Top 10 Categories of Books for Infants

Top 10 Categories of Books for Infants Cognitive, Social, Emotional, Linguistic and Cultural Needs

When looking for books for your infant, it is important to make sure that you are meeting the needs of the whole child. By looking for diverse categories of books from the start, you can help your child meet their developmental needs as infants (e.g. peek-a-boo, sound books), set them up for success with routines (e.g., routine books) and allow for them to develop a basic understanding of toddlerhood (e.g., emotions books, prosocial behavior books).

1. Sound books (e.g., Moo, Zoom) – develops early literacy skills, children learn to play with sounds  and differentiate sounds before identifying them visually (i.e.phonemic awareness)
2. Alphabet books – develops early literacy skills, children learn to visually identify letters (i.e. phonics)
3. Bilingual books (e.g., body parts, colors) – develops bilingual skills; bilingualism gives children social, linguistic, and cognitive advantages in life
4. Nursery Rhyme books (e.g., wheels on the bus)- develops oral language skills, engages infants through hand gestures and finger plays
5. Peek-a-Boo Books– reinforces object permanence; infants love repetition and mastering the skill of playing peek-a-boo with books and people!
6. Touch & Feel Sensory Books– reinforces sensory development; infants make sense of the world through their senses
7. Routine books (e.g.,good night routines)– reinforces routines for babies; infants like predictable routines to make sense of their ever-changing world; it provides them with comfort and a sense of belonging
8. Pro-social Books (e.g., saying hello, please, sharing) – develops social skills; provides infants/toddlers with an understanding of how to greet friends and use their manners with simple words and gestures
9. Feelings/Emotions (e.g., happy, sad) – promotes emotional skills; provides infants/toddlers with visuals to identify and recognize feelings (also good for transitions to toddlerhood and managing  tantrums)
10. Multicultural Books – develops social skills and an awareness of others; helps infants/toddlers make sense of their diverse world by exposing them to various races, ethnicities, and cultures

By Amita Roy Shah, Ed.D.