Shop The Story
Building your little one’s library is one of the most fun aspects of parenting. Reading to your baby is also one of the most important things you can do together. Not only is it a perfect bonding activity for the both of you, but it also offers a bunch of benefits for baby, such as improving their eyesight, motor skills, communication skills and basic knowledge, as well as empathy and problem solving. Reading has also been proven to help enhance memory and thinking skills. The rhymes in many board books are music to little ears, and photos and illustrations tend to provoke emotional and sensory responses in readers and help instill a lifetime love of literacy and language.
- Best Board Books
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!
The Cat In The Hat’s Great Big Flap Book
Pat The Bunny (Touch And Feel Book)
Richard Scarry’s Best Little Word Book Ever!
Dear Zoo: A Lift-The-Flap Book
The Monster At The End Of This Book
Why You Need Board Books
For the earliest, budding bookworms board books are your best bet. They’re like a traditional picture book, but they usually have much thicker, sturdier pages and simple words or stories that make them perfect for babies to hold and look at and explore. There are millions of different board books to choose from, and while some are for pure entertainment, most are educational. Books that encourage interaction, such as the lift-a-flap kind or books with different-textured surfaces, are a great way to help stimulate a baby and develop their motor skills. And because of their thick cardstock and hardy construction, board books are built to last while being teethed on and tossed around by babies.
But with so many types of baby board books on the market, which are the most necessary when building your new nursery library? We’ve rounded up our 30 favorites to make your browsing a bit easier.
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
1 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
A parade of happy animals, including a red bird, a frog, a cat and a duck introduce colors in this Eric Carle classic.
2 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
On the Night You Were Born
Celebrate the special in everyone! Polar bears dance under a bright moon in one of the most beloved board books for babies.
3 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
A told B and B told C that this is a must-have board book for every nursery. The ABCs come to life in this mischievous, rhyming alphabet tale.
4 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Goodnight Moon
This is the ultimate bedtime story for babies and big kids. The Margaret Wise Brown classic about a tiny house and a quiet mouse has been delighting children of all ages for decades.
5 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Little Blue Truck
Beep, beep! Get ready for adventure. The little blue truck takes a wild ride with the help of his animal buddies in this board book that’s big on the importance of friendship and working together.
6 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Where Is Baby’s Belly Button?
Interactive board books for babies are so important. They help develop motor skills and introduce concepts like cause and effect. Karen Katz’s is sturdy with easy-to-lift flaps and adorable illustrations.
7 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Moo. Baa, La La La!
Babies get a kick out of these clever, barnyard animals, who raise a ruckus, while explaining what sounds animals make. Sandra Boynton’s cartoon creatures perfectly complement her rhyming story.
8 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Barnyard Dance
A die-cut cover is the gateway to a hoedown with the horses, cows, pigs and sheep that populate Sandra Boynton’s beloved fairy-tale farm world. This sing-along storybook will be a regular in the reading rotation.
9 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!
Babies learn the basic building blocks – the ABCs – of reading with iconic children’s book author Dr. Seuss as their guide. The simple text and illustrations make it a must on every well-stocked nursery bookshelf.
10 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
A cute little critter munches away the day on his way to becoming a beautiful butterfly in this gorgeously illustrated Eric Carle classic baby board book.
11 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Are You My Mother?
While mommy bird is away, her egg hatches and baby bird goes off on an adorable adventure to find her. The heartwarming tale shows the bond between a mother and her baby in this abridged board book version of the Dr. Seuss classic.
12 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
Fox in Sox
This Dr. Seuss children’s book has been twisting tongues since 1965. The board book update about a jovial fox and his befuddled buddy Mr. Knox is sturdy and just as tough to read aloud.
13 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
Hop On Pop
The simple rhymes of this Dr. Seuss classic are easy for babies and toddlers to recite and remember, which are some of the earliest fundamentals of reading. Babies and parents will also delight in the awesome, iconic illustrations.
14 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
The Cat in the Hat’s Great Big Flap Book
This chunky, abridged version of the Dr. Seuss classic starring that kooky cat in the red-and-white striped hat is perfect for little baby fingers. It’s fun and interactive for children of all ages, but it’s a perfect way to introduce your little one to flip books.
15 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
Snowman’s Snow Day
Little readers can’t resist the foil snowflake tabs in this colorful board book for babies and toddlers. Snowman enjoys a fun-filled day of sledding and snow-angel making with the neighborhood kids in this wintry tale of friendship. Temporarily Out of Stock Online
16 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
Never Touch a Dinosaur!
The tiniest of tots can learn so much from this book because it’s filled with bumps and lumps and different textures. It’s the perfect way to stimulate young readers and introduce reading. Plus it’s sturdy enough to stand up to teethers.
17 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
Everything Is Mama
Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon wrote this sweet tale that takes a light-hearted look at the world from the point of view of a baby. You’ll laugh along with your kid as the story unfolds with animals trying to teach their babies that there are more words than just “Mama.”
18 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Huggy Kissy
There is a lot of love and affection packed into this pint-sized board book. It’s a well-written, feel-good tale of just how much love one bald baby can handle in a day.
19 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book)
One of the best-selling children’s books of all time has been reworked into a sturdy, touch-and-feel book that lets baby interact with the friendly rabbit. Parents love how playful and interactive it has been for generations.
20 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
The Snowy Day
This board book rendition of the Era Jack Keat’s classic perfectly captures a child’s amazement and wonder during the first snow fall of the season. As flakes blanket the city a little boy discovers a world of new adventures outside his door.
21 of 30 Image Credits: Pottery Barn Kids
Hello, World!
One of the most memorable and unique ways to welcome a new baby into the world is with a personalized board book. This gorgeous, customizable board book is made with thick pages decorated with colorful illustrations, personalized with photos of and details about your special one.
22 of 30 Image Credits: Etsy
Morning Noon and Night
The beautiful, natural illustrations in this handmade board book are a soft and soothing change from the vivid cartoon characters in most children’s literature. We also love that this simple yet poignant book focuses on the beauty of nature with a reassuring message based on light and love and nurturing.
23 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
Richard Scarry’s Best Little Word Book Ever!
Beloved children’s book illustrator Richard Scarry’s cast of characters, including Huckle Cat, Lowly Work and Goldbug, introduce young readers to all of the words for the things that they will come across in their daily lives. Generations of parents have read this one to their babes.
24 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
I Am a Bunny
Nicholas the bunny lives in a hollow tree. The fluffy little fellow in the bright red overalls will lead your baby on an adorable adventure around his home and family.
25 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
Rocket Science for Babies
We all think our kid is a genius, right? Well, this board book proves it’s never too soon to set your baby on a career path to outer space. The cheeky book breaks down scientific concepts for even the youngest reader, or right-minded parent, to understand.
26 of 30 Image Credits: Barnes & Noble
Global Babies
This unique baby book is filled with 17 stunning photographs of babies from around the world. The simple text is in English and Spanish, and part of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Global Fund for Children.
27 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book
Young readers will pick this board book off of their bookshelf all the time. They can’t get enough of exploring all of the animals hiding under the flaps as they discover if the zoo will ever find the perfect animal.
28 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Baby Sees Colors!
This high-contrast book is out of this world. And parents will want to pick this one up because it serves an important purpose in helping to improve focus and eyesight in babies. Years of research and development went into crafting the colorful illustrations to benefit your baby’s eyesight.
29 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
Guess How Much I Love You
This modern tale, first published in 2008, is fast becoming a family favorite. The tender story reinforces the unbreakable bond and love between a parent and their child.
30 of 30 Image Credits: Amazon
The Monster at the End of This Book
Please, don’t pass this up. One of Sesame Street’s most lovable monsters Grover begs readers not to keep reading this book because of what might be lurking on the last page. Little ones will giggle along with Grover as they all learn some valuable lessons along the way.
