barton board books: Trains, Airplanes, Trucks
Over in the Meadow (which was my brother's as a child)
Peekaboo Zoo

If you want more bang for your buck and can use it online the prices are much cheaper and free shipping (you just won't get the instant gratification and need to know what you want)

[ellies mom]

These are books my DD loved at that age.
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/8850000/8851003.gif http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/8850000/8850991.gif http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/8850000/8850989.gif http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7350000/7354541.gif http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/10970000/10970590.gif http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/10970000/10970588.gif

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/2340000/2344244.gif http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/10300000/10308730.gif


She especially loved looking at books with baby faces. The one I showed above, she actually loved to death. Remember, your baby may not really seem interested, so just go with the flow and don't worry if you don't get to finish a page. And eating books is called pre-pre-literacy, so try and see it as the milestone it is. ;)

[jgriffin]

Yes to pictures of babies! I couldn't find any baby-face books when I was looking for one, so I made my own with a cheap photo album and cut-outs from magazines. Cheesy, but DS loves it. :)

[elliput]

At your DC's I purchased mostly cloth books since I knew my DD would chew on them. I figured I would wait until bit older to introduce the board books at home (her daycare has tons of board books).

A few of the cloth book titles we have -

Where is Caterpillar? (Lamaze) apparently out of print now
Sleepy Bunny (Pat the Bunny) http://tinyurl.com/jq9kx
Fuzzy Bee and Friends http://tinyurl.com/krvxs

[JTsMom]

DS's favorite is Touch and Feel Baby Animals. I have to "read" it to him about 10 times a day- I make up my own words and sounds. :) He really loves the realistic picture type books. There are also wild animal and farm animal versions that he's getting for his b-day.

[elliput]

There is a set with all three of the touch and feel animal books the PP mentioned. http://tinyurl.com/mz9g9 We have this one also. :-)

[mshen]

Wow, Thanks for all the great recommendations! Looks like my cart is way over $50! Good thing I also have a gc to TRU and can get some of the books there. :D Can't wait to get them all!
________
BUY MARIJUANA SEEDS (http://marijuanaseeds.org/)

[jillc]

Hi,

Don't have time to read thru the answers that you've already rec'd, but wanted to mention that we loved the books by Karen Katz at that age. They're board books, have great colors & pictures, and they have flaps to lift.

We have "Where is Baby's Mommy" and "Where is Baby" (I think that's the title). They're really cute and DD loved them. These were some of her first books.

I'd wait until later on Dr Seuss - we've got several & DD isn't interested in them yet, although she loves books in general.

HTH,
Jill

[jse107]

Oh yes! I have to ammend my previous recommendations to add Goodnight Moon...a classic to be sure. We read that over and over and over....
The "Animals" picture book was a big hit as well! Good luck deciding!

[The Review Mommy]

My MIL is a second grade teacher and a book freak-so I have a great, classic library for DD! :)

Here are some of our favorites that weren’t mentioned:

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006443009X/qid=1146683418/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-2549630-5053524?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064430227/qid=1146684199/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-2549630-5053524?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Angelina by Katharine Holabird
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/044844013X/qid=1146685643/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-2549630-5053524?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Eloise by Kay Thompson
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/067122350X/qid=1146684680/ref=br_lf_b_19/104-2549630-5053524?n=2974&s=books&v=glance

(You’ve got to check this one out. DD loves the pics, I teach DD nutrition and cooking)
One Lonely Sea Horse by Saxton Freymann
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439110149/qid=1146685355/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-2549630-5053524?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

We also like these books: Thomas, Little Golden Books, Richard Scarry, Curious George, Corduroy (by Don Freeman), Madeline (by Ludwig Bemelmans)

Here is the recommended book list from Scholastic
http://www.scholastic.com/familymatters/read/all/booklist_archive.htm

HTH,
Rebekah