From the moment babies are born, they absorb the world around them—including the sounds, rhythms, and patterns of language. One of the best ways to support early bonding and development is by introducing books for infants into daily routines.
But with so many options available, how do you choose the right ones?
In this guide, I’ll explore what makes an excellent infant book, the benefits of reading to your baby, and my top recommendations for building a strong foundation for early literacy.
Whether you’re looking for high-contrast books for newborns or cloth crinkle books for sensory exploration, I’ve got you covered.
Let’s dive into the wonderful world of books designed just for little ones!
In this post:
- Why Read to Your Baby?
- How to Pick Books for Infants
- Best Board Books for Infants
- Best Tummy Time Books for Infants
- Best Crinkle Books for Infants
- Best Indestructible Baby Books
- Tips for Reading With Your Baby
We get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Why Read to Your Baby?
Reading isn’t just about words on a page—it’s a deeply personal and loving interaction between you and your baby.
In those quiet moments when you cuddle up with a book, your infant isn’t just hearing a story; they’re feeling your warmth, listening to the rhythm of your voice, and building a sense of security and connection that will last a lifetime.
- Looking for more simple books for babies and toddlers? Check out all my favorite Montessori board books!
The parent-child bond is strengthened through:
- Physical Closeness – Holding your baby while reading provides a comforting touch, reinforcing feelings of love and safety.
- Familiar and Soothing Voices – Your voice is one of the most comforting sounds to your baby. Reading aloud creates a consistent, rhythmic interaction that helps them associate books with feelings of comfort and reassurance.
- Eye Contact and Engagement – As you read, your baby will begin to watch your expressions, respond to your voice, and even mimic your facial movements. This early communication builds trust and strengthens your bond.
- Shared Joy and Interaction – Whether it’s making silly sounds, pointing at pictures, or playing peekaboo with lift-the-flap books, reading is a shared activity that fosters laughter, engagement, and positive associations with learning.
- Creating Special Traditions – Reading together at bedtime or as part of a daily routine creates meaningful rituals that babies look forward to.
The Lasting Impact of Reading Together
The love and security built during these early reading experiences go far beyond infancy. Babies who associate books with warmth and connection are likelier to develop a lifelong passion for reading and learning. Plus, these shared moments lay the foundation for strong language skills, emotional development, and cognitive growth.
So, grab a cozy blanket, pick up a favorite book, and enjoy this special bonding time with your little one.
- Looking for simple and sweet holiday books? Check out all my favorite Christmas board books for babies and toddlers!
How to Pick Books for Infants
When choosing books for infants, it’s important to consider factors that support their developmental needs, sensory exploration, and emerging literacy skills.
Here are the key criteria:
1. Durable and Safe Materials
- Board books – Thick pages withstand chewing, drooling, and rough handling.
- Cloth books – Soft, washable, and safe for teething babies.
- Indestructible books – Tear-resistant and non-toxic options for curious hands and mouths.
2. High-Contrast Illustrations
- Black-and-white books – Ideal for newborns who see high contrast best.
- Bold, simple images – Bright, primary colors attract attention and support visual development.
3. Simple, Repetitive Text
- Short sentences – Keeps babies engaged with easy-to-follow language. Infants have short attention spans, so fewer words per page are best.
- Repetition and rhythm – Helps with language recognition and memory.
4. Interactive Features
- Touch-and-feel elements – Different textures encourage sensory exploration.
- Lift-the-flap books – Help develop fine motor skills and curiosity.
- Mirrors – Babies love looking at faces, including their own.
- Sounds or crinkle pages – Add engagement and stimulate auditory senses.
5. Real Photos or Simple Illustrations
- Real images – Babies recognize faces and objects more easily in photographs.
- One image per page – Helps focus attention and avoid overwhelming young readers.
6. Books with Familiar or Soothing Themes
- Everyday experiences – Topics like bedtime, mealtime, or family members provide comfort.
- Lullaby and rhyming books – Calm and rhythmic books are great for bedtime.
- Books with faces – Babies love seeing and recognizing expressions.
Best Board Books for Infants
High-contrast board books make great first books for babies because newborns can only see strong contrasts and bold patterns in their early months, making these books easier to focus on and visually engaging.
The simplicity of the designs reduces overstimulation while encouraging visual exploration, making them perfect for bonding and early learning during the critical first weeks of development.
Here are some of my favorites!
1. High Contrast Board Book Set
This 4 book set is perfect for infants. Each book features simple black-and-white illustrations and minimal text.
Set Includes:
- Hello, Baby Animals
- Hello, My World
- Hello, Ocean Friends
- Baby Loves Sports
2. What Does Baby See?
This book features one high-contrast object per page, making the illustrations simple and bold enough for the youngest infants. Objects include everyday things like a bottle, apple, flower, and tree.
It’s an instant baby favorite!
3. At Home
This high-contrast book keeps the illustrations bold and uncluttered while introducing the color red. Red is one of the first colors babies can perceive, so it’s perfect for their developing eyesight.
Each page features a different familiar object from around the home, such as soap, a toothbrush, and a bowl.
This book does not contain wordselps keep it sle and uncluttered. Don’t worry However, don’t can s—l point and chat aboout ut each object as you explore the book with your infant!
4. Shapes
Here is another simple book from the collection featured above. The book is incredibly simple: One page features a shape, and the next features an object in that shape, such as a circle or a plate.
The blocky and crisp illustrations stick to red, white, and black, making them super easy for infants to see.
5. Vehicles
Here is another book in the series by Babies First Library. It also features simple black, white, and red illustrations, this time in a theme popular with babies – vehicles!
- The series features 12 books in total. Check out the rest of the series to see if a particular theme sparks your interest!
6. It Had to Be You
This sweet poem is sure to warm the heart of every parent while being simple enough for infants to enjoy.
The text is short, and the illustrations are bold and uncluttered but feature a bit more than the previous books on this list. The book sticks with black, white, and red, making it developmentally appropriate for babies.
Best Tummy Time Books for Infants
What is a tummy time book? An accordion-style book!
An accordion-style book is a fold-out book designed to stand upright, perfect for engaging babies during tummy time.
7. Black and White
This incredibly simple accordion-style book features one bold silhouette per page. These high-contrast illustrations are perfect for infants to explore.
You can flip through the book with your baby or stand it up for babies to gaze at during tummy time.
8. Tummy Time Accordion Style Book Set
This set of 3 tummy time books is designed with your baby’s developing eyesight in mind, with the illustrations in each book increasing in complexity.
The first book is for 0+ months, the second for 2+ months, and the third for 4+ months. The specific age guidelines are super helpful for parents.
I absolutely love that the books feature realistic watercolor illustrations while still being simple. I recommend this high-quality set to all families!
9. My Farm
This tummy time book is a two-for-one!
One side features black-and-white high-contrast patterns, while the other features colorful illustrations. Each side of the book also includes a mirror for babies to gaze at themselves.
The colorful side of the book remains uncluttered and perfect for babies as their eyes develop.
The farm theme is popular with many babies.
10. Animal Parade
Here is another book in the Tummy Time series. It has a black-and-white and colorful side with simple illustrations of animals playing instruments.
It is durable and stands up to lots of use by babies.
- Looking for more great animal books? Check out all my favorite bear books for kids!
11. Happy Baby
Here is a third double-sided book in the Tummy Time series!
The colorful side of this book features a baby’s face on each page, which all babies love to explore. There is also a mirror for babies to gaze at their own faces.
12. Love is All Around
Here is the 4th book in the Tummy Time series – I couldn’t resist so included them all!
It also features colorful illustrations on one side of the book and black-and-white designs on the other. The colorful illustrations have a bit more going on than the other books in the series but are still simple enough not to be overwhelming.
Best Crinkle Books for Infants
High-contrast tactile cloth books are perfect for infants to explore. Babies can engage their senses – sight, touch, and sound!
13. Peekaboo Forest
This cloth book features high-contrast illustrations and a crinkle flap on each page, making it easy to read and engaging for infants!
As babies grow and develop their motor skills, they can help lift the flap on each page and explore what they discover beneath.
The book has no words but there is plenty caregivers can explore and discuss with babies on each page.
14. Peekaboo Ocean
Here is another crinkle book like the one above. It is also cloth with a flap on each page. Babies enjoy exploring this book on their own or with a caregiver.
15. Peekaboo Jungle
Here is a third crinkle book by Wee Gallery. I really do love the simplicity when compared with other bright and often overstimulating cloth books for babies.
While the book only has several pages, it is more than enough for infants to be engaged by!
16. Peekaboo Pets
Here is the 4th and final cloth crinkle book by Wee Gallery. It is also uncluttered and perfect for infants.
This book introduces babies to a puppy, a kitten, and a goldfish.
Best Indestructible Baby Books
These books truly are indestructible! They’re waterproof, rip-proof, and even washable, and they’re non-toxic, so don’t worry if your baby chews on them.
17. Play in Any Weather
Here is a fun high contrast book that is also indestructable – it will last forever and can even be washed if it gets dirty! Its lovely to have a book that babies can truly explore without fear of it getting ruined.
Both the illustrations and text are super simple, leaving the pages interesting but uncluttered.
18. Let’s Eat!
Here is an other book in the Indestructables series. Each page features various foods in a specific color. This is great for introducing colors and many food vocabulary words.
- There are many more books in the Indestructible series! While many of them features illustrations that quite busy, there are some fun themes that might appeal to you or your child. Check out the rest of the series!
19. Hello Farm
Here is rip proof book from another company called Tuffy Books. It is also rip proof, chew proof, and washable.
The illustrations are fairly uncluttered and show scenes from around the farm. There are lots of interesting things to point to, explore, and chat about on each page.
I love that the book’s spine doubles as a teether for babies to chew on!
Tips for Reading with Infants
Here are a few tips to help make books engaging for your baby.
- Use expressive voices – Change your tone to match the story and engage your baby.
- Choose high-contrast or board books – Black-and-white or colorful books capture babies’ attention.
- Follow their cues – If they seem interested in a certain page, linger on it and talk about it.
- Make it interactive – Point to pictures, ask questions, and encourage them to touch the book.
Even though babies might not understand the words yet, they are absorbing language and experiences that will shape their development. Reading early and often sets the foundation for a lifelong love of books!
What are your favorite books for infants?
Feel free to share all the books your baby loves!
No Comments