Updated for 2025
“Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?” I see a shelf full of baby books looking at me!
Creating a baby’s library is one of the most enjoyable parts of preparing a nursery. Reading to your little one builds their vocabulary, enhances listening skills, and introduces new concepts—all while making for special bonding moments.
From classic children’s books to modern gems, we’ve curated the ultimate list of baby books for your nursery. These picks are perfect for storytime and make wonderful baby shower gifts too!
If you’re ready to grow your little one’s library, don’t miss our guide to the best books for kids by age and grade. It makes picking the right stories super easy.
Without further ado, here are our top choices for your baby’s first library:
Timeless Classics
These classic baby books may have been published decades ago, but they have stood the test of time. They’ll help to fill your baby’s first year with the timeless stories you may have loved as a child.
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
A colorful story that teaches counting, days of the week, and growth. Babies love the bright illustrations and simple repetition.
2. Where The Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak)
This story takes children on a magical adventure with wild creatures. It encourages imagination and helps little ones understand emotions.
3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See (Eric Carle)
This rhythmic book introduces children to animals and colors through repetition. It builds recognition and strengthens memory skills.
4. The Going To Bed Book (Sandra Boynton)
Little kids will love watching an ark full of animals preparing for bed. It’s a great way to transition your little ones into bedtime.
5. Goodnight Moon (Margaret Wise Brown)
This soothing classic uses gentle rhymes to say goodnight to familiar objects. It helps babies wind down and feel secure at bedtime.
6. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Bill Martin Jr.)
This lively alphabet book tells the story of letters climbing a coconut tree. It introduces babies to the alphabet with rhythm and playful sounds.
These gentle introductions work perfectly with our collection of parent-baby home activities that build attachment through shared experiences.
7. Little Blue Truck (Alice Schertle)
This story follows a kind truck that helps others with the support of its animal friends. It teaches children about kindness, teamwork, and friendship.
8. Velveteen Rabbit (Margery Williams)
This tender tale tells how a toy rabbit becomes “real” through love. It encourages empathy, imagination, and emotional connection.
9. A Bear Called Paddington (Michael Bond)
This charming story follows a polite bear who explores life in London. It teaches warmth, humor, and the value of curiosity.
While books feed the mind, hands-on play develops crucial skills. Discover the perfect baby activities to complement reading time at each developmental stage.
10. Winnie The Pooh (A.A. Milne)
This collection tells the adventures of Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. It celebrates imagination, gentle humor, and the joys of friendship.
11. Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter)
This classic story tells of a mischievous rabbit who sneaks into a garden. It teaches gentle lessons about consequences and bravery.
12. Guess How Much I Love You (Sam McBratney)
This sweet story shows the loving bond between a parent and child. It helps babies feel secure and valued.
13. The Original Mother Goose (Blanche Fisher Wright)
This book gathers timeless nursery rhymes that children have loved for generations. It builds rhythm, language skills, and cultural tradition.
14. Madeline (Ludwig Bemelmans)
This story follows a brave little girl on her adventures in Paris. It inspires children to be courageous and curious about the world.
15. Five Little Monkeys (Juliet Appleby)
This playful story tells about monkeys who get into mischief before bedtime. It teaches counting and the importance of listening to parents.
16. The Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss)
This story introduces a mischievous cat who turns a boring day into fun chaos. It builds imagination and supports early reading with rhymes.
17. Corduroy (Don Freeman)
This heartwarming story follows a teddy bear searching for his missing button. It teaches children about friendship, perseverance, and acceptance.
18. Eloise (Kay Thompson)
This story introduces Eloise, a lively girl who lives in the Plaza Hotel. It sparks imagination and humor through her city adventures.
19. The Lorax (Dr. Seuss)
This whimsical story warns about the importance of caring for the environment. It teaches children to value nature and responsibility.
20. The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats)
This story follows a little boy exploring the wonders of snow. It inspires curiosity, celebrates diversity, and captures the magic of simple experiences.
21. Make Way For Ducklings (Robert McClosky)
This classic story follows a family of ducks finding a safe home in Boston. It teaches kindness, family care, and community support.
22. The Story of Ferdinand (Munro Leaf)
This story tells of a gentle bull who prefers smelling flowers over fighting. It teaches individuality, peace, and self-acceptance.
23. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day (Judith Violist)
Kids will empathize with the main character Alexander, as everything goes wrong in his day, starting with waking up with gum in his hair.
24. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (Virginia Lee Burton)
This story tells about a man and his steam shovel who prove their worth. It teaches perseverance, loyalty, and the value of hard work.
25. Love You Forever (Robert Munsch)
This tender story shows a mother’s lifelong love for her child. It highlights unconditional love and emotional bonding.
26. Tikki Tikki Tembo (Arlene Mosel)
This 1968 book tells the story of a Chinese boy with a long name who falls into a well. It’s a folk tale about why Chinese names are short today.
27. The Red Balloon (Albert Lamorisse)
This gentle story follows a boy and his magical balloon in Paris. It teaches wonder, imagination, and friendship.
28. A Sick Day for Amos McGee (Philip C. Stead)
This story tells of a kind zookeeper cared for by his animal friends. It teaches empathy, kindness, and reciprocity.
29. The Little Engine That Could (Watty Piper)
This story follows a small engine that believes in itself. It teaches determination, positivity, and perseverance.
30. Harry the Dirty Dog (Gene Zion)
This playful story follows a dog who doesn’t want a bath. It teaches humor, hygiene, and self-recognition.
31. Grimm’s Fairy Tales (The Brothers Grimm)
This collection features classic fairy tales passed down through generations. It introduces cultural heritage and timeless life lessons.
32. Everyone Poops (Taro Gomi)
This simple book explains that all living creatures poop. It normalizes bodily functions and helps with potty training.
33. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Laura Numeroff)
This silly story helps illustrate the concept of a slippery slope. It’s a “circular tale” that ends up right where it began.
34. Green Eggs & Ham (Dr. Seuss)
Green Eggs & Ham is a classic bestseller because of its catchy rhymes and whimsical illustrations by the late Dr. Seuss.
35. The Runaway Bunny (Margaret Wise Brown)
This sweet story shows a mother’s endless love as she follows her bunny. It teaches comfort, security, and reassurance.
36. Clifford the Big Red Dog (Norman Bridwell)
This story introduces Clifford, a lovable giant dog. It teaches friendship, acceptance, and kindness.
37. Oh, The Places You’ll Go (Dr. Seuss)
This inspirational story encourages children to dream big and face challenges. It teaches confidence, courage, and resilience.
38. Curious George (H.A. Rey & Margaret Rey)
This story follows a curious monkey who gets into trouble. It teaches exploration, problem-solving, and humor.
39. I Am a Bunny (Ole Risom)
This gentle story follows a bunny observing the seasons. It introduces nature, rhythm, and observation.
40. The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein)
This touching story tells of a tree who gives selflessly to a boy. It teaches generosity, love, and the cycle of life.
41. Good Night, Gorilla (Peggy Rathmann)
This humorous bedtime story shows a sneaky gorilla letting animals out of the zoo. It teaches observation and makes bedtime fun.
42. Pat The Bunny (Dorothy Kunhardt)
Pat the Bunny, published in 1940, is the original “touch and feel” book for babies and small children. It’s a perennial best-seller for good reason. Your baby’s little hands will cherish it.
43. Look, Look! (Peter Linenthal)
This high-contrast board book captures a baby’s attention with bold images. It strengthens visual development in newborns.
44. Go Dog Go (P.D. Eastman)
This playful book introduces dogs of all kinds and their adventures. It teaches opposites, colors, and early reading.
45. A Child’s Book of Poems (Gyo Fujikawa)
This collection presents classic poems with charming illustrations. It builds early language skills and appreciation for rhythm.
46. The Little Red Caboose (Marian Potter)
This story follows a caboose who feels unimportant until he saves the train. It teaches self-worth and perseverance.
47. Aesop’s Fables
This timeless collection presents moral lessons through animal stories. It teaches values like honesty, kindness, and wisdom.
48. Time For Bed (Mem Fox)
This cozy book has soothing repetitive language and conveys safety and warm affection, helping secure a strong parent-child bond.
49. Harold and the Purple Crayon (Crockett Johnson)
Harold is a curious four-year-old boy who has the power to create his own works with his purple crayon just by drawing it. It will inspire the youngest children to take initiative and create their own worlds.
50. Dear Zoo (Rod Campbell)
This lift-the-flap book has a child writing to the zoo for a pet. It builds interaction, surprise, and vocabulary.
As you choose stories to fill your baby’s first library, you might also love browsing creative nursery ideas to complete the space.
Modern Classics
51. Olivia (Ian Falconer)
This story follows Olivia, a spirited pig with big personality. It celebrates creativity, confidence, and individuality.
52. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Mo Willems)
This silly book lets children say “no” to a persuasive pigeon. It builds humor, interaction, and decision-making.
53. Press Here (Herve Tullet)
This interactive book invites kids to press, shake, and tilt pages for fun effects.
54. The Day The Crayons Quit (Drew Daywalt)
This creative story tells of crayons who feel underappreciated. It encourages empathy, imagination, and problem-solving.
55. Diary of a Wombat (Jacky French)
This funny book follows a wombat’s daily adventures. It teaches humor, routine, and curiosity.
56. Last Stop on Market Street (Matt de la Peña)
This #1 New York Time Bestseller is a modern classic. CJ wonders why his family doesn’t own a car like his friend Colby. His grandma helps him see the beauty and fun in their own routine.
57. Whose Knees Are These? (Jabari Asim)
This rhyming book celebrates a toddler’s body. It promotes body awareness and self-love.
58. Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada (Jimmy Fallon)
Comedian Jimmy Fallon shows us the behind the scenes strategies of dads who are lobbying for their child’s first word to be “Dada”.
59. Llama Llama Red Pajama (Anna Dewdney)
This bedtime story shows a llama feeling anxious without his mother. It teaches patience, comfort, and reassurance.
60. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site (Sherri Duskey Rinker)
This story puts hardworking construction vehicles to bed. It teaches routine and makes bedtime soothing for truck-loving kids.
61. On the Night You Were Born (Nancy Tillman)
This heartfelt book celebrates the uniqueness of every child. It builds self-esteem and emotional connection.
62. Giraffes Can’t Dance (Giles Andreae)
This story tells of a giraffe who finds his own rhythm. It teaches confidence, perseverance, and self-expression.
63. Hair Love (Matthew A. Cherry)
This story celebrates a father styling his daughter’s hair. It promotes love, family bonds, and cultural pride.
64. Where is Baby’s Belly Button? (Karen Katz)
This lift-the-flap book encourages babies to find body parts. It develops motor skills and body awareness.
65. Little You (Richard Van Camp)
This lyrical story celebrates the love between parents and child. It builds emotional connection and cultural pride.
66. We Are Family (Patricia Hegarty)
This story highlights the many different forms families can take. It teaches acceptance, diversity, and belonging.
67. Knuffle Bunny (Mo Willems)
This story tells of a little girl losing her stuffed animal. It builds empathy, humor, and recognition of emotions.
68. Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book (Karen Katz)
This interactive bedtime book counts kisses as baby drifts to sleep. It builds bonding and introduces counting.
69. Everywhere Babies (Susan Meyers)
Babies are born every day, everywhere, and they’re completely loved and adored by their families. This book celebrates all the things babies do best with rhyming text and engaging illustrations.
70. Peek-A-Who? (Karen Katz)
Every baby nursery needs a peek-a-boo book, and this is one of the best. It has colorful pictures and simple rhyming text that will keep kids exciting about guessing who is peeking through the windows.
71. Besos for Baby (Jen Arena)
Everyone has kisses for the baby in the book, from Mami and Papi to perro and gato. The book has bold illustrations, simple Spanish words, and plenty of besos.
72. The Book With No Pictures (B.J. Novak)
This silly book uses only words to make kids laugh. It shows the power of language and imagination.
73. The Wonderful Things You Will Be (Emily Winfield Martin)
This uplifting story imagines all the possibilities for a child’s future. It encourages hope, love, and potential.
74. The Colors of Us (Karen Katz)
Seven-year-old Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades. This book celebrates the differences and similarities that connect us all.
75. If I Had a Little Dream (Nina Laden)
This book celebrates the wonder of the world we live in, focusing on the joy, love and beauty in the every day.
76. I Wish You More (Amy Krouse Rosenthal)
This heartfelt book expresses wishes for a child’s happiness. It builds hope, encouragement, and positivity.
77. The Pout Pout Fish (Deborah Diesen)
Mr. Fish has a permanent pout, spreading the “dreary wearies” all around him. Can his friends help him turn it around? Young kids will love the bright ocean colors and playful rhymes in this fun book.
78. Kitten’s First Full Moon (Kevin Henkes)
This gentle story follows a kitten chasing the moon. It teaches curiosity, perseverance, and wonder.
79. Uni the Unicorn (Amy Krouse Rosenthal)
This classic unicorn storybook is a story about friendship, sliding down rainbows, and the power of believing.
80. The Invisible String (Patrice Karst)
This book is about the unbreakable connections between loved ones, and can even help ease separation anxiety, loss, and grief. This contemporary classic reassures us that we are all connected by an invisible string of love.
81. In My Heart (Jo Witek)
This book explores many different emotions in a child-friendly way. It builds emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
82. My First Emoji Animals (Weldon Owen, Inc.)
This simple book introduces animals with emoji-style images. It builds recognition and makes learning fun.
83. Say Hello (Rachel Isidora)
This story shows children greeting each other in different languages. It teaches diversity and cultural awareness.
84. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Cozy Classics Series)
Read the classics, adapted for little ones. Simple words, sturdy pages, needle-felted scenes, and beloved stories make this collection a surefire hit.
85. I Love You Through and Through (Bernadette Rossetti Shustak)
his book is about loving every part of your sweet child, even when they cry or act naughtily.
86. First 100 Words (Roger Priddy)
This picture book introduces babies to everyday words. It builds vocabulary and recognition.
87. Gossie (Olivier Dunrea)
This story follows a little gosling who loves her red boots. It teaches individuality and sharing.
88. Read to Your Baby Every Day: 30 Classic Nursery Rhymes to Read Aloud
These classic rhymes from the Mother Goose collection introduce your baby to a world of words and pictures.
89. In the Tall, Tall Grass (Denise Fleming)
This book will help kids imagine what they would see if they were a fuzzy caterpillar crawling through the tall, tall grass on a sunny afternoon.
90. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Iza Trapani, Jane Taylor)
In this expanded version of the favorite nursery rhyme, the reader is taken on a journey across the night sky. It’s a new spin on a favorite classic.
91. Good Night, Darth Vader (Jeffrey Brown)
See how Darth Vader’s parenting skills are tested when his rambunctious twins, Luke and Leia, are not ready to sleep and insist on a story. This is a great way to introduce your child to Star Wars from a young age.
92. Ten Tiny Toes (Carolyne Jayne Church)
This sweet story celebrates a baby’s body from head to toe. It teaches body awareness and self-love.
93. Baby Touch & Feel (DK Publishing)
This interactive book uses textures to engage babies. It supports sensory exploration and motor skills.
94. Baby Happy, Baby Sad (Leslie Patricelli)
This simple board book shows babies experiencing different emotions. It teaches emotional recognition and self-awareness.
95. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (Doreen Cronin)
This quirky farmyard tale is about a group of literate cows that turn Farmer Brown’s farm upside down. It’s sure to be one of your child’s favorite books.
96. Owl Moon (Jane Yolen)
This poetic story follows a child and a parent owling in the woods. It teaches patience, wonder, and nature appreciation.
97. The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister)
This story tells of a beautiful fish who learns to share. It teaches kindness, generosity, and friendship.
98. All the World (Liz Garton Scanlon)
This book affirms the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to the family we love.
99. Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
This sweet, humorous book is an instruction guide for kids living on Planet Earth. It’s a great read that the author created especially for his own child, but that we can all enjoy.
100. Where the Sidewalk Ends (Shel Silverstein)
Shel Silverstein’s classic collection of children’s poems and drawings ignites the imagination and makes young readers of all ages laugh.
Shel Silverstein’s classic collection of children’s poems and drawings ignites the imagination and makes young readers of all ages laugh. It belongs in every nursery and child’s library, but older children will especially grow to adore this book.
We hope you have loved this list of the best children’s books as much as we loved creating it. Those early years of reading together are special and magical, and we wish you hours of sweet bedtime snuggles.
Related Posts:
100 Best Books for Your 1 Year Old
25 Best Science Books for Your First Grader
35 Best Activities for Three Month Olds
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
