What’s better than welcoming a new little one into the world?

Helping mom and dad-to-be build baby’s library, of course!

The books below are some of my all-time favorites. They’re the ones my own children ask me to read again and again. They’re fun for babies, toddlers, and grown-ups too. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Please note that the links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Update: I’m thrilled to announce that I’m the proud author or 2 new board books.

N is for New York City & Let’s Count NYC are 2 colorful board books for lovers of NYC. Pre-orders are live so grab your copies!

Try singing the words to this book as you read, it makes this book extra fun and engaging.

Baby’s sense of sight is still developing in these early months. High-contrast black and white images are the easiest to see at this stage and keep baby interested.

This silly story was my daughter and son’s favorite book, hands down. It’s short and fun, and both of them loved “reading” with me when they were old enough to make the animals noises themselves.

Open the flaps on each page to reveal the hidden animal insode. Baby will be fascinated by the moving parts and toddlers will enjoy opening and closing the flaps on their own.

The Lit for Little Hands Series is awesome! I love the way these books bring classic literature to life for our youngest readers. Pull the tabs, lift the flaps, spin the wheels and watch these timeless stories come to life. Young readers will enjoy the interactive features and colorful characters, and parents and grandparents will love sharing their favorite tales with baby.

Also in this series: Jane Eyre, Les Miserables, and A Christmas Carol

The 100 First Words For Little…series has my heart! Perfect for introducing baby to your favorite keywords and concepts. Of course, 100 First Words for little New Yorkers is my favorite!

The die-cut train books in the “On-Track-Learning” series are awesome for babies and older kids too. Each book unfolds into one long continuous train. Introduce the alphabet, colors, animals, and music to your little one with these adorable train books.

Also in this series: Christmas Train and Dino Train!

Bake a Rainbow Cake! This board book was a huge hit with both of my kids. Lift the flaps, pull the tabs, and watch the rainbow cake magic come to life. With gorgeous colorful illustrations and interactive elements, this book is so much fun to read. My son loved pulling the tab to blow out the candles, and my daughter loved making the cascade of rainbow sprinkles tumble out of the center of the cake. A perfect book for babies and toddlers, and perhaps the best book of all time for baby’s 1st birthday!

You Are Light - This gorgeous book is fun for kids of all ages. Hold the book up to the light and watch the colors inside of each circle glow. The simple text and rainbow circles illustrate the impact of light in our world.

Opposites, Feelings & Let’s Move - I LOVE this book series by Larissa Honsek. Her colorful clay characters are perfect for teaching our youngest readers about feelings, opposites, colors, and more!

Let’s Go To Color Camp - This little board book packs a big punch! Explore color with the adorable characters in the Beginning Baby series. I love that this book goes beyond basic primary colors and includes brown.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Board Book) - It doesn’t get any better than this classic and colorful book. My son has loved this book since he was a baby, and now, as he heads into 1st grade, delights in being able to read this longtime favorite all by himself!

Press Here is engaging, fun, and silly. The books in this series are those that my kids and students ask to read again and again because they love following the directions on the pages to make the action of the story happen. They’re also available in Spanish!

Little Dumplings - We were gifted a copy of this book and we instantly fell in love with it! This little book has so much inside and it’s a definite MUST read! Little readers and grown ups will love reading about different dumplings from all over the world. From bao and pierogi to samosas and gyoza, there’s so much to explore. My kids and I were delighted to find that matzah balls were included.