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I’m reaching the phase of my life where my friends are becoming moms, and thus there are lots of gifts to be given and lots of milestones to celebrate. Recently, when one of my friends gave birth, I gifted her a mini-bookshelf comprised of books I loved when I was a kid along with new ones that looked cool, like Very Good Hats, which has a cool illustration style and might look nice displayed on a bookshelf, and The People Could Fly, a book of Black folktales that I listened to on tape nightly until I was 9, and Corduroy, my favorite cartoon bear. She loved it so much I repeated it again, and plan to do it whenever a new member of our community comes along. I’m also highly aware of how things look, and so when gifting books, I look for content, but also aesthetics, picking books with unique art styles that I, childless, might want in my own library.
Below, a list of giftable children’s books — recommended by Strategist writers, pulled from our archives and my purchase history.
“Black & White” by Tana Hoban
now 36% off
$7
Newborn babies are still developing their eyesight and see the world in black-and-white. For that reason, Strategist writer Lauren Ro recommends this highly graphic book — which unfolds accordion style so babies can stare at it during tummy time — as another great one for infants.
$7
at Amazon$6
at Target“Rhymoceros” by Janik Coat
now 6% off
$16
Rhymoceros is about a rhinoceros who rhymes, pairing words like stinky and inky or caring and daring through various high jinks and scenarios. Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio likes it as a “less obvious” choice than say, The Hungry Caterpillar, and calls it a “perfect mix of simple concepts, good design, and clever, minimal text.”
$16
at Amazon$17
at Barnes & Noble“Clap Hands” by Helen Oxenbury
$6
now 25% off
$6
This board book has been in circulation since 1999, delighting babies with its interactive format. The reader claps their hands while reading, which Patricia Cantor, a professor of early-childhood education at Plymouth State University, tells us helps babies pick language up more quickly.
$6
at Amazon$8
at Target
Kind Crocodile
now 6% off
$16
To liven up bedtime, a fun story about a crocodile trying to help his friends who are being chased. Hijinks ensue and Crocodile ends up carrying an ark-full of animals on his back, including an antelope, hedgehog, and mouse.
$16
at Amazon$16
at Amazon“The Family Book” by Todd Parr
$9
If you’re looking for ways to celebrate diversity early on, this book by Todd Parr showcases lots of different kinds of families — families with two moms or two dads, big families, and clean and messy ones too. “The general message is that all families are not the same but they basically and ultimately all care about similar things like love,” says Lisa Knowlton, the children’s buyer at 192 Books.
$9
at Amazon$9
at Bookshop
“The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein
$18
The true meaning of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree is still up for debate — some have said it’s a thesis about parenting while others take it as a more straightforward book about how we treat nature. Either way, it’s sure to keep your child entertained.
$18
at Barnes & NobleDaniel Kwan Kids Book Set
$55
For the cinephile parents, Daniel Kwan, the co-director of Everything Everywhere All at Once has also written two children’s books, which turn the multiverse and the origin of cosmic energy into a bedtime story.
$55
at A24
“The Ultimate Art Museum” by Ferren Gipson
$40
$40
They’ll also like The Ultimate Art Museum, which came up in our story about the best Black coffee-table books. It’s about an imaginary museum that contains 40,000 of the world’s greatest art. It’s both visually beautiful and educational: Every piece of art comes with a bit of background about the artist and how the work exists in the greater context of a moment or movement.
$40
at PhaidonActually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts.
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