The 7 Best Baby Board Books
Kristin Perry, fearless leader of our travel division, and mother of two beautiful, Waldorf-educated boys has put together a list of the 7 greatest baby board books, and why she loves them. Do you have any to add to the list? Let us know!
- Gerta Muller: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn. Okay so technically this should be numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. But I’m going to make them one, because you have to have the whole set or you won’t…feel complete. These books are filled with gorgeous illustrations of childhood whimsy. You may relate to her illustrations better than the iPad generation, but you may also be inspired to reconnect to some of the forgotten family traditions from each season.
- Gyo Fujikawa: Ten Little Babies. Given to us after the birth of my youngest child, by the youngest child of a friend, I initially thought it was just a sweet gesture by a little boy. I understood the meaning of it once we dug in with our baby; he wanted to hear it over and over, with its’ adorable imagery to go with the sing-song-ey structure of the rhymes. It has a beautiful rhythm, much like Goodnight Moon, and we found ourselves reciting the lines when soothing our baby to sleep, without even needing to see the book. Honorable mention: Baby Animals, another by Gyo Fujikawa.
- Kim Krans: Hello Sacred Life. I’ve been a fan of Kim’s work since hearing of her from a mutual Philadelphian friend way back when. She, along with her partner, are artistically inspiring, from interior design to musicianship to… a beautiful baby book. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this so I could put it into my baby’s little hands. Of course, he loved it and all of the gorgeous pen and ink illustrations. The book closes with his very favorite page: “animals and baby,” as he calls it.
- Alexandra Day: Good Dog, Carl. This series, about a mischievous dog named Carl who takes his little baby charge on all kinds of adventures, we first found in a thrift store, and picked it up because our baby was (is) dog-crazy. We soon learned from the cashier that Carl was a very famous series from the 90s. We’ve been collecting Carl books ever since, and they are enjoyed very much- maybe too much, as I think our baby is getting some naughty ideas from Carl’s antics.
- Eric Carle: The Very Busy Spider. This author is kind of a classic; a no-brainer. However, this is not a book I was familiar with (despite my familiarity with others) before I picked it up for my son. Well, he wanted to read it every time we sat down to read, for weeks. The story is very simple, and it is textured, which gives the littles something to connect with.
- Ezra Jack Keats: The Snowy Day. A great book outlining the simple pleasures of a snowy day or, “snow day” as we call it. I love the way the author describes the movements of the little boy the way children see them; the snow crunch-crunch-crunching beneath his feet, the discovery of a stick to write in the snow, and sliding down a hill. All of these things are seen through the eyes of a child as if it’s the first time.
- Sibylle von Offers: (My First) Root Children. Another book well-known in the Waldorf community and written by a German Art teacher, it has beautiful illustrations depicting the different seasons and the roles of Mother Earth and The Root Children. It perfectly appeals to the awe and wonder that children naturally possess, in a very simple story. I gave this to my baby for Easter and he “read” it non-stop.