Books for Baby's First Christmas

Finding the right book to give for a baby's first Christmas can be hard. You don't want to pick the same ones that everyone else will give, there are only so many copies of Goodnight Moon a family needs. But you still want them to have that classic feel. I also don't live giving winter/Christmas themed books for Christmas. By the time they are given the holiday is just about over.

Below are some of my favorite (mostly board) books for babies. They are a mix of modern classics and titles that parents might not have seen yet. And, I think most importantly, they aren't boring and will hold up for the many many readings that babies demand.

If you are looking for more personalized recommendations, you can fill out this Google form and I will send you a list of more choices.

Personalized Recommendations

Books to Give a Baby

This book is a beautiful poem. It's perfect for bedtime; it can be read very soothingly. The board book version is my favorite format for this book because the pages can lie flat and you can see all of Marla Frazee's incredible art without losing anything to the gutter in the middle. It is one of my favorite books.

Christopher Silas Neal's Animal Colors is going to age with kids for many years. It is one the smartest board books. It's a color book and an animal book. It's also a color mixing book and is full of very silly and very clever puns. Parents are going to delight in it as much as kids.

Baby's First Words is a classic first words board book. It goes through a baby's day and the objects are labeled in the context of how a baby will interact with them. The colors and illustrations are fun and there is a hidden woolly mammoth stuffed animal on every page! (That would be a great complement gift to give with this book.) It also comes in bilingual Spanish and French.

Little babies need high contrast books. And I think most of the ones out there are boring. This set of 4 high-contrast picture board books is not boring. And they are pictures of babies! Babies love looking at other babies. It's great for their development and I have recent anecdotal evidence from a friend that it was great at keeping a newborn's attention and develop his attention span. If you are only going to buy one book in the series, I recommend Baby Play. The individual books also come in bilingual Spanish and French.

This is a baby empowerment book! Babies like what babies like and shouldn't be confined to just"girl things" or "boy things." It's a nice reminder for us all that babies are just babies. The colors are bright and I love the baby protagonist so much.

Classic poems as baby books are nothing new. This is a wonderful Langston Hughes poem about the American Dream that is a perfect board book. And a perfect gift for a post-general election Christmas.

I love over-sized board books, also known as lap books. They are so easy for small hands and eyes to see and explore details, like a picture book, but have the sturdiness of a board book! Alison Jay has very unique art. I like her style and that this book has information about nighttime animals.

This book is really an ode to all caregivers, not just moms. But the moms in this book have so many amazing careers. There are also dads and grandparents as primary caregivers. I love the inclusivity and I love the color palette. Also available as a board book.

This is an ode to where you are from. Your home and your family and your community. We are all from somewhere and that is always worth celebrating. I love the poem from Gary R. Gray Jr. and the art from Oge Mora a lot. Together they create something magical.

Alphabet books never go out of style. I like the ones with a little bit extra behind them, I think it allows them to grow with the child more, and give them a secondary lesson along with the letters. M is for Melanin has that message of pride that I think all kids should hear. It also comes as a picture book (but I think alphabet books belong in board book format).

Leslie Patricelli is the queen of board books. She has a lot of books in this series with this baby character, but Mad, Mad, Mad is my favorite. It's good for kids and adults to remember how to deal with big feelings.

This is really a pick for myself and my inner kid. This is still one of my favorites, but it might just be nostalgia. I can still repeat most of this from memory. It's funny and silly and if anyone in the family has a jeep you really need to give them this book.

Little Blue Truck is really here as an FYI. This is THE new classic book and character. Little Blue is universally beloved and I have to agree with the hype. "Horn went beep, engine purred, the friendliest sounds you ever heard." There are a lot of Little Blue Truck books.

The list wouldn't be complete without a dedicated bedtime book. And one that can be easily sung. To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is Blinker, Blinker Little Car.

If you are looking for more personalized gifting options, you can fill out this Google form and I will send you a list of more choices.

Personalized Recommendations