Best Baby Board Books

This popular series from author Nina Laden is an instant classic. Colorful die-cut pages create an ever-unfolding, ever-surprising game of peek-a-boo. Rhyming text engages young ears, and kids, babies and toddlers are invited to join a guessing game. This box set includes board book editions of Peek-a Who?, Peek-a Zoo! and Peek-a Choo-Choo!

Long before they’re able to talk, babies have a whole lot to say. With this adorable board book of essential signs, babies and toddlers can easily learn how to communicate their needs, wants and feelings through simple gestures. Just point to a sign in the book, and say the word while making the sign to help baby learn.

Teach your little one essential first words with this bright board book. It features 100 simple first words to read and learn paired with 100 color photographs to look at and talk about. And the cover is softly padded—perfect for little hands to hold.

This book tells its story using a playful, percussive chant that kids adore. The story relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree. Colorful and rhythmic, with an electric color palette, the simple brilliance of this book has made it a favorite.

This is the very first book in the popular Spot collection in which a momma dog leads readers on a fun lift-the-flap hunt as she searches for her puppy, Spot. Forty years after its first printing, Where’s Spot? continues to win over generations of readers. The clear language is accessible for those who are just learning to use their words, and this durable board book edition means there’s no need to worry about torn pages.

Eric Carle’s picture book about a little caterpillar’s big appetite has become a modern classic. The iconic illustrations are a fun way to begin teaching your child counting and the days of the week. This special board book edition comes in a small size that’s ideal for tiny hands to hold and flip through the pages.

This book explains energy, atoms and other basic concepts in simple terms with a sense of humor and illustrations that make the concepts easier to digest.

Lucy Darling’s collection of travel-themed board books offer delightful, retro-feel illustrations filled with color. This wildlife primer and tour of the National Parks takes you across the country, from Acadia to Yosemite and from the Grand Canyon to the Grand Tetons. Her “All Aboard!” series includes books on California and the Pacific Northwest, also available in board book format.

The BabyLit series includes over 20 classic titles, adapted for the youngest of audiences and all in board book editions. Each book has an educational focus, like counting, weather, anatomy, emotions and more, expressed through simplified versions of literary classics like Jane Eyre, Frankenstein and Sherlock Holmes. Alice in Wonderland is a vivid and playful exploration of color; the Cheshire Cat, the red Queen of Hearts, the white rabbit and other colorful characters are illustrated with bright, modern graphics in this irresistible board book.

All animals have a color of their own: elephants are gray, pigs are pink, goldfish are orange. But the chameleon changes to match whatever environment he’s in. This makes the chameleon sad, but he finally gets the consistency he desires when he befriends a fellow chameleon, and the two travel together through gloriously vivid colorscapes. This book is both a heartwarming story of friendship and an excellent way for little ones to learn their colors.