Books to Build a “First” Library for New & Expecting Parents from Candlewick Press!

Welcome, New Readers!

Any parent knows that reading to your child is essential! In April 2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced a new study that provided further evidence that book sharing in early childhood may promote brain development in supporting reading readiness.

Candlewick Press provides the best picks for filling out first home libraries to get families reading together early and often!

Owl Babies

By Martin Waddell, Illustrated by Patrick Benson

BB: 9780763679613∙ September 2015 ∙ $6.99∙ 22 pages ∙ Ages 0-3

When three baby owls awake one night to find their mother gone, they can’t help but wonder where she is. Stunning illustrations capture the owls as they worry about their mother: What is she doing? When will she be back? Not surprisingly, a joyous flapping and dancing and bouncing greets her return, lending a celebratory tone to the ending of this comforting tale. Never has the plight of young ones who miss their mother been so simply told or so beautifully rendered.

“There aren’t many ‘baby books’ that convey this kind of emotional richness supported by a perfect artistic form.” – Washington Post Book World

My Thoughts

This book is really cute. It's a board book so it's short and sweet, making it perfect for younger children with a short attention span. The thick cardboard is also a lot harder to rip. The story resolves around three little owls. They wake up at night and find their mother isn't there. They worry about her and miss her, and of course in the end she comes back to them.  There isn't much action, and it gets a little repetitive, but what it lacks in storyline it makes up for in illustrations. The images of the baby owls are really beautiful and my children enjoy flipping through the book simply to look at them.

Snuggle Up with Mother Goose

By Iona Opie, Illustrated by Rosemary Wells

BB: 9780763678678∙ October 2015 ∙ $8.99∙ 26 pages ∙ Ages 0-3

Books and vibrant language are vitally important early learning tools. With that in mind, selected poems from Iona Opie’s classic Mother Goose nursery-rhyme compilations are gathered here in a sturdy, baby-friendly board book just right for lap time, nap time, or any time, really. Accentuating the soothing rhymes are cuddly creatures warming their hands and wishing on stars. So snuggle up with Mother Goose and give the hush-a-bye baby in your life a solid and loving head start.

 When I Grow Up

By Emma Dodd

HB: 9780763679859∙ September 2015 ∙ $8.99∙ 24 pages ∙ Ages 2-5

“When I grow up I want to be clever and funny, wild and free.” 

One little bear shares his hopes and dreams in this picture-book treasure from the ever-popular Emma Dodd. This line of books features rhyming text and delightful artwork that is embellished with foil throughout.

My Thoughts

My son just loves bears so he really enjoyed this book. He's only three, so he can't sit through a long story, but this one is just the right length for toddlers. It talks about all tee things the bear wants to be when he grows up in cute little rhymes. The pictures of the bears are really adorable too. This is such a great book that can really help younger kids get into reading. 

Say It!

By Charlotte Zolotov, Illustrated by Charlotte Voake

HB: 9780763681159 ∙ September 2015 ∙ $15.99∙ 32 pages ∙ Ages 2-5

It’s a golden, windy autumn day, and a mother a daughter set out walking among the swirling leaves. As they wend their way, they share little adventures—spying a kitten, seeing the trees zigzag with streaks of color, catching some floating milkweed, watching the setting sun color the clouds. Throughout their walk, the girl keeps urging her mother to “say it” with more and more persistence. What could “it” be? From a sterling picture-book team comes a quiet story that shows the many ways love is expressed in the small moments shared between parent and child.

 The New Small Person

By Lauren Child

HB: 9780763678104∙ February 2015 ∙ $17.99∙ 32 pages ∙ Ages 4-8

Elmore Green starts life as an only child, as many children do. He has a room to himself, where he can line up his precious things and nobody will move them one inch. But one day everything changes. When the new small person comes along, it seems that everybody might like it a bit more than they like Elmore Green. And when the small person knocks over Elmore’s things and even licks his jelly-bean collection, Elmore’s parents say that he can’t be angry because the small person is only small. Elmore wants the small person to go back to wherever it came from. Then, one night, everything changes. . . . In her signature visual style, Lauren Child gets to the heart of a child’s evolving emotions about becoming a big brother or sister.

Guess How Much I Love You: Deluxe Book and Toy Gift Set

By Sam McBratney, Illustrated by Anita Jeram

BB: 9780763681081∙ September 2015 ∙ $15.99∙ 24 pages ∙ Ages 3-7

Combine one of the best-selling children’s books of all time with a cuddly Little Nutbrown Hare to hug, and you have the perfect way to say, “I love you right up to the moon and back!” Whether for devotees of Guess How Much I Love You or complete newcomers, this winsome gift set is guaranteed to charm.

 There’s Going to Be a Baby

By John Burningham, Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

HB: 9780763649074∙ August 2014 ∙ $7.99∙ 48 pages ∙ Ages 2-5

When is the baby coming? What will we call it? John Burningham’s timeless story, perfectly complemented by Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations, follows the swirl of questions in the mind of a young child anticipating a baby sibling with excitement, curiosity, and just a bit of trepidation.

«   “Delights on many levels. . . . A gorgeous book, full of warmth, spirit, and imagination.” — Booklist (starred review)