10 brilliant books for babies

At BookTrust our research shows that the role of shared reading changes over the crucial first years of a child’s life. From birth to age one, it’s particularly effective in supporting bonding between adult and baby, and for sensory discovery. So we asked baby book expert Camilla to pick some special reads that do this. 

This booklist focuses on baby books, which are my absolute favourites – probably because I have such fond memories of sharing books with my own kids at this age. I found it so interesting and enjoyable that I started writing books for this age-group myself, and it’s what I’ve done ever since! 

With bold images and just a few words, baby books appear to be so simple, but don’t be fooled – the very best ones work incredibly hard for both their child and adult readers even though they give the impression of simply being light-hearted fun. 

For the little reader, these first books stimulate the senses in multiple different ways, developing the baby’s listening skills, their focus, concentration and memory, as well as their hand–eye co-ordination and, of course, their emerging speech and language skills. The impact of all this on the baby brain is hugely powerful – just a few minutes a day of reading has a significant effect on cognitive development. 

But for me, the mark of a really good baby book is its ability to entertain both adult and child, so it becomes a mini adventure that you can genuinely enjoy together. I’ve chosen each of these books because I believe they charm and delight both big and little readers – which means that they’re easy to return to again and again, and this is key to kickstarting the all-important shared-reading habit that will carry you through the primary school years. 

The crucial thing to remember is that, at this stage, reading isn’t about teaching the child to read – it’s just about them looking, listening, engaging with the interactive elements and your having fun together. 

This list is designed to see you through the first year of a child’s life, from the first few months, up to the point where they are saying their first words and taking their first steps – and beyond. I’ve chosen a mix of longstanding family favourites and some of the really exciting new titles that have emerged in the last few years. I hope you enjoy my choices! 

Babies are hard-wired from birth to respond to high-contrast images and they absolutely love looking at other babies’ faces! A visually arresting, concertina book designed for sensory discovery, this can be used from the very first months, both during tummy time and as a page-turning book to share. 

That’s Not My Zoo (with animal sounds) by Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells 

I could have included almost any title in the much-loved That’s not my… series but I went for this one because I think the animal sounds at the end add a fantastic extra dimension to the touch-and-feel reading experience. I’m a big fan of animal noises as a starting point for language learning as most little babies will have a crack at roaring and barking before they start speaking, and this is hugely confidence-giving. 

Baby Touch Nursery Rhyme Playbook by Ladybird 

Generation upon generation of children have been raised on these traditional songs and they form the foundation to all our language learning. With six rhymes, easy-to-use thumb-tabs and tactile elements, this beautifully designed book is packed with sensory stimulation. 

Five Little Pirates by Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty 

Bursting with cute characters, colour and energy, this dynamic little story has a fun-to-read rhyming text and super-robust felt flaps – I think it’s great! It’s particularly good for inquisitive readers who are still learning to be gentle with their books! 

Elephant, Elephant What Can You See? by Amelia Hepworth and Pintachan 

With graphic charm, big, chunky flaps and (always babies’ favourite) a mirror ending, this joyful but robust little book is ideal for tucking into the pushchair and reading on the go. 

Whether they have flaps to lift, or sliders to push and pull, the great thing about interactive books is that they ask the child to get involved in the story and this makes the whole experience much more meaningful for them. With a mum and son relationship at its heart, all kids love helping Sally search for her wayward puppy, Spot, behind the flaps in this classic board book. 

First published in 1982, there’s a reason why this book is still going strong – it’s because it’s just perfect! With simple flaps to lift and a story about the search for the perfect pet, it’s easy to add your own animal noises, and prompts infinite discussions about animals. 

Peekaboo Chick by Camilla Reid and Ingela P Arrhenius 

So, full disclosure, this is one of my books. I’ve added it to this list because it’s one of my bestsellers and consistently gets lovely reviews from parents. It has ten cute sliders, a simple Peekaboo rhyme, a surprise mirror ending and bucket-loads of charm – imho! I hope you’ll take a look at it and feel I’m justified in including it! 

Sometimes by Emma Dodd 

A beautiful and heart-warming celebration of the powerful bond between parent and child, this book has just a few words per page, so it’s particularly good for adults who lack confidence in reading. Also great for encouraging little readers to start identifying with a main character, which is one of the first skills they need as they start learning to enjoy reading. 

The classic first picture book for the very young, illustrated by the legendary Helen Oxenbury and bursting with adorable babies. After the physical engagement of the interactive books, this book offers gentle lessons in emotional engagement, which is the next step needed to progress to longer picture storybooks.