Hellobee

We’ve been consistently reading to Cobi since he was about 4-5 months old. He started really getting into the books around 6 months and at 8 months now it is so exciting to spend time reading to him. If we put him on the floor in his room, the first thing he does is crawl to his book case, take books off the lower shelves and “read” them! It’s so fun to see and experience with him. I really hope my little one will value books and be an avid read!

Without further ado – these are our favorite books right now.

1. My First Words Touch and Feel Picture Cards:: Although not a book per se, it is a favorite for Cobi. He loves to sift through the cards with his hands. Each flashcard has a texture or touch-n-feel, such as the cat that is furry or the car that is shiny. He loves the sensory play, and it’s fun to teach him the words and talk about them with him. I have a feeling this will be something useful as he grows as well.

2. In My Tree:: Probably our favorite in the bunch! The owl is a finger puppet and Cobi LOVES the interaction! He loves to play with the owl. I think this is the first book he’s ever smiled at. The book is bright, interactive, sensory oriented and a cute story. We love to add our own little something since it’s a puppet and Cobi loves it. This is a book he loves to play with on his own. At 8 months, he has now put together that it’s a puppet and we use our finger for it, so he loves to turn it over and explore. I love watching him connect the things he is learning and absorbing and put it into practice; this book is a great example of that and really encourages that.

3. Plip Plop Pond:: This book is genius; it’s called an indestructible, as it doesn’t rip or tear and is toxic free and totally chew-proof. It’s very practical for babies who are especially orally fixated! It has no words which allows for you (and your child) to use the imagination. We keep it simple: “Good night says the frog! Good night Cobi, says the firefly.” He loves to play with the pages and yes, chew on them. :)

4. Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?:: Cobi doesn’t actually own this book, but as a nanny some of my nanny “children” have and it has been a hit with babies, toddlers and school-age children. In face with one family I worked for, it was one little boy’s first book he ever read once he started reading. It’s such a simple story, but is so sweet and fun and educational as it teaches about different animals. As a kid I always loved Eric Carle and his unique form of art.

5. Night Night Little Pookie:: I am an avid fan of Sandra Boynton. Her style plays right into what babies and toddlers love. Even my 2nd grade little sister still loves her books! They consist of cute stories, simple and fun pictures and an adorable child character. Pookie is also a sweet and obedient little child, and some of my issues with certain modern books (cough**Curious George**cough) is that they have mischievous and/or naughty characters and I would rather not encourage those behaviors. In this playful book, the mom says it’s time for bed and she and Pookie go through their night routine.

6. The Going To Bed Book:: This book is a staple in our bedtime routine. It’s a cute little story of a group of friends getting ready for bed together. Again, a Sandra Boynton book!

7. Little Hoot:: I cannot rave enough about how ADORABLE this book is! Okay, so maybe Cobi isn’t in love with it quite as much as I am! Haha! It’s an adorable story about a little owl whose parents teach him that as an owl he must stay up late, and little hoot complains, “But all my friends get to go to bed early, why can’t I?” It is so fun and silly and so different from other books that complain, “Do I HAVE to go to bed now?!”. The art is adorable. I totally love it. This book is not a board book however, so it is not one I let my son have on one of his lower shelves.

8. Touch And Feel Baby Animals:: This is a book Cobi takes off the shelves too. I love to watch him explore each page with his hands and feel the different textures. His favorite pages are the bunny and the gorilla, as they are the furriest and he will often continually flip between the two pages feeling each one.