Picked by Christine from Baby Sensory

If you or someone close to you has just had a baby; congratulations! We love seeing new little readers in the world.

You can start reading to your baby on day one. Of course, it's a while before they'll follow any plot lines, but that's not the point. They're hearing your voice, watching your face, and learning that books mean 1-on-1 time with the people that they love the most. 😍
Nobody has more expertise in this area than our friend Christine at Baby Sensory here in Hamilton. So we asked her: what books do you LOVE give at a baby shower? 

Why babies love being read to:

Christine says the first 12 months are full of bonding moments, and story time is one of the easiest ones to grab. The best baby books have a few things in common:

• Big, bold pictures. Babies' eyesight is still developing, so bright colours and strong shapes are easiest for them to see. (Check out Sleepy Kiwi, it's our best selling High Contrast B&W book).
• Rhythm and repetition. Babies love knowing what's coming next. It's how they start to pick up the patterns of language.
• Something to do. Flaps to lift, patches to touch, ears to tickle.
• Short and sweet. A couple of minutes is plenty for a wee persons attention span.

Christine's Top Ten:

1. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carl
Available in Paperback and Board Book 

Bright, bold animals on every page and one question, over and over. Babies love it because they can feel the pattern, and the pattern is what makes it fun. Christine reads this one in class while signing each animal in NZSL You only need a handful of signs, and lots of babies can use simple signs before they can say the words.
Here's a very early video of Ms Rachel singing the book (it's very sweet):

2. Sleepy Kiwi, By Kat Merewether
This one comes in Board Book, or Cloth Book (in-store only) 

A gentle Kiwi bedtime book, made for winding down at the end of the day. Reading the same calm book every night becomes a signal that it's time to sleep. We sell oodles of these! They're a crackin' baby shower gift.

3. Tickle My Ears by Jörg Mühle (Gecko Press)
See all of Jörg's books here

Little Rabbit needs help getting ready for bed, and you've got to help. Fluff the pillow, tickle the ears, turn out the light. It's a book you do, not just read. Babies love the touch and the giggles, and toddlers love being in charge. Bonus: Gecko Press is a Wellington publisher (becasue we know & appreciate that you love supporting local).

4. Priddy Books: by Roger Priddy
See our full range here

Christine loves any of the Priddy series. Bright photos and lots of different textures to touch on every page. Little fingers get busy, and every new feeling is a new thing to talk about. Soft, bumpy, smooth. You're building their senses and their words at the same time.

5. Counting for Kiwi Babies
This one is only $16!

A first counting book with a Kiwi flavour. Your baby may not be counting any time soon, but hearing numbers in a story, again and again, is how it starts. It's also a lovely way to fill their world with things they'll recognise as they grow.

6. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
We've always got the Board Book version in stock

A classic lift-the-flap. The zoo keeps sending pets, and every one is wrong until the last. Each flap is a little game of peekaboo, which babies adore. Later on, toddlers will want to lift the flaps themselves and shout out the animals.

7. Native NZ Baby Meets Bird
Buy it here.

Another high-contrast book about the native birds we share Aotearoa with. A sweet way to bring a bit of home into story time from the very beginning, and an excellent gift to send overseas to new babies with a Kiwi connection.

8. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram
We've got this one in loads of different formats.

It's a classic & a must-have! Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare try to show how much they love each other. It's just so sweet! This one is as much for the grown-up as the baby.

9. We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
Board Book, gift sets, fancy pop-up versions... this one comes in all sorts of formats.

Another one that has stood the test of time, and no doubt you have fond memories of reading it when you were younger. Full of fun sound words and a beat you can't help bouncing to. Babies love the rhythm and your silly voices. Toddlers love acting the whole thing out, through the grass, the mud and the snowstorm "hoooo whooo", right up to the bear. One for the ages.

10. Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
Grab it in Paperback, Board Book or in Te Reo Māori.

Sheep of every colour and kind, and one question that keeps you turning the pages. It's packed with simple opposites and colours, and the rhythm makes it easy to read aloud. When your toddler starts pointing at the last page before you get there, you'll know it's worked.

 

From baby to toddler

The best part? None of these books are just for babies. In the first year, your little one listens, looks and touches. By toddlerhood they're lifting the flaps, pointing at the pictures, joining in on the repeated lines and stomping through the bear hunt. Same books, whole new ways to love them.

A huge thank you to Christine for sharing her favourites. If you haven't been to a Baby Sensory class yet, go. You'll both love it.
Baby Sensory runs classes for babies right from birth. Every session is packed with colour, music, textures, songs and signing, all designed to help little brains grow. The grown-ups get a lot out of it too. You go home with fresh ideas for play, and you meet other parents in the same sleepless boat. Christine runs the Hamilton classes at Frankton, Rototuna and Cambridge. Check out her WEBSITE HERE.

 

Hapy reading

Kate oxoxo