The Best Books for Babies 3-6 Months

My husband has a special nostalgia for reading to our son during this 3-6 month time period.  Little B was increasingly awake and alert, but not yet mobile.  This meant that my husband could read him very, very long books with little complaint from the baby.  It was a sweet way for B and his dad to connect, as his dad enjoyed sharing some of his childhood favorites, such as Robert McClosky's Make Way For Ducklings.

When we wanted B to engage a little more with books, though, we often chose ones with photographs of baby's faces.  Little babies love looking at faces, particularly baby faces!  We also read often during tummy time, and it was a great way to extend tummy time just a few minutes.  Books that we could sing along with were always fun for this purpose.  I would prop B up on the Boppy and get down in front of him with a few Raffi sing-along board books.  We also introduced cloth books around this time.  B was starting to be able to use his hands, and he loved to explore textures.  I always had a cloth book in my diaper bag from 3-12 months, since they functioned both as a tactile toy and an interactive book when we needed a little entertainment on the go.

Here are our favorites for the wee little 3-6 month set:

1.  Moo, Baa, La La La, by Sandra Boynton.  This is a short, silly read that is enjoyable for grown-ups and babies!  Animal sounds are great for babies to hear as they experiment with vocalization.  By 6 months, your baby may be able to produce the /M/ and /B/ sound, so it is great for them to hear you saying "Moo" and "Baa" along with the text!

2. Counting Kisses, by Karen Katz.  This is a particularly sweet book to share at bedtime.  Babies love the faces in Karen Katz's illustrations.

3. Wheels on the Bus (Raffi Songs to Read), by Raffi and Sylvie Wickstrom.  Your little one will love hearing you sing as you turn the pages.  Check out all the details of life in a French village in the illustrations.  This one is great for tummy time.

4. Baby Faces Peekaboo!  by DK Publishing.  We have a few books in this series and they have long been favorites.  Your baby will love seeing the photos of other babies and marvel as you open the flaps.  The mirror at the end is great fun!

5. Jellycat Farm Tails Book.  The content here is very simple, but babies love the repetitive language.  It is a great cloth book, with texture galore.  Put it in your diaper bag and read on the go!