30+ Must Reads for Babies and New Parents

Recently, I heard about the good news of friends expecting their first grandchild and realized that, with this pandemic, there are many new little ones entering the world to the delight of their family and friends. While there are many concept books out there that will be useful for teaching letters and colours and such, those are best for slightly older children, and are not included here.  Here I include picture or board books that celebrate new babies and those first years of parenting that new bundle of joy.

 

Baby Cakes

Written by Theo Heras
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
Pajama Press
24 pp.
Ages 1-4
2017

Reviewed here

Baby's First Treasury

(4 stories: Welcome, Baby; Read Me a Book; Sing a Song of Mother Goose; and Zoe’s Year)

Written and illustrated by Barbara Reid

Scholastic Canada

136 pp.

2016

 

Beach Baby

Written by Laurie Elmquist

Illustrated by Elly MacKay

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 2-4

2016

 

 

Before You Were Born

Written by Deborah Kerbel
Illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo
Pajama Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-7

2019

Reviewed here

A Bedtime Yarn

Written by Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
Tundra Books
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2017

 

The Best Gifts

Written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Illustrated by Elly MacKay
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 4-8

2013 

Reviewed here 

Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby

Written by Maureen Fergus
Illustrated by Carey Sookocheff
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7

2016

Reviewed here

Checkers and Dot

Written by J. Torres

Illustrated by J. Lum

Tundra Books

16 pp.

Ages 0-3

2012

 

Checkers and Dot at the Beach

Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by J. Lum
Tundra Books
16 pp.
Ages 0-3
2013

 

Checkers and Dot at the Zoo

Written by J. Torres

Illustrated by J. Lum

Tundra Books

16 pp.

Ages 0-3

2012

 

Checkers and Dot on the Farm

Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by J. Lum
Tundra Books
16 pp.
Ages 0-3
2013

Cinnamon Baby

Written by Nicola Winstanley

Illustrated by Janice Nadeau

Kids Can Press

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

2011

Forest Baby

Written by Laurie Elmquist

Illustrated by Shantala Robinson

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 0-4

2018

Goodnight, Sleepy Animals (A Nightlight Book)
Illustrated by Christine Battuz
CrackBoom
14 pp.
Ages 0-3
2016

 

Hat On, Hat Off

Written by Theo Heras
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
Pajama Press
24 pp.
Ages 1-3

2016 

Reviewed here

Here Babies, There Babies

Written  by Nancy Cohen
Illustrated by Carmen Mok

Nimbus Publishing
14 pp.
Ages 0-2

2015 

Reviewed here

 

I Sang You Down from the Stars 

Written by Tasha Spillett-Sumner

Illustrated by Michaela Goade

Owlkids Books

32 pp.

Ages 2-5

2021

King Baby

Written and illustrated by Kate Beaton
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic
40 pp.
Ages 4-8

2016

Reviewed here

Kiss Tickle Cuddle Hug

Written by Susan Musgrave

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 0-2

2012

 

Little You 

Written by Richard Camp

Illustrated by Julie Flett

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 0-4

2013

 

Lots of Kisses

Written by Lorna Crozier

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 0-2

2014

 

Love You Forever

Written by Robert Munsch

Illustrated by Sheila McGraw

Firefly Books

32 pp.

Ages 0-4

1995

Love You Head to Toe

Written and illustrated by Ashley Barron

Owlkids Books

28 pp.

Ages 0-5

2020

Please Don't Change My Diaper!

Written by Sarabeth Holden
Illustrated by Emma Pedersen
Inhabit Media
28 pp.
Ages 0-4

2020 

Reviewed here 

So Many Babies!

Written by Lorna Crozier

Illustrated by Laura Watson

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 0-2

2015

Sweetest Kulu
Written  by Celina Kalluk
Illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis
Inhabit Media
32 pp.
Ages 0-6
2014 

Reviewed here

Time for Bed: Baby’s Bedtime Routine (Baby Steps)
Written by Carol McDougall & Shanda LaRamee-Jones
Nimbus
18 pp.
Ages 0-2
2018

 

Toesy Toes

Written by Sarah Tsiang

Orca Book Publishers

26 pp.

Ages 0-2

2018

 

Up! How Families Around the World Carry Their Little Ones

Written by Susan Hughes
Illustrated by Ashley Barron
Owlkids Books
24 pp.
Ages 2-5

2017 

Reviewed here

 

The Ways I Will Love You

Written by Rachel Boehm

Illustrated by Mary Jane Gerber

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 0-6

2010

Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns

Written by Richard Van Camp

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 0-4

2007 

We Sang You Home

Written by Richard Van Camp

Illustrated by Julie Flett

Orca Book Publishers

24 pp.

Ages 0-4

2016

Where's Bunny?
Written by Theo Heras
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
Pajama Press
24 pp.
Ages 1-3
2018 

Reviewed here