89 books like Babies

By Gyo Fujikawa,

Here are 89 books that Babies fans have personally recommended if you like Babies. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Monster Mama

Jean Abernethy Author Of Fergus and the Greener Grass

From my list on read-aloud fun for little folks and big folks together.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up on a farm in a musical, artistic family. Poetry, music, animals, and laughter were the fabric of daily life. I happened to be gifted with the ability to draw. With a particular passion for horses, I eventually earned my art degree and created the cartoon character Fergus the Horse. I truly believe that when extraordinarily skilled illustrations are combined with extraordinarily skilled writing to create a published work, then the projected age recommendation for readers becomes irrelevant.

Jean's book list on read-aloud fun for little folks and big folks together

Jean Abernethy Why did Jean love this book?

First and foremost, as an artist/illustrator, I maintain that as artists, it is our job to create work that evokes emotion. This book makes the mark.

I am a fan of Stephen Gammell’s illustration. He pulls out all the stops with colour and character. Liz Rosenberg’s simplistic yet delicate story hangs us in suspense between fear and love, made whimsical by Gammell’s illustrations.

I  think this is a very powerful book and a perfect match for Gammell’s artwork. 

By Liz Rosenberg, Stephen Gammell (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Monster Mama as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Despite the fact that his beloved Mama is a monster, Patrick Edward adores her, until, one day, when Patrick Edward is attacked by three bullies, he discovers that he might be more like his mother than he had thought.


Book cover of Alice the Fairy

Lisa Rojany Author Of The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele's hell

From my list on picture books for all ages.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have published over 50 books, including award-winning and bestselling titles. I am also a publishing executive and editor with 20+ years of professional experience. My latest The Twins of Auschwitz: The Inspiring True Story of  Young Girl Surviving Mengele’s Hell, with Eva Kor, got a stellar review by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and is an international bestseller. As well as spearheading four publishing startups, I have run my own business, Editorial Services of L.A. I was Editorial/Publishing Director for Golden Books, Price Stern Sloan, Intervisual Books, Hooked on Phonics, and more. I am also the Publisher & Editor in Chief of NY Journal Of Books, the premier online-only book review site.

Lisa's book list on picture books for all ages

Lisa Rojany Why did Lisa love this book?

Written and illustrated by David Shannon, this delightful story is about a “temporary fairy” who aims to be a “permanent fairy,” but can’t quite seem to get there. Using a wand and ordinary items from her world, she effects “magic” on everything she touches, to measurable success—except when she turns a white dress into a red one and The Duchess locks her into a tower. (She escapes.) A fun story for fairy lovers!

By David Shannon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Alice the Fairy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

Caldecott Honor artist and bestselling author David Shannon's warm and funny new picture book introduces Alice, a mischievous little girl with a "No, David" nose for trouble and a magic wand.

Alice has a nose for trouble, but luckily she's a fairy--a Temporary Fairy. She has a magic wand, fairy wings, and a blanket, all of which she uses to disappear, to fly, to transform her dad into a horse, and to turn his cookies into her own! There are still a few things Alice needs to learn to become a Permanent Fairy, like how to float her dog on…


Book cover of The Rainbabies

Annie Sieg Author Of Mama Mable's All-Gal Big Band Jazz Extravaganza!

From my list on tackling complicated subjects.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a creator and lover of stories. I think storytelling is the most powerful force in the universe. Lately, the world has felt scary and divided and overwhelming for adults, I cannot fathom how confusing it must be for kids. Stories like these can help them process traumas, learn kindness and compassion, and see the world from new perspectives. 

Annie's book list on tackling complicated subjects

Annie Sieg Why did Annie love this book?

This book is hands down one of my favorite children’s books of all time. Jim LaMarche’s gorgeous illustrations had me entranced as a kid (they still do!) and as an adult revisiting the book, I am blown away by how thoughtfully it tackles some heavy real-life issues. The story centers around an older couple struggling with infertility who, through a magical springtime rain, find themselves suddenly the caretakers of 12 fantastically tiny babies.

The story has the effortless flow of a classic fairytale and along the way weaves a moving and nuanced understanding of parenting and the overall concept of family. At the heart of the story lies the message that someone does not have to be biologically related to a child to be their parent- What makes a family is love.

By Laura Krauss Melmed, Jim LaMarche (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Rainbabies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

On a moonlit night. . .

In the magic of a moonshower, a childless couple finds a dozen tiny babies in a meadow. Written in classic folktale tradition, illustrated with astonishing paintings, The Rainbabies is woven from magic and moonbeams.


Book cover of The Napping House

Lisa Rojany Author Of The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele's hell

From my list on picture books for all ages.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have published over 50 books, including award-winning and bestselling titles. I am also a publishing executive and editor with 20+ years of professional experience. My latest The Twins of Auschwitz: The Inspiring True Story of  Young Girl Surviving Mengele’s Hell, with Eva Kor, got a stellar review by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and is an international bestseller. As well as spearheading four publishing startups, I have run my own business, Editorial Services of L.A. I was Editorial/Publishing Director for Golden Books, Price Stern Sloan, Intervisual Books, Hooked on Phonics, and more. I am also the Publisher & Editor in Chief of NY Journal Of Books, the premier online-only book review site.

Lisa's book list on picture books for all ages

Lisa Rojany Why did Lisa love this book?

“There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping.” Atop the snoring grandma comes a dreaming child, who is then covered by a dozing dog, when a cat comes to snooze atop it—and then comes the wakeful flea atop the cat. Soon the pile is disrupted, the bed is broken, and no one is napping in the napping house anymore. A simple, lyrical story reminiscent of The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.

By Audrey Wood, Don Wood (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Napping House as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A board book edition of the classic cumulative tale that's perfect for bedtime, naptime...anytime!

In the napping house is a cozy bed piled high with a snoring granny, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, and a slumbering mouse. All is at peace until the appearance of an unexpected visitor and before you know it, no one is sleeping! The rounded corners, and sturdy board book pages make this book a great gift for little ones.


Book cover of Peek-A-Boo!

Meghan Cox Gurdon Author Of The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction

From my list on picture books to build a baby’s brain.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a journalist, WSJ book critic, and mother of five, I‘ve been perfectly placed to witness the astounding effects of reading aloud. For decades I've been reading to my children (and to my husband, too) every night, often for a solid hour or more. Storytime has been the central civilizing joy of our family life: We’ve bonded emotionally, gone on shared imaginative adventures, and filled our heads with pictures and words. Long ago I knew something big was happening to us, and I felt sure my children were benefitting, but it wasn’t until I began digging around into the behavioral and brain science that I learned just how consequential reading aloud can be. In my book, I lay it all out.

Meghan's book list on picture books to build a baby’s brain

Meghan Cox Gurdon Why did Meghan love this book?

This brilliant and surprisingly sophisticated book has a satisfying rhyming pace that breaks every other page, both visually and aurally, into a“Peek-a-Boo!” Tracing one day in the life of a baby boy in wartime London, it’s full of cues for parents to engage in questions and answers. For instance, the baby in the book goes to the park; the scene contains, inter alia, two perambulators, a double-decker bus, a picket fence, a zeppelin, a church spire, pink flowers, children fishing in a shallow pond, a policeman, boys with a toy boat, a gentleman carrying a walking stick and a rolled-up newspaper…. you get the idea.

By Janet Ahlberg, Allan Ahlberg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Peek-A-Boo! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Perfectly tuned for a first-book experience.”—Booklist

Peek-a-boo, I see you!

Baby peeks through holes cut in sturdy board book pages. The perfect way for very young children to play along with the classic game of peek-a-boo!


Book cover of Larky Mavis

Tricia Tusa Author Of Is That You, Eleanor Sue?

From my list on truly unique children’s tales.

Why am I passionate about this?

I decided at the age of 5 that I wanted to write and illustrate books for children. That is exactly what I have been doing the last 40 years of my adult life. I find that I walk around seeing and hearing the world as potential stories. It’s fun! I can not imagine doing anything else for a living! I recommended the 5 books that I did because they are a little strange and curious and thought-provoking. The art, as well. Therefore, they feel like they emerged from the author/illustrator from that place within, way down deep, where only authentic expression of self can be found. 

Tricia's book list on truly unique children’s tales

Tricia Tusa Why did Tricia love this book?

This feels like a fairy tale, of sorts. A curious feel to it. It is touching and evocative and strange - in that good and compelling way. Larky Mavis is somehow an endearing outcast in her small village. Is she a gypsy, is she homeless? The village sees her as socially unacceptable. Not “normal.” It would be interesting to hear the child reader’s take. I would guess a child would relate to Larky’s guilelessness - her open heart and her trust in others. Larky finds 3 peanuts. She does not eat the third one because she sees a baby inside. Perhaps a metaphor for seeing the potential in life if one’s heart is open enough. She shares her delightful discovery with others from town.

These individuals feel they are more the expert in knowing what is inside this peanut. One declares it a worm, another a mouse, another a deformed…

By Brock Cole,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Larky Mavis as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Another orginal picture-book fairy tale

Larky Mavis, an eccentric soul, finds three peanuts in the middle of the road. The first tastes like liver and onions. The second, like bread pudding. And the third -- well, inside the third is a baby. Larky Mavis decides to name it Heart's Delight and to take care of it. She shows it to the teacher, and he says it looks like a worm. She asks the parson to christen it, but he thinks it's a mouse. And when she asks the doctor to help her teach the baby to say "Ma," he thinks…


Book cover of Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence

Alice Sterling Honig Author Of Secure Relationships: Nurturing Infant/Toddler Attachment in Early Care Settings

From my list on deeply understanding infant and toddler development.

Why am I passionate about this?

Dr. Alice Sterling Honig, Professor Emerita of Child Development at Syracuse University, has spent over a half century working with and studying young children and creating numerous courses on how best to nurture early development. She has lectured widely in many countries and is the author of over 600 articles and chapters, and dozens of books on children and their caregivers. For nearly 40 summers she conducted an annual workshop  “Quality caregiving for infants and toddlers”. As a licensed  New York State psychologist, she has worked with families to ameliorate troubles in development and behavior. In Beijing, she was invited to give the “Dr. Alice Honig award” to a prominent Chinese pediatrician. She was awarded the Syracuse University Chancellor’s Citation for Academic Excellence.

Alice's book list on deeply understanding infant and toddler development

Alice Sterling Honig Why did Alice love this book?

Building on the brilliant work of Dr, Selma Fraiberg, who published Ghosts in the Nursery, detailing the consequences for impaired mother-infant relationships when the mother has had traumas in her past and then is “unable” to hear her own baby’s cries and need for nurturance, these authors go further. They provide specific details of how, during the first three years of life, insecure attachments, violence, abuse, terror, neglect, and prenatal ingestion of drugs, lead to impaired brain development, emotional disturbances, and later violent behaviors.

By Robin Karr-Morse, Meredith S Wiley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ghosts from the Nursery as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This new, revised edition incorporates significant advances in neurobiological research over the past decade, and includes a new introduction by Dr. Vincent J. Felitti, a leading researcher in the field. When Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence was published in 1997, it was lauded for providing scientific evidence that violence can originate in the womb and become entrenched in a child’s brain by preschool. The authors’ groundbreaking conclusions became even more relevant following the wave of school shootings across the nation including the tragedy at Columbine High School and the shocking subsequent shootings culminating most recently in…


Book cover of Walk On! A Guide for Babies of All Ages

Mary Cay Ricci Author Of Nothing You Can't Do!: The Secret Power of Growth Mindsets

From my list on help kids develop stick-to-itiveness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a mom and life-long educator who has often scratched my head and wondered why kids give up so easily when things become a little challenging. I learned about fixed and growth mindset principles and decided to apply them to an education setting. What I realized during this time is that both adults and kids give up too easily and demonstrate fixed mindset thinking way too often! As a result, I wrote a few books for teachers, parents, and kids about ways to develop a growth mindset! I am sharing some of my favorite books that can be a catalyst for discussing resiliency and perseverance with the kids in our life!

Mary Cay's book list on help kids develop stick-to-itiveness

Mary Cay Ricci Why did Mary Cay love this book?

At first glance, this appears to be a picture book about a baby learning to walk...but oh no...it is much more than that! It is a book about learning how to do anything - and a great book for adult learners (an excellent graduation gift as well). In this book, the baby has to face the following as they are learning to walk: support (sometimes what you think will support you, won’t), looking out for things that are fragile, pulling yourself up, and being ok if your knees buckle. Grip and pull yourself up, then find your balance. Remember to breathe, feel the sway, and let go. It’s common to fall down, are your socks bunching up? Shoes too tight? Diaper weighing you down? (Fix things before you start.) Make sure your path is clear of obstacles and expect some rough patches. Look toward where you want to…

By Marla Frazee,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Walk On! A Guide for Babies of All Ages as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Trying something new is never easy.Like walking, for instance.But aren't you sick of sitting on your bottom day in and day out? Hasn't lying around all the time become a little bit boring? This handy guide, both practical and inspirational, is here to help.With useful tips, common pitfalls, and Marla Frazee's adorable illustrations, this book is perfect for anyone--from a baby to a graduate to a grown-up--who's about to take a scary first step.


Book cover of Little You

Michelle Kaiser Author Of Special Ed and the Bull-ies

From my list on children’s stories teaching kindness and inclusion.

Why am I passionate about this?

I joined the anti-bullying crusade late in life. After writing my first book, entities were contacting me and asking if I would share their anti-bullying messages on my website. I learned so much about the increasing problem of bullying and how its tentacles reach out to other social issues such as teen suicide, school shootings, and drug use. I thought that Special Ed and the Bull-ies would be my only book but decided that it was important to make it into a series. With each book I can focus on a different aspect of this growing problem and hopefully make a difference in this world.

Michelle's book list on children’s stories teaching kindness and inclusion

Michelle Kaiser Why did Michelle love this book?

I have always enjoyed poetry and this book introduces simple couplets to children while telling a sweet story of loving Asian parents who welcome a new child. Geared to very young children, the artwork can tell the story without someone reading it to them, but the lyrical words just add to the beauty of the message. 

By Richard Van Camp, Julie Flett (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Little You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.


Book cover of Baby 411: Your Baby, Birth to Age 1

Sherry Ellis Author Of That Mama Is a Grouch

From my list on for new parents in that crazy first year.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a young mom, I had questions:  Why won’t my baby sleep? Are all these hiccups normal? Am I doing the best I can for my child? I wanted answers. So, I read lots of books and learned as much as I could. While no book can give you all the answers for your unique child, reading some good ones can take some of the mystery out of parenting.

Sherry's book list on for new parents in that crazy first year

Sherry Ellis Why did Sherry love this book?

Have you ever left the pediatrician’s office and then realized later that you forgot to ask the one question that was on your mind for days or even weeks? This book has you covered. Topics include everything from fussy baby issues to detailed nutrition information. The other thing I like is that you can look up a symptom like coughing, and it will give you a scale such as “when to call your doctor” and “red flag.” This is useful in helping you decide what to do next.

By Dr. Ari Brown, Denise Fields,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Baby 411 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"(Baby 411 is) my go-to reference so I don't bother Charlotte's pediatrician!"―Chelsea Clinton (US Weekly, Sept. 2015).

You are having a baby! Congratulations! Now, the reality hits you—what the heck am I doing?  What if you could bottle the wisdom of all those parents who’ve come before you . . . and mix it with the solid medical advice from an nationally-renowned pediatrician? Baby 411 is the answer! Think of it as the ultimate FAQ for new parents. Inside you’ll learn:

• How to pick a pediatrician with savvy questions to ask and insider tips.

• Sleep. The best way…


Book cover of Monster Mama
Book cover of Alice the Fairy
Book cover of The Rainbabies

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