I can't believe this is my first post writing about children's books, given that I started my IG account documenting all the books I had read with Fina. Fortunately I can revisit all of the ones we loved with Gemma and feature them here.
As soon as Gemma started grabbing things, we gave her books to flip, feel and read aloud with her sitting on our laps. It was right around 7-8 months old, both girls began flipping books independently. While there's no limit to what books you should read with your baby, some books can help infants learn and retain information better. A study by the University of Florida suggests that books that clearly name and label people and objects tend to be more beneficial to their cognitive development. That being said, read ANY book you have, reading fosters a child's imagination, literacy, empathy, and so much more.
So let us share some of our favorites, loved by both Fina and Gemma, great for babies at the age of 6 months to a year old.
This is our girls' absolute favorite! It is the perfect size for babies to hold, with very simple rhyming words, cut out holes, and a mirror at the last page of the book. Gemma reads this book a few times in a day and laughs and giggles whenever she sees herself in the mirror. For $5, this book is the best bang for your buck!
This is a lift-the-flap book that is short and sweet, and the perfect size for a baby to hold. It features animals from the zoo and to my surprise, Gemma adores the fierce lion the most. She constantly flips it back to that page and admires the lion.
3. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? - Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle
A must read by Gemma almost every day. The realistic sounds of the animals and colorful illustrations from Eric Carle never fails to entertain. Gemma would look for the lion in this book, and then point to the Dear Zoo book to reference the two lions. I am amazed at how she finds the connection between the two books. Babies are more capable than we give them credit for.
This is Gemma's Christmas gift from her fairy-book-mother. This book entertains Gemma for a good amount of time (15 minutes) without her looking for me or being distracted by toys nearby. Animals are categorized in different themes, such as the fastest or the most colorful, with 2-3 flapping tabs per theme.
30 sound buttons of farm animals that engage your little ones. The recording names the animal and then plays the sound it makes. It was the perfect birthday present when Fina turned one from the mama who introduced us to all the coolest books we now enjoy in our home library. To pay it forward, I had bought numerous copies as gifts as well.
This sing along book has seven Indonesian folks songs in it. Daddy's family is from Indonesia, and we would love for both of our girls to be able to at least understand the language. Since we don't have families close by to reinforce our native languages (mine is Cantonese), books are second best resources to instill the language in them.
A book about rainbow colors, ribbons magically appear when you flap the pages. It is a great book to introduce your children to colors, and the ribbons are a nice touch.
A book with just ONE word. Yet, it creates such a charming story of a ball, a little girl and her dog. If our dog could understand this story, I bet it would be his favorite book to read LOL.
We purchased this book at an Usborne "party", and it was an instant hit for both my baby and my 5 year old. It comes with some sticky "band-aids" to cover the wounded animals, genius idea right? Gemma would play with the band-aids while Fina reads the book to her. It is such a great book for sibling bonding (while they ain't fighting over the band-aids), and it gives me a few minutes of rest time.
All your favorites nursery rhymes in one book, with the most intricate paper engineering pop-ups from Matthew Reinhart. I have sung the songs to Gemma since she was born and it is truly one of those books that grows with your child. We do have to be careful as the tabs and paper can be ripped off easily by an infant.
BONUS #1:
We adore all the books from Jo Witek, but especially this one. Fina has been waiting for her sister (siblings) for a very very long time. This book, in her opinion, describes her longing and excitements. It is the sweetest book to read with my girls, reminiscing the journeys I took with them.
BONUS 2:
Fina chooses one book from the Elephant & Piggie collection to read out loud as bed-time story every night, while Gemma flaps the book sitting on daddy's lap. She absolutely LOVES them, especially the endpapers, she is obsessed!
I hope you enjoy our selections of books and get inspired to pick up a book or two and read with your little ones. A new book perhaps or an old favorite, cuddle inside with a blanket or a picnic blanket under the sun! "Books may well be the only true magic" - Alice Hoffman. So let's add some magic in your life and Happy Reading! XOXO
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Dear Auntie Karen, I am impressed by the resourcefulness of your posts about your lovely and beautiful daughters Fina and Gemma. It has been a wonderful job, interesting for giving suggestions and encouraging reading and interaction between brothers, and even more knowing that they are not stories, but true events in your daily life. My congratulations, I miss you so much, including Gemma that I don't know personally. A hug to everyone🤗👏👏👏💝😘😘