Since you are a sewer, you could make her cloth books. My girls loved the cloth books. They would carry them around, sleep with them, and of course always want the book the other one was reading. They are now 17 and 19 and still carry a book everywhere they go. Not the cloth ones of course. :)

Little Golden Books (not well made like old times... but inexpensive and great stories)........ The Cherkindoose, any Skippy Jon Jones (when Layla is a little older)

Bernstein Bears. ( I can't spell) but they were my daughter's favorites. There are many in the series and I must have read them 100 times each before she fell asleep each night.

Think long term, The Box Car Children series is wonderful~

My sister, a teacher, turned me on to the Richard Scarry books. The first we acquired was "What do people do all day." Can't say enough about how wonderful they are for toddlers. Never get tired of reading them and looking for all the cool details.

poet jack prelutsky is fun reading out loud and very funny Highly recommend him for both the mom and child.

I don't think anyone has mentioned The Little Engine That Could....one of my all time favs.

On the Night You were born. A great go to bed story to read.

I love you through and through. I read this to my 2yr old every night.Big hit.

Good Night Moon

Oh, get her one of those Hallmark books where to record your voice by reading the story to her. Expensive but she will have your voice for ever.

We also have a favorite book that I picked up at Goodwill or another thrift store. It's called "Goodnight, goodnight" and is probably from the late 1970's.

Just found it on a search ... it was published 1980 and is by Eve Rice. Here's a review someone did of it: http://atuesdaystory.blogspot.com/20...goodnight.html

There are so many wonderfully funny and delightful children's books for all ages... asking the book store clerk (Barnes & Nobles keeps personnel up to date) is often a good source... also your public library... you could also call the reading department/ administration at your county school as they probably have a list (they will be delighted with your interest). But here are a few of my and my students favorites (1st through 3rd grade): Amelia Bedelia (a series); any books by Roald Dahl; Curious George (always a good series); Lowly Worm (series); these are just a few; I loved the books as much as my students. Reading to your children and delighting in books is one of the best activities a parent/grandparent/adult can do for a child. Have fun!

They are expensive but Oh so worth it!!! :lol:

From Pre-K on my kids loved the Adam Raccoon series by Glen Keane. As an adult I collect children's ABC and counting books. There are so many out there with wonderful themes and beautiful illustrations. You can get excellent prices on new and used media including books, CDs & DVDs at http://www.half.com I buy there all the time and have never been disappointed. Congrats on the new grandbaby!

"I'll Love You Forever"
Goodnight Moon
Where the Wild Things Are
Pat the Bunny
Five Monkeys Jumping on the Bed


My Mom buys all the greats a Nursery Tale book for their first Christmas.It's a "thing" in our family. And if you ever give a book, you must write in the front cover who it's to and from and a message for the recipient.

I've been watching for favorites at garage sales and second-hand stores since I'm now about to have my first grandchild that lives in the area. :) Some go to Mommy's house and some stay at Grandmas! Can you tell I'm excited? 5 weeks and counting!

Wasn;t this the one written by Jamie Lee Curtis?

"Goodnight Moon"

It's my stepdaughters baby...so I am a bonus grandparent...and I "KNOW" how my stepdaughters mother and grandmother are, so it's easier if I don't compete, for family harmony... They might both pick apart my quilting, my color choices, my pattern choice, lol...

I have made her one quilt, and it's not like I won't in the future, I just LOVE books even more, and plan to keep that my signature gift...

Keep the books coming (most were already on my list, but there are some others I've missed!)[/quote]

I think you're wise to choose a different, low-key way to go. Keep it less stressful for you and the Mommy. Later on, if you choose to do more, that's your business. But new moms get so much stuff at first anyway; as the baby grows they always need larger clothing, etc and people tend to give newborn things as gifts. So you'll have chances later on when she needs things and the gift-giving is over. Mom will doubly appreciate it then! :)
You obviously love books and what better gift to give a child than the love of reading? Books are ALWAYS an appropriate gift and are getting costly to buy new. I watch for nearly new/new at garage sales and have good luck doing so.Best wishes!

Give the mama Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses to read in the hospital.

EVERYTHING by Sandra Boynton. I love her books and her art is so cute! My girls (3 and 5) also love the Madeline books. ANd don't forget Harry the Dirty Dog, one of my faves when I was a kid too!

Hi,
I have a home daycare, and the most important quality in a book is if you like to read it. So don't buy a book until you have read it completely. Also, children like books that have rhythm and rhyming in them. (These are more fun to read to them out loud) They also like surprise endings - and believe me, they are surprised EVERY time you get to the ending even if you think that you can't stand reading it even one more time.

PS Congratulations on the new grandbaby. Babies are such a blessing!!
Tori

An excellent source for children's book is from the PBS series "Reading Rainbow".

The show was hosted By LeVar Burton and ran for 26 years (ending in August 2009).

They have the best and most eclectic list of wholesome quality books. Most are award winning titles.

As a retired educator I can tell you that reading to a child, (even a high schooler!!!) is the most lasting and precious gift anyone can give. Nothing says "I love you" like sharing your time.

Reading to a child and reading in front of a child by parents teaches that reading is important. "So important that we devote special time for reading, and you should too!"

Reading to one's self is good way for a child to learn to entertain themself and is a refuge when they are troubled, sad or mad.

Having taught elementary, middle and high, at the end of the year the things they liked the most all year were:
1: Hearing true stories about what life was like when I was a kid (you know-the olden days before there were trees!!)

2: Being read to, especially dramatically read poems, stories and novels.

Here is the (very long) link right to the list:

http://www.google.com/search?q=readi...ls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&source=hp&channel=np#hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=rbI&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&q=reading+rainbow+books&rev id=-1&sa=X&ei=pConTv_9EcrLgQeFichc&ved=0CJcBENUCKAE&ba v=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=1a31cd8525d58c0a&biw=1140& bih=1189

Hmmm...so many books to choose from!

'Spot' the dog books
Guess how much I love you
Mama, do you love me? -Barbara Joosse
Skippyjon Jones series
Ferdinand the Bull
Corduroy series
A snowy day - Ezra Jack Keats
Llama Llama Red Pajama
Where the wild things are
Curious George
Mi Carrito - Gary Soto
Amelia Bedelia
Fancy Nancy
Anything Eric Carle

Also, my girls like this website to read books online (a bit early for newborns) ;)

http://www.wegivebooks.org/

There are so many great children's books out there! We have a ton, but I work in a bookstore through out College so it's no surprise to anyone. The books my 5 month old loves the most right now are:

Guess How Much I Love You (she smiles when we help her do the actions in the book and we do them too)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You
Jillian Jiggs
Fish, Swish! Splash, Dash!
and her cloth books that have crinkly stuff inside of them.

How about adding a cute bookcase with a painted quilt pattern on it?

Ditto, The Runaway Bunny.

Don't forget all the Classic Nursery Rhymes and Children's Stories ... and seasonal ones!

* Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus
* The Nut Cracker
* etc.
(yes, not really baby, but important to include!)

i have an idea...here's what i did at my daughters shower. instead of a wishing well i asked for everybody to bring a book. maybe if there are certain ones you just ahve to have you can make a list or maybe register at a book store.

For when she is a bit older- Bill Pete books.

do you have Kohl's stores near you? The sell books for $5 and money goes to a children's charity. a real win win!

Enjoy the new one!

Excellent idea!

Duck on a Bike by David Shannon, is a favorite of mine. My daughter loved, and had memorized most of, Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel. Berenstein Bears were always a hit, too.

There are so many wonderful children's books out - have fun! Garage sales and thrift stores are good places to find books.

My book for my daughter was "Guess how much I love you." (which I now see many have mentioned.)
Makes me cry every time I read it!
Another one is "if you were my bunny." That one has songs in it you can sing (sung to familiar tunes)

One of my all time favorites is "The Velveteen Rabbit".

I just ordered today...Goodnight Moon and Guess How Much I Love You for my new granddaughter due to arrive mid. Sept.

This is a fantastic list!
You must understand, in"OUR" library, a child free house, we already have things like

Where the Wild things Are,
The Napping House,
If you Give a mouse a cookie,
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,
Politically Correct Bedtime Stories,
The Little Fish that Got away,
The Magic Fish,
Dear Milli,
Goodnight Moon, etc....
(and lets not even get into Chaptered books!!!)

However, I am loving having all these title sitting here, it will help tighten up my thoughts, and of course I have the rest of her life to buy books, not just for the shower!!!

Happily, it is still around. I'm looking at my son's "Blueberries for Sal" which was first published in 1948, but his all-time favorite "The Little House" by Virginia Lee Burton was copyrighted in 1942!

Thanks for this!!

As I said previously, I am very excited about adding to her library and to the experience of reading!! My daughter, now 27, fondly recalls nights of me reading one chapter a night of books like The Secret Garden and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, long after she moved on from Dr. Seuss (not that you can really move on from Dr Seuss!!!)

One of the Grandpa's has the bookcase covered!!! I'm gonna start expanding the library in this house, after the shower we'll see how many duplicated books show up!!

The "Anne of Green Gables" books!

Our kids books have been from book sales and rummage sales etc. Some are great and some not so great. You will be surprised which ones they like and not. Books she can learn to read herself are great. Books you read and reread are wonderful especialy if you use different voices for the characters and sound affects. I play games with the kids when we read. One is to read a store they know and change words here and there, they quickly correct me. I have found other kids don't catch the connection and never realize there is an error. It has helped develope their attention to detail- now that all read they point out to me words I skipped etc. All are reading way above their grade level. As the kids develop we continue to rotate through books- we have given away more books then most ever have in their lifetime- but our kids love to read. Which reminds me I have to take the kids to the library tomorrow I recieved the complaint they have read the last arm load we go only a few days ago and there's nothing to read- all acept what's on their shelves.