Building your baby’s book collection? Here’s the definitive list of board books worth owning — the classics that survived years of chewing, tossing, and re-reading, plus new picks just added.
“How could anyone get rid of books?!?” I asked my husband incredulously. We were newly married and looking through books at a garage sale. I love books. I have a degree in English and just couldn’t imagine parting with books!
By the time I had four kids later, I got it a little more. I found myself wanting to get rid of books. Why? Because of space. I used to go to a used bookstore where you could load up on books for very, very cheap and just take any children’s book that looked mildly interesting. Now, however, our book storage space is at capacity, and if there wasn’t such a thing as Kindle and eBooks, we would desperately need to get rid of books ourselves. Over the years, we have donated books to young families just to clear up some space.
With that in mind, I wanted to make a list of board books that I would never get rid of and would definitely buy again if I were starting all over again and wanted to save space. If you are building (or trimming down) your own baby book collection, this list is for you. These are books I have still kept even though my kids are now 14-21 years old (got to save the best ones for future grandkids!) This post contains affiliate links.
Sandra Boynton Books
Really, you can’t go wrong with anything by Sandra Boynton. They have several boxed sets for her. Brinley probably liked Pajama Time as one of her best among those books, but again, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Make sure you also check out Barnyard Dance. You must have at least one of her books in your collection.
Karen Katz Books
Yet another author who is a must-have addition to your library. She has a lot of cute ones about the love between parents and baby. She also has fun lift-the-flap books and counting books. Any one of them is a great purchase, and the flap books especially hold up well to little hands.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
This is a classic among the board books. It is written in poem form and has interesting illustrations that vary from color to black and white. It is a soothing book that really preps your little one for sleep, which makes it a great fit for a bedtime book.
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
This is a cute story that my good friend gave Brayden for his first birthday. She is a teacher, so I knew it would be a good one. Most of this story has no words. Wordless books are fantastic for helping develop storytelling skills, so this is a must-have book to add to your library to be sure you have a wordless picture book.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
This was McKenna’s absolute favorite book when she was a little one. This one is fun because it teaches both colors and animals. The repetitive, predictable text makes it easy for toddlers to “read along” long before they can actually read.
Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
This is another book that is primarily a wordless picture book. This book is silly yet endearing, where a dog is left to babysit the baby. They have many fun adventures together. This was one of Kaitlyn’s very favorites as a little one. It is super valuable to have a wordless picture book in your collection.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
This is yet another classic book. This one adds learning about the days of the week as well as the science lesson about caterpillars and metamorphosis. The die-cut pages also give babies something tactile to explore while you read.
My Big Animal Book by Roger Priddy
This one does not matter so much this exact board book, though this is a great one, but the fact that it is a book with pictures of real animals. That is so valuable to a toddler or preschooler. They also LOVE books with pictures of real animals! So be sure you have one in your home library.
Sophie La Giraffe books
This is one that can almost seem silly. Board books with the character based off of the favorite teething toy?!? Marketing at its finest. But the books are great. We have several and really like them all.
That’s Not My…
These are fantastic books. They are touch and feel books and you can find them on just about any animal or love your child has. Dolls? Yes. Mermaid? Definitely. Dragons? Of course. Check out the many options and find one that suits your child.
DK Board Books
This is another where I am not set on one certain book. DK in general often has fun books, board books or picture books alike. This one linked is great for just learning lots of different words. It is a great way to build vocabulary. But look at all of their options. For example, they have a tractor one, a color one, a numbers one, a farm one, an animals one…lots of good things.
Favorite Stories in Board Book Form
Some books are family favorites that they have made into board book form. That is great for little hands who might rip books. Sheep in a Jeep is a great example of that. Others, like Ladybug Girl, take beloved characters and create new adventures.
More Board Books Worth Owning
Since I first put this list together, a few more board books have emerged as worth owning. Check these ones out as you build your collection.
- Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo by Kevin Lewis– A rhythmic, sing-song train book that toddlers ask for on repeat. Great for kids to love trucks, trains, and anything that moves.
- Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell-A lift-the-flap classic about a child asking the zoo to send a pet. Short, sturdy, and perfect for the youngest board-book readers and animal lovers.
- Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney–A rhyming bedtime story about a llama working through separation anxiety at nap time. It’s sweet, relatable, and a nice one to pair with your bedtime routine. All of the llama books are great! I still quote lines to my kids at times.
- Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill-Another lift-the-flap book staple. This is a good next step if your child loved Dear Zoo.
What are the must-haves in your home library?
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This post first appeared on this blog in September 2016
