When my first child was born, I received so many amazing and generous gifts. But, now that my baby is almost 12-years-old, there is one gift that is still in use. Books. It may seem strange to get a baby anything other than board books but, I can tell you from experience, that the picture books last for years. Sometimes, my kids and I still sit down and read these books together because they are timeless. Kirsten and I went through our extensive library of children’s books and picked out some of our favorites. From animals and cars to feelings and exploration, we have it all. We think this is the perfect list of UNIQUE books to start a baby boy’s library.
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Baby Boy’s First Library
The song first recorded by Louis Armstrong has been turned into a book. I love the illustrations and the message of love, hope, kindness, and peace. I adore reading this book to my children even as they are well past the board book stage. The words in this book never grow old.
This book is a completely hilarious tale about a baby who loves animals and will go to any lengths to ensure that he has a pet (or two or ten) of his own. It is such a funny and silly story, you will definitely enjoy reading it as much as your little one.
If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
One of my absolute all-time favorites, this book has been read so many times that my entire family can recite half the book by heart. It is so creative and funny. Best of all, it is written entirely in rhyme. There are not many books that can top this one of my list of must-haves. A young boy describes exactly what kind of car he would make and his ideas are revolutionary. This book was written and illustrated by one of my favorite authors, and there is a follow-up about a house!
The Great Puppy Invasion by Alastair Heim and Kim Smith (Illustrator)
There is nothing better than a boy and his dog. This book is beyond adorable. The town of strictville has a firm anti-puppy policy but when a legion of furry friends invade their town, it’s not too long before everyone has a change of heart when one boy is brave enough to show them just how loving a puppy can be. The illustrations are lovely and it’s such a charming book! Looking for a gift idea? Pair this one with a cute stuffed puppy!
In my Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey (Illustrator)
Forget days past when the boys would be told to man up. In 2019, we embrace feelings of all kinds. What I love about this book is that it names each kind of feeling but also expresses what the feeling, well, feels like. It’s a great way to help toddlers identify exactly what is going on in their hearts. Also, the die cut heart pages are gorgeous. This is a great one for any gender.
Once There was a Boy… Boxed Set by Oliver Jeffers
This amazing set has three of my favorite books. How to Catch a Star, Way Back Home and Lost and Found. An unnamed boy heads out on adventures in his little red and white striped shirt. I love the illustrations but, even more, I love that the adventures are all centered around love, friendship, and kindness.
Mitchell’s License/ Mitchell Goes Driving by Halie Durand and Tony Fucile (Illustrator)
I LOVE this story for bedtime with my little guys. Mitchell drives his daddy like a car to bed every night. Mitchell steers his daddy around the house by tugging on dad’s ears, and he’s a real driving pro. But one night, Mitchell tries to take a detour to get some “fuel”….at the cookie jar. That’s when the car goes into auto-pilot. It’s clever and cute and Mitchell’s license photo is adorable. I gave my kids my old licenses to play with after reading this story with them.
