Home > Types > Books > Birth to 3 Months

Books for Babies from Birth to around 3 Months

What Types of Books are Suitable for Younger Babies?

Younger babies are still developing their visual fields so you can buy books for baby that have black and white contrasts and spectrum colour contrasts like red, blue and yellow – the primary colours.

Initially you are better to introduce board books that are laminated for robustness, cloth books for their softness and textures, musical books or books specially created for the bath. It doesn't really matter when you buy books for younger babies as they tend to play with books right through to the school years.

Sometimes babies recognize books they had from a young age and come back to them when they have more understanding about the world or if they are not feeling well they find comfort from the earlier books.

Here are some examples of books that are great for younger babies:

Types of Book: Amazing Baby Books

The Amazing Baby range of books are designed for younger babies as they are covered in black and white images of other babies as well as primary colour contrasts.

“Baby Boo” – Amazing Baby

“Baby Boo” from Amazing Baby is a great read for the younger baby. It has beautiful photographic images of babies in different moods – sleeping, laughing and crying. And it also has colourful sparkly hearts, dots and a peep-boo mirror.

“Bath Baby” – Amazing Baby

“Bath Baby” from Amazing Baby is a robust waterproof bath book covered in yellow ducks, sparkly pages and beautiful baby images. It also has a heart that squeaks right at the end.

Types of Book: Cot Books

“The First Cot Book” – Andy Everitt-Stewart (illustrator)

“The First Cot Book” illustrated by Andy Everitt-Stewart is one of the best cot books around at the moment. The book has contrasting images on either side and can be unfolded in the cot or taken travelling in the buggy or car.

It can be used with baby from birth to stimulate vision. It is also useful if baby is prepared to lie and look at a book in the cot to let Mummy get some ‘me' time!

Types of Book: Cloth Books

Cloth books are also great for the young baby as they are full of texture and different fabrics.

Early Learning Centre has a great range of cloth books full of colourful contrasts all based around themes like farm animals, counting or shapes.

Mothercare has first books that are made of cloth but have integrated rattles and teethers too.

“Faces” – John Fordham

“Faces” from John Fordham follows on from the successful “Pets” and “Farm” books. This cloth book has been developed to appeal to babies right from birth.

Babies do love looking at faces so the variety of faces they see here will keep them busy. The book also has a strap so it can be taken with you on buggy or car trips. Written with very simple words, it will help mummy and daddy share the book with baby.

Cloth books can usually be washed as well so if baby covers them in milk or sticky fingers, it doesn't matter!

Types of Book: Books by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle

Books by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle are full of wonderful painted images of bears and horses and other wild animals. The beauty of these books is the wonderful singing rhythms and brightly coloured images that really attract baby's attention.

One of the favourites is “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” It's a beautifully crafted rhythmic book that babies and young toddlers will want to have read to them again and again. The board book is not easy to get hold of - publishers please bring it back! - but the paperback is still around, as is a giant A3 edition.

Other books by Eric Carle include “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Red Fox” but there are lots of books by Carle on Amazon so definitely have a look at them.

Types of Book: Musical Books

There are a few musical books worth looking at while baby is younger – something like “Peter Rabbit Songs” from Frederick Warne at Penguin Books.

This beautifully made book plays songs like “Pease Porridge Hot” and “Polly Put the Kettle On” accompanied by sweet music.

And “Baby's First Bedtime Songs” plays the likes of “Rock-a-Bye Baby” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”.

Both books are beautifully illustrated and tend to have quite long shelf lives. Sometimes musical books can be used as a wind down reading time with baby just before bed. Sometimes however, for babies that really hate going to bed, they can be a bad move to play at nighttime!

To find out more about what to look out for when choosing and buying nursery toys visit our How to Choose and Buy a Baby Toy for Helping to Develop Different Skills section and How to Choose and Buy a Baby Toy for Different Ages.

To find out more about the different online baby and nursery toy shops and stores visit our Top Sites section.

To see what different nursery toy manufacturers offer visit our Brands section.

You can also find out more in our How to Play with Baby section.