Author Topic: Book suggestions for a new baby  (Read 3767 times)

elaine amj

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Book suggestions for a new baby
« on: November 19, 2021, 09:37:57 AM »
Looking for suggestions of Christmas gift ideas for my new baby nephew. He'll be about 6 months old. His parents seem to have a very particular taste and style so don't feel too comfortable buying clothes. So I figured books are safe.

Suggestions on good baby books?

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KBCB

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2021, 10:40:08 AM »
I absolutely love "there's a bear on my chair". I get that book for every baby shower gift and plan to as long as they still sell it! My son loved it when we was little and even now as he is almost 5.

chemistk

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2021, 10:58:17 AM »
Babies of that age.......don't really need books.

I don't mean to be dismissive of your request but babies at that age do just as well to have the newspaper read to them.

If you goal is to give them something they can explore for a year or two, make sure it's a board book. Bonus if it has sensory elements.

I really like this series - https://www.amazon.com/Baby-University-Four-Book-Chris-Ferrie/dp/149267043X/ref=pd_sbs_4/136-6482394-0688817?pd_rd_w=pNOJs&pf_rd_p=690958f6-2825-419e-9c16-73ffd4055b65&pf_rd_r=Q19XPA0WXW9YQ0STN20T&pd_rd_r=f5035d0a-3553-4346-9244-3b082ef66e3e&pd_rd_wg=iwKp5&pd_rd_i=149267043X&psc=1

There's a bunch of other subjects, but unfortunately most are so overly simplistic that I'm not sure kids are getting much out of them. It's absolutely hilarious to hand to someone else to have them read to a kid.

Otherwise, of all the books we have, some of the best are bound collections of 'classics' - fairy tales, Dr. Seuss, Greek mythology, Thomas, Mickey, etc. There's something just a hair more magical to a kid when you open a huge bound book to a story as opposed to a single book with a single story.

elaine amj

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2021, 11:22:00 AM »
LOL! The Quantum Physics for babies is pretty hilarious :)

I just have no clue what to get this baby. I don't know the parents well (my nephew only comes to select family events) and their baby shower list intimidated me a little lol - very specific stylish stuff. I just bought whatever they asked for from the registry that I enjoyed using when my babies were small.

I haven't met the baby and am unlikely to meet him for a while (parents are covid cautious and didn't even let his mother hold the baby for a month or two. We are definitely not part of the inner circle).

I have been at a complete loss. And was just going to drop off cash. But kinda prefer an actual gift so that's why I thought of books :)



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RWD

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2021, 11:54:34 AM »
At a young age you need something that will entertain the parents:
https://www.amazon.com/Pterodactyl-Worst-Alphabet-Book-Ever/dp/1492674311/

chemistk

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2021, 11:55:10 AM »
Perhaps you could ask if they have a 529, or similar savings account set up for them.

With babies, especially at that age, gifts aren't really for them. They won't remember them. Gifts for a baby of that age are things that the parents have to manage.

I'd actively encourage in general reaching out to them and ask them what you could do for them this year. Maybe instead of a gift for the baby, you get $25 Starbucks gift cards. Or the aforementioned contribution to future savings. Or diapers...honestly (if they use disposables) as a parent I'd be super pumped to receive diapers.

If you really want to get something for the baby and not for the parents - or really want to surprise them then books would by my top choice followed closely by something like a blanket. We have a couple blankets that we still use - two are those simple felt tied tassel kind and the other is embroidered with our oldest's name.

nessness

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2021, 12:59:19 PM »
I think books are a good idea. The "That's not my..." books were a favorite when my kids were babies/toddlers.

https://usborne.com/us/books/browse-by-category/baby-books/that-s-not-my

elaine amj

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2021, 01:32:06 PM »
This is not a close nephew so I am just budgeting about $25-30 for the gift (we are not lavish gift givers to start with - that's my budget for my own kids). Plus this is a nephew who has never in his adult life given my own children a present. Neither have his slightly older sisters (they are all in their 30s now with children). Their mother has always given the gifts.

Anyway - we're not talking enough money to contribute to an education savings plan. My DH would prefer not to give the baby gifts at all (he pretty much stopped giving gifts to this nephew about 18/19 when he stopped attending family Christmas parties).

But I still feel he is a child who is a part of the family and whatever our personal (rather nonexistent) relationship with his parents, he should be included in the general gift giving. Especially since the other kids in his generation get gifts (I get hugs in return which makes me happy).

So back to book recommendations :) I am very out of the loop as my own are young adults now.

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gatortator

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2021, 02:55:05 PM »
this website has lots of good recommendations.  I use it for my own kids.

https://imaginationsoup.net/book-recommendations-age/


bookriot.com will also have good recommendations.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2021, 03:06:03 PM by gatortator »

elaine amj

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2021, 03:37:35 PM »
this website has lots of good recommendations.  I use it for my own kids.

https://imaginationsoup.net/book-recommendations-age/


bookriot.com will also have good recommendations.
Some really fun recommendations!  Thank you :)



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elaine amj

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2021, 06:20:26 PM »
I think books are a good idea. The "That's not my..." books were a favorite when my kids were babies/toddlers.

https://usborne.com/us/books/browse-by-category/baby-books/that-s-not-my
Thank you very much!

DH and I were in a store today and looked at baby books. Based on your recommendation, I picked up a "That's Not My Lion". Wouldn't even have known to look for it so thank you! It's adorable.

Also got a classic Sandra Boynton and a cute lift the flap baby board books (lift the flap books have come a LONG way in the past 20 years!) because DH liked the idea of something interactive.

Yay - we are all set now. So happy to be done with my Christmas shopping.

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kenner

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2021, 06:20:52 PM »
At a young age you need something that will entertain the parents:
https://www.amazon.com/Pterodactyl-Worst-Alphabet-Book-Ever/dp/1492674311/

Got sibling's kid that plus
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=no+reading+allowed+the+worst+read-aloud+book+ever&crid=2H2Z81KLKYQYR&sprefix=no+reading+allowed%2Caps%2C203&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_18

Although I also like some of the Graeme Base books too (Animalia, The Water Hole) and tend to give them when books are requested at showers since they've got a lot to look at.

elaine amj

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2021, 06:26:17 PM »

Chris Pascale

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2021, 08:06:25 AM »
Everybody Poops
Goodnight Moon

Prob already have them, tho.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #14 on: December 07, 2021, 07:30:14 AM »
Board books for sure!

There is a board book of the e.e. cummings poem "I Carry Your Heart With Me" that I love as a gift.

"Everywhere Babies" is good, the repetition is good for young listeners.  Also "Global Babies", which is just photos with no words.

brellis1vt

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #15 on: December 23, 2021, 02:31:13 PM »
These might already be on the list but
1. Dear zoo
2.  Brown bear
3.  Very hungry caterpillar
4.  Googlie zoo
5.   Never touch a .... Series
5.  Pop up books in general

BZB

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #16 on: December 24, 2021, 06:57:08 AM »
The board books by Sandra Boynton are great for babies. Also I highly recommend for the parents The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. That book informed a lot of my parenting style, and it has a great list of age-appropriate books from newborn through high school age. It's in its eighth edition now.

Ramparts

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #17 on: January 01, 2022, 05:45:53 PM »
This is my favorite so far: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Tutu-Never-Bored-Book/dp/1338504274

Who wouldn't love a tutu too during 2022?

Anon-E-Mouze

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #18 on: January 03, 2022, 10:22:11 AM »
We always give a copy of Robert Munsch's feminist fairytale, The Paper Bag Princess to baby boys and girls. Munsch's heroine outsmarts a dragon to save her fiance, imprisoned Prince Ronald, who has the gall to tell her afterwards to clean herself up and come back when she looks like a princess.

She dumps him and heads off into the sunset on her own.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paper_Bag_Princess



kei te pai

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #19 on: January 03, 2022, 10:50:03 AM »
I strongly believe that books ARE for babies, and the best books are the ones parents enjoy reading too. The connection between a familiar voice, cuddles, and the physical object of a book with colour and shapes is established quickly. Repetition is important, but babies who are regularly read to will seek out and recognise books they like by the time they are one.
The Noisy Book by Soledad Bravi is great.

HPstache

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #20 on: January 03, 2022, 11:11:02 AM »
I think books are a good idea. The "That's not my..." books were a favorite when my kids were babies/toddlers.

https://usborne.com/us/books/browse-by-category/baby-books/that-s-not-my
Thank you very much!

DH and I were in a store today and looked at baby books. Based on your recommendation, I picked up a "That's Not My Lion". Wouldn't even have known to look for it so thank you! It's adorable.

Also got a classic Sandra Boynton and a cute lift the flap baby board books (lift the flap books have come a LONG way in the past 20 years!) because DH liked the idea of something interactive.

Yay - we are all set now. So happy to be done with my Christmas shopping.

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The "that's not my" series is indeed great for infants.  We have 6 or 8 of them

Spiffy

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #21 on: January 15, 2022, 05:29:30 PM »
We were given some of those "Baby Faces" books when our kids were born. They are something I would never have bought on my own. They are mostly just photos of baby faces, so kind of weird. But all three of our babies loved those things. We "read" them all the time, just sort of explaining the face...happy baby, sad baby, (my favorite was the worried baby). Then make faces at each other.
Also, the "First Words" books, which are just pages of labeled items that you read out and point to. It was amazing how fast our kids would start to point at the correct item when we read the words. All three of our kids were early readers. I read to them A LOT and we played with magnetic letters on the fridge, etc. Our oldest was reading when he was four. We thought he had just memorized the books he was "reading" to us, but one day he cracked open a fortune cookie and read the fortune out to the table. It was "you will overcome great adversity". We were shocked!

elaine amj

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #22 on: January 16, 2022, 09:24:33 AM »
I think books are a good idea. The "That's not my..." books were a favorite when my kids were babies/toddlers.

https://usborne.com/us/books/browse-by-category/baby-books/that-s-not-my
Thank you very much!

DH and I were in a store today and looked at baby books. Based on your recommendation, I picked up a "That's Not My Lion". Wouldn't even have known to look for it so thank you! It's adorable.

Also got a classic Sandra Boynton and a cute lift the flap baby board books (lift the flap books have come a LONG way in the past 20 years!) because DH liked the idea of something interactive.

Yay - we are all set now. So happy to be done with my Christmas shopping.

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The "that's not my" series is indeed great for infants.  We have 6 or 8 of them
Just to circle back, the parents looked thrilled with “That’s Not My Lion” and mentioned they have another book in the series (thankfully not the same one!!). We did return the other books because DH fell in love with a flashy, blinky, noisy plastic toy. He wouldn’t stop pressing buttons in the store and was fascinated. When giving the gift, I explained how much DH loved it. I hope they think of DH (whether in fondness or exasperation) when the toy starts singing loudly for the 100th time!


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DadJokes

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Re: Book suggestions for a new baby
« Reply #23 on: January 16, 2022, 02:00:43 PM »
It's way too late for Christmas, but I recommend looking to see if Dolly Parton's Imagination Library covers where your nephew lives. They provide a free book monthly.

https://imaginationlibrary.com/