The 12 Days of Bookish: Those Teeny Tiny Tots

Balking at buying a book for a baby? Don't! Research shows that reading aloud to babies early and often plays a critical role in their success with language and reading, both skills that are necessary to support lifelong learning. Instilling a love of books early on is of utmost importance—it's why we offer weekly storytimes for everyone from birth to 6 years old. You might be surprised how soon babies can hold a book and flip through its pages!

Here are some of our favorite 2013 board books for babies and toddlers. Their durable design will let them be enjoyed again and again for years to come.

From left to right, top to bottom...
1. Moby-Dick by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver // These BabyLit Primers are always adorable. This one condenses another classic masterpiece into a fun ocean lesson for little ones.
2. My Blankie by Alice Beauvisage // For toddlers who love their blankie, a sweet story that shows the power of imagination.
3. The Noisy Book by Soledad Bravi // Loads of pages and colorful illustrations, plus lots of sounds to imitate = baby gold.
4. Alphablock by Christopher Franceschelli // Peek-through pages give beginning-letter clues, perfect for learning letter recognition.
5. Diggers Go by Steve Light // For tiny tots fascinated with big trucks, an excellent book with plenty of motion.
6. Faces for Baby by Yana Peel // An introduction to modern art for babies. Beautiful and appealing.
7. Tails Chasing Tails by Matthew Porter // An adorable guessing game by a hip indie artist.
8. You Are My Baby: Safari by Lorena Siminovich // Matching + animals = learning in the cutest way possible.
9. Sophie's Busy Day by Dawn Sirrett // Perennial baby shower favorite Sophie la Girafe gets her own touch-and-feel book.
10. Peek-a-boo Who? by Simms Taback // Classic children's book creator.Peek-a-boo flaps. Colorful illustrations. We couldn't ask for more!
11. I Am Blop! by Hervé Tullet // Quirky kidlit favorite Tullet comes out with another fun, imaginative book about the latent possibilities of the simplest shape.
12. Emma by Jack and Holman Wang // One of the newest in the Cozy Classics line, a sweet simplification of the classic Austen tale told by felted figurines.