Books for Baby Showers
There are so, so many picture books that I love in this world. And I give books as gifts all the time. But when I’m headed to a baby shower, I’m looking for something special. I’m looking for a book that will be loved by both the child and the parent. I’m looking for something that has the potential to become part of a family’s bedtime and snuggletime tradition. I’m looking for a book that will send the family off to the library looking for other books to love. Here is a list of my current gifting favorites.
All Of Those Babies. I know, I know. I wrote this one. But it’s kind of perfect for a baby shower. Because it’s about animal babies, their names (did you know baby echidnas are called puggles?), and how they all start out little but “everyone, everyone, everyone grows.” And Steph Laberis created adorable, rollicking pictures of babies from axolotls to humans to okapis. Add to that the gorgeous double-page spreads where Steph shows different animals in developmental stages from baby to adult and it’s a pretty great book for a baby shower. (If I do say so myself.)
Like So. This one’s brand new and I love it. Such a gentle book. And the art portraying a loving relationship between a little girl and her grandma and their dealings with the wider world has my heart.
No Two Alike. This one’s been around for a while but it’s a keeper. “No two snowflakes are alike/Almost, almost. . .but not quite.” Great readaloud.
Near, Far. A stylish wordless book that starts up close and lets the readers guess (and reguess) what they’re looking at as they step back by turning the page. Such fun.
Big Cat, Little Cat. Because the line of the drawings is so beautiful. Because it’s honest and it’s gentle and it’s about life. Because it’s practically perfect in every way.
Moo, Baa, La La La! Because anyone who starts a book “A cow says moo. A sheep says baa. Three singing pigs say La la la” is brilliant. The ending is equally brilliant. (If you can’t find this one, go for How Big is Zagnodd which has a very funny page turn that all the older siblings will hang around waiting for.)
Nine Months. Lovely book showing baby during each month of development in beautiful, actual-size illustrations. Great for siblings expecting a new sister or brother.
Little Fur Family. But only if you can find the tiny fake fur covered novelty edition because toddlers get obsessed with this tiny, just-the-size-for-a-little-hand book.
All The World. Because sometimes you want a book as wide as the world to welcome such a joyous event.
If I Were A Kangaroo. And sometimes you want a book that wraps you up in a warm hug and tucks you into bed.
(Bonus book: For parents looking a little low on sleep, slip them a copy of How To Put Your Parents To Bed. We can all use a little humor (and reverse psychology) during those sleep deprivation years.)
