BABY BOOKS parents swear by

BOOKS are marvellous, and oh how wondrous their imaginations will be when you introduce books to your children early on! But where should you start when they are babies? Dr Seuss? Bible stories?

Here we share some of the books parents swear by, that they started their kids with early, and helped curate their love for reading.

First 100 books — Roger Priddy Whether it’s the first 100 words, 100 animals or numbers, colours and shapes, these books will help your baby with identifying words with pictures.

“My baby continues to show an interest in these books, which were my first book purchase after she was born, and she will pick them up daily and go through, always fascinated each time,” Samara, mom of 18-month-old Mari said.

Chocolate Me — Taye Diggs

“I got this Taye Diggs book as a gift when my son was born, and it’s one of the books he still draws for when he reads, even though he’s had it a few years,” said Dianne, mom of four-year-old Ethan. “I think it gives him some amount of self-confidence, and makes him feel brave.”

Dr Seuss

“Dr Seuss books have been a staple on bookshelves since I was a kid, and I made sure that I got the set on Amazon for my girls,” said Anna-kaye, mom of sixyear-olds Annaleise and Amaya. “The books help them with pronunciation, they’re fun to read, and silly enough to always get the girls laughing no matter how sad they are.”

Goodnight Moon — Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd

“This is the perfect bedtime story book, and there’s a reason it’s a hit with parents — the authors just get it!” said Tiffany, mom of two-year-old Ysabel. “I got it at my baby shower and couldn’t be happier with it, as it’s a great way to relax, say goodbye to a stressful day, and I’m assured that she will go right off to sleep after reading.”

Mr Men — Roger Hargreaves

“This is another series that has been around since I was a girl, and I remember that I used to love reading them,” said Lois, mother of seven-year-old Jonathan. “So imagine my glee when I saw them at a bookshop here on special

— I grabbed up every single

Mr Men and Little Miss books I could find, and my son absolutely adores them, as there’s always a character to identify with.”

The I Love You Book — Todd Parr

“I like this book because it celebrates the love between a parent and child, and is a great gift for any parent to gift to their child,” said Joan, mother of eight-year-old Olivia. “It reassures my daughter that she is, and will always be loved.”

The Giving Tree — Shel Silverstein

“This book is a classic that I was happy to share with my son,” said

Lois. “It teaches about kindness, love and sacrifice — all positive traits that I want him to have.”

Guess How Much I Love You? — Sam Mcbratney and Anita Jeram

“This book tells of the love between Little Nutbrown Hare and his dad Big Nutbrown, and is an inspiring story about the love between a father and child,” Samara said. “It’s a great book to add to your collection — and it comes in all forms, including the recordable storybook format.”

My Favourite Bible Stories — Kelly-jade Nicholls, Sarah Fletcher

“This is a very child-friendly and brilliantly thought out book, that shares Bible stories in an age-appropriate and historically accurate way — think black Jesus,” said Dianne.