by Jimmie
I love buying books, and I love giving books as gifts. In fact, my favorite baby shower gift is not cute clothes or diapers but board books.
Many parents are leery of giving babies and toddlers a normal book because the baby may tear the pages and eat them. That is a valid concern, but it not a good reason to keep books from little ones. Instead of regular books, babies can "read" board books.
 by Nadia308 at Flickr |
Yes, babies can't really read. (Yet.) But exposing them to books from infancy builds a foundation of literacy. When you read board books to your toddlers, you are modeling the importance of books and are experiencing quality time with your baby. So give your baby board books to play with. Even if she can't read them now, she will learn that books are fun.
Board books are thicker than normal books because each page is made from a thick piece of card that has the page securely glued onto it. Babies can safely chew on these books without ruining them. They are almost impossible to tear or crush as well.
The gift sets featured here are board books plus a stuffed toy that is safe for a baby. A character from the book is now a three dimensional friend to accompany baby and remind him of the story he loves so much.
My daughter loved both of these books and requested that I read them again and again. She never had toys to go along with the books, but I can guarantee that if she did, they would have become beloved friends.
Hedgie, the curious hedgehog who crept into a lost hat, comes "alive" with this board book set. In this silly tale, a multitude of forest creatures follow Hedgie into the hat in an effort to stay warm against the snow. Of course, when the bear goes inside, there are serious consequences! Jan Brett's illustrations are gorgeous.
The very hungry caterpillar eats something different each day in a book that teaches counting and the days of the week. Act out the story with your own plush caterpillar, shown below.
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| The Hat board book and plush package Putnam Juvenile |
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| The Very Hungry Caterpillar Board Book and Plush (Book&Toy) Philomel |
 by oddharmonic at Flickr |
My daughter had a board book Goodnight Moon. It was one that I read to her almost every night. There is not much to the story. But the repetition and sounds are very soothing to a child about to go to sleep. Think of how sweet it would be to give your baby the rabbit from the book to hold as you read the story one more time.
Other classic stories that express a sense of security and love to a child are The Runaway Bunny and Guess How Much I Love You.
Goodnight Gorilla is my personal favorite. It has few words, and leaves a lot of room for silly fun. This book still makes me smile and I've read it at least a hundred times.
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| Goodnight Moon Board Book & Bunny HarperFestival | The Runaway Bunny (Book & Bunny Gift ... HarperFestival | Guess How Much I Love You (Board Book... Candlewick Only $49.99 |
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| Good Night Gorilla Gift Box Putnam Juvenile Only $47.5 | ||
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Comments
Nice collection. You have a few of our favorite board books here.