I am a book-lover! My idea of “fun” is curling up on the couch with my favorite blanket and getting lost in a great book. My daughter, Emma, is just like me in that area. She and I both have multiple books going at any given time. I read to my babies from the start. Actually, I even read to them before they were born. Yes, I’d sit in my rocking chair and read to my tummy. I would read while I nursed them, and I would lie on the floor beside them and read during “tummy time.” As they entered the toddler stage, I would keep a basket of board books handy, and I would read to them anytime they asked. Not only is this a great opportunity for snuggling, but it helps them associate reading with something happy – momma.

There are so many benefits to reading to your little ones:

• snuggle time
• growing their vocabulary naturally
• introducing new knowledge – letters, numbers, colors, animal sounds, etc.
• introduction to the world around them

Here are ten books that we feel are a must-have in your baby’s board book basket:

Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton

Let me start by saying that we love all of Sandra Boynton’s books! They are so fun to read with their playful rhymes that just ask to be “sung.”I purchased this book on vacation when Em was about 2, and we read it numerous times a day for the next year or so. She loved it! I sang this one to her {to a tune I totally made up}. She’s now 11, and we can still quote most of it today.

Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt

This book is just a classic. Babies and toddlers love to touch and feel all of the different textures in this book. The author now has Pat the Puppy and Pat the Cat, as well.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

This book is a must have on every child’s bookshelf. The board book version offers the opportunity to introduce it to the youngest of listeners. Little ones love to stick their fingers in the holes of the foods the caterpillar has eaten through. The board book is perfect for little fingers, because parents don’t have to worry about pages ripping as their littles explore those holes.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

The perfect bedtime story. This is a nice, quiet story to read aloud to your children at bedtime. Kids love telling everything goodnight as you turn through the pages with Momma Rabbit.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

We love this little back and forth between Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare. Big Nutbrown Hare loves just a little bit wider, longer, stronger than Little Nutbrown Hare. We still say “love you to the moon and back” in our house.

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman

It’s bed time at the zoo, and all the animals are getting ready for bed. Or, are they?

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.

Kids of all ages love the brightly colored animals in this book. The sing-song text makes it a favorite that kids will want to read over and over.

Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman

I love this story of a little bird searching high and low for his mother.

Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse

This is a sweet story of a little one who wants to know if there is anything she can do to make her mother not love her anymore. It’s a great depiction of a mother’s unconditional love.

First 100 Words by Roger Priddy

Bright colors. Simple wording. Pictures of 100 every day items found in and around your baby’s world.

What’s your favorite book to read to your little one?