20 Best Baby Books You’ll Love Reading to Your Little One

This dreamy, heartfelt read is the perfect book for any parent to pick up when they're ready to inspire their new baby to sleep. The warmth of the messages in this book will touch any adult's heart, and baby will be snoozing very soon after listening to the soothing sound of a calm adult's voice.

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It's never too early to teach your children to be good humans and stewards of mankind. With Kendi's beautiful picture book, babies get their first taste of social responsibility in an easy-to-understand and celebrated format.

“A told B and B told C, I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree.” Babies absolutely love this book, and in no time, you’ll both have the whole thing memorized ... even if they just repeat it back in garbled goos and gaas.

To this day, I have a copy of this book stashed at my work desk. It just holds so many memories of sitting up with my kids when they were babies, reading this over and over. It's simply written, and Eric Carle's illustrations are just so emotive.

Books that read like songs are like catnip to babies. They love the cadence of this book. The bump bumps and beep beeps are cheerful and silly. They'll love to make the sounds of the animals and truck, and you'll love encouraging them.

The love you have for your child is so much, it feels like it could crack out of your ribcage and fill the world. This book has that sort of feeling, but shown in the everyday magic of moments between parent and child.

Shape books have a tendency to be oh, so dull, but Round Is a Mooncake isn't one of those boring shape books. It uses rhyme and shape repetition to get the point across, but the poetic nature of it keeps it fresh and fun.

Who doesn't love a book about kisses? This one is extra special because it bounces back and forth between Spanish and English. Even the puppy gets kisses in this story! (The puppy should always get kisses.)

This is another book that you’ll soon be able to say in your sleep. “We’re going on a bear hunt, we’re gonna catch a big one!”

As catchy and charming as the prose is, it actually teaches babies about properties such as over, under, around, and through.

Jabari Asim, the author of this little board book, has five children. So, you just know he knows how to keep a baby happy and engaged. The illustrations are genuinely fun, and the text is downright dancey.

Have a reluctant sleeper? A little llama we know has the same problem! This story has been popular for well over a decade, and that popularity doesn't seem to be waning in the least. It's now a whole series of llama books, and we are here for it.

Everyone has different hair. Some people have straight hair. Some have curly hair, some have wavy, coily, or kinky hair, some even cover their hair!

This beautiful book is made with paper-cutout illustrations that depict all of the styles in bright, bold colors.

There is no children's library complete without a Sandra Boynton book, and Barnyard Dance! is by far her most popular work. It takes the casualness of newspaper comic-style illustrations and combines it with over-the-top storytelling.

Did you know that alligators love apples, and pandas love pickles? OK, so while it might not be exactly species-accurate, this alphabet book is creative and entertaining, to say the least. Every letter has a different animal and food, and all goofier than the last.

Little ones and parents alike will love touching and feeling different animals, from scaly fish to soft chimpanzees! This book is sturdy and safe for baby to explore. Plus, it's a great way to inspire baby to learn something new ... eventually!

Whimsical rhymes on bold pages are a theme that translates from the famous works of Dr. Seuss all the way to his nursery collection. This book is simple, sturdy, interactive, and full of entertainment for Mom and Dad to enjoy, too!

This is the tale of Little Nutbrown Hare, who's on a mission to show his dad just how much he loves him. Spoiler alert: It gets even sweeter at the end when Little Nutbrown Hare reveals his love for his dad is right up to the moon — because that's only half of the love Big Nutbrown Hare has for his baby!

Don't feel so bad reading this one to baby. It starts like this: “The cats nestle close to their kittens. The lambs have laid down with the sheep. You’re cozy and warm in bed, my dear. Please go the F to sleep!” The rest is history.

Jimmy Fallon embarked on a mission to make sure his daughter, Winnie, called for him before she called for her mother. Pick up this hilarious read and try it at home for yourself. Results are not guaranteed. (His daughter’s first word was “Mama.“)

This book features clever, rhythmic rhymes, which make for a fun bedtime story experience for all. It starts with a parent and child wondering how different animals kiss goodnight, and leads through all of the different possibilities.

Your little one will likely have fallen asleep before you can even kiss her goodnight!