Luke’s Top Ten Board Books (1-16 months)

Luke loves to read, and it brings my mama heart such joy. Sometimes, I’ll follow a path of unusual silence only to find Luke sitting quietly on his bedroom floor, surrounded by the books he’s pulled down from his shelf. He also loves to read with us, before naps and bedtime, especially these last few months (since 15 months or so, he started needing a longer wind-down before bed). Thankfully, in addition to our local library, we have quite the collection to satisfy his curiosity: with both Jeff’s and my love of reading, along with all the books our moms saved from our childhoods and my year and half working at Barnes and Noble in the children’s department (some of my salary may have gone to purchasing a fair number of books…), and the kindness of many friends at baby showers before Luke’s birth, we are well stocked! He has a full shelf in his room + a basket on the floor + we keep a basket in the living room…and a basket in the car.

I don’t think I fully grasped the purpose of board books before I had my own child. I definitely recommend board books (over the larger picture books with thinner pages) for the first 16 months, at least (that’s as far as I can speak to 😉 ), for 5 primary reasons:

5 Reasons I Recommend Board Books 1-16 months:

1. More durable—much harder to destroy through ripping.
2. Easier to clean/wipe
3. Easier for little ones to handle/pick-up/turn pages themselves (and the pages don’t close on them as easily)
4. Easier for an adult to hold and read when also holding their little one in their lap (It’s hard to fenagle a large picture book with thin pages when holding Luke in my lap before a nap, or sometimes while nursing).
5. Transportable—size makes them easy to pack in diaper bags or keep in the car (both of which I highly recommend 😊).

All the books on this list are board books, though Luke has several larger picture books he enjoys, also!

1. Lovevery wooden book. I absolutely love this book from Lovevery—I think it’s gorgeous, and when Luke was little and needing to practice tummy time, it was easy to stand up so he could look at the pictures. I originally bought the book at Target, but haven’t seen it on their website recently. You can also find it new or used on websites like Mercari (one of my favorite sources of used clothing/items). Shameless plug–if you’ve never used Mercari, use my link to sign up for an account and get $10 off your first purchase. 😊 https://merc.li/m97H7Tb5b)
2. First 100 Words. #1 book for keeping in the car or packing in the diaper bag. The variety of pictures and colors must be what hold Luke’s interest. I’ve also seen these sold at Marshalls!
3. Pat the Bunny. A classic, for sure–I remember reading this one as a child! Before Luke discovered it on his shelf, I thought it might be a bit old-fashioned/wouldn’t hold Luke’s interest–but he loves it! I love the variety of activities the book encourages little ones to do, whether it’s putting their finger through a “ring”, sniffing flowers, or lifting a small cloth to play peekaboo (Luke’s personal favorite 😉 ). This book engages your little one’s senses and curiosity.
4. Never Touch a Dinosaur!—this was one of the first books Luke showed a preference for. The stories are nothing special, but the different textures on each page are really fun to feel. Luke takes our hands and moves them over to the pages so we can feel them, too. 😉
5. Finger puppet series–#1 book for diaper change (small, easy to hold, and the puppet always entertains Luke…especially when Mom or Dad animate it with their finger 😉). I enjoy the fun rhyming in the Llama version, especially, but we also have Baby Fox and Old McDonald Had a Farm, and love these ones, too!
6. Little Yellow Bee Small Chunky Lift the Flap Board Book—another diaper change top pick.
7. Moo: Peek-a-Flap Board book (with chunky flaps!)—I love how durable and educational this series is. It’s definitely less story-oriented and more factual, but again, good for learning first words. Luke has loved his farm book and we also have the forest one, which is wonderful, too! He enjoys sticking his finger through the holes in the pages and opening the flaps. 😊
8. Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night. One of Jeff’s and my top favorites, also! Has it all—colorful illustrations, fun, rhyming story, clever TRUCKS (need I say more?).
9. Dig—a recent favorite of Luke’s—AND one that Dad and Mom enjoy reading to Luke (win-win 😉 ). It has more of a storyline than some of the books, fun rhyming, and a cute dog sidekick. 😉
10. Any Lovevery book, such as My First Signs (from the 7-8 month Inspector Play Kit—one of my top recommended kits, by the way, if you’re going to buy one!) and Zoe Goes to Bed (from the 13-15 month Babbler Play Kit). You may notice that 3 of the 5 pictures I included in this post show Luke reading his signs book! The full-page pictures of real-life babies/kids/animals are captivating. The sign one has been especially nice to remind me to practice signs with him! 😉The kits are expensive, but have some really high-quality toys (I’ll write more thoughts another time)—but you can also find books on Facebook Marketplace or Mercari (use my referral link to get $10 off your first purchase 😊 ). I highly recommend them!

I’d love to hear in the comments some of YOUR favorite kids’ books (especially for 16-24 months, as that’s the stage we’re at now!). Which ones do your little people turn to, again and again…and which ones do you actually enjoy reading to them?

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