What to bring for the first birthday party celebration? This is a fantastic time to start to building the child's reading library and develop a love for books. Reading to babies creates fabulous bonding time for parents, grandparents, and caregivers. The babies are soothed by the sound of your voice and they begin to understand vocal intonations and language.
Research has shown that babies that are read to develop larger vocabularies and have more advanced mathematical skills as well. It's a fantastic opportunity to discover learning through all five senses and establishes reading as something that is fun and exciting. So it makes sense to start building the child's library with the first birthday. We've compiled a list of books to help you figure out the perfect gift to bring.
1. Birthday Monsters by Sandra Boynton
A delightful tale of a madcap crew of party-crashing birthday monsters. This extra big board book makes it easy for little hands to maneuver.
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2. Dr. Suess's Happy Birthday Baby
Filled with fun interactive elements to touch, spin, pull, and smell, this awesome birthday gift will keep the baby engaged with its classic Suess rhymes.
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3. Baby Touch and Feel Happy Birthday Book by DK
A book to celebrate the most special day of the year for a baby. Tactile elements and delightful imagery will encourage the development of motor skills and early learning.
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4. You're One! by Karla Oceanak
This sweet book follows baby bear on his journey from year one to two and all of the discoveries he will make. A great gift for the birthday baby!
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5. It's My First Birthday by Hazel Quintanilla
This personalized book has spaces to write the birthday boy or girl's name and a dedication page, creating a wonderful keepsake for years to come. Bright illustrations and simple text will delight the pickiest readers.
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Great Bedtime Books
6. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
This beautiful book will be a favorite for years to come. The charming story will touch your heart with the life-long bond of unconditional love for this mother and son.
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7. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
This bedtime classic should be a part of every child's library of books. The sweet and gentle routine of saying goodnight to everyone is a wonderful way to end the day.
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8. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
A beautiful bond of love from father to son, this classic book has been delighting families for decades. Beautiful illustrations accompany the tender story.
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9. I Love Like No Otter by Rose Rossner
Combining warm messages of unconditional love and cute animal puns, this best-selling book will be a family favorite.
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10. The Wonderful Things You'll Be by Emily Martin
A celebration of new beginnings, this book is the perfect gift for a first birthday celebration. It touches your heart as it describes the baby becoming loving, kind, and adventurous. The whimsical illustrations are a great accompaniment.
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11. If Animals Kissed Goodnight by Ann Whitford Paul:
Imagine if animals kissed each other goodnight; how would they do it? This cute book imagines goodnight kisses using lively rhythm and fun onomatopoeia, coupled with adorable illustrations.
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Books for Discovery
12. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
Nothing is sweeter than stubby baby fingers and chubby baby toes. This padded board book is perfect for little ones and the grown-ups around them. As an added bonus, the book celebrates diversity with illustrations of babies from all over the world.
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13. Where is Baby's Belly Button by Karen Katz
Educational and engaging, this fun lift-a-flap book, plays peek-a-boo with baby as it explores parts of the body.
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14. Do Cows Meow by Salina Yoon
This big and bright board book with flaps will have little ones imitating animal sounds with delight. The simple, four-line rhyme scheme keeps it moving forward.
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15. Wild Animals: A Touch and Feel Book by Little Hippo Books
A great way to explore animals from all over, using the sense of touch with peek-a-boo fabrics through the sturdy board book.
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16. Baby Signs by Joy Allen
This endearing picture book teaches babies and adults some simple sign language. A fantastic addition to any library.
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17. Just One You (Sesame Street)
Familiar friends from Sesame Street celebrate what makes us different from one another. It's never too early to instill self-esteem and encourage babies to believe in themselves.
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18. On My Leaf by Sarah Gillingham
Colorful die-cut pages in this sturdy board book make it easy to turn the pages and the darling finger puppets keep them engaged as they explore the littlest animals.
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19. See, Touch, Feel: A First Sensory Book by Roger Priddy
With bright photographs of happy babies and raised textures to feel, there are lots of things for babies to explore and discover in this first book.
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Books for Playtime
20. Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy E. Shaw
A fun and lively tale of a group of sheep on adventures in their red jeep. Rhythmic structure and bright pictures make this a book a child will love for years.
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21. The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
The whimsical illustrations and repetitive rhyme scheme make playtime so much fun! A story about treating others with kindness will teach them life-long skills as well.
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22. Peek-A-Who? By Nina Laden
Colorful pictures and simple rhyming texts help children guess what's peeking through the die-cut windows in this whimsical board book.
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23. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
This picture book is a great introduction to the Llama Llama series of stories. With short sentences, simple rhymes, and entertaining illustrations, this one will be a favorite for years to come.
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24. Where's Spot by Eric Hill
Bright pictures and short sentences make this quick read engaging and fun for little ones. As the child gets older, they will start to learn spatial concepts (in, under, behind) as well.
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25. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle
A companion to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See, Eric Carle explores the animal world through the sense of sound. Carle's signature illustrations are always delightful.
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26. Look, Look by Peter Linenthal
If you are looking for something a little different then this book might fit the bill. This special book uses illustrations that are only in black, white, and red, to make it easier for babies to see the pictures. This makes it an ideal first book for the library.
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27. More, More, More by Vera B. Williams
This glorious book celebrates the uniqueness of children of all colors. The repetitive refrain makes this lovely book an enjoyable addition to playtime.
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