CLP’s Best Books for Babies 2025 list is here

Each year since 2000, a team of librarians and child development experts from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh take time to create their Best Books for Babies list, sharing about a dozen new titles that are especially great for reading to little ones.

Early literacy makes a big difference for children as they grow, so it’s really valuable to read to babies — even the youngest ones.

The books that make the Best Books for Babies list are chosen based on more than 25 criteria, including these:

• how the book sounds when read aloud 
• having clear, uncluttered illustrations
• having diverse and authentic representation of race, gender, ability, culture, and family structure
• durability (babies do like to chew on board books!) 
• age-appropriate subject matter or theme
• design for an infant audience

Here are this year’s winners (books in Spanish and English where noted):

Best Books for Babies 2025

“¿Puedes Cavar Como Un Excavadora?/Can You Dig Like a Digger?),” “¿Puedes Hacer Chú Chú a Como Un Tren?/Can You Choo Choo Like a Train?” and “¿Puedes Ladrar Como Un Perro?/Can You Bark Like a Dog?”: In these books from Child’s Play International, illustrated by Abi Hall and Cocoretto, simple questions and colorful pictures of vehicles and animals invite interaction between baby and reader. In Spanish and English.

“Black & White in Color”: This book from Greenwillow Books by Tana Hoban offers appealing photographs of babies and high-contrast graphics ensure that this sturdy book will grab baby’s attention during tummy time and beyond.

“Cinco Enormes Dinosaurios/Five Enormous Dinosaurs,” “En La Estación/Down by the Station” and “¡Salta Un Poquito!/Hop a Little”: These books from Child’s Play International by Annie Kubler and Sarah Dellow celebrate a dinosaur countdown, a busy morning, music, and movement. In Spanish and English, featuring babies with diverse abilities and identities.

“A Flock of Gulls, a Chorus of Frogs”: In this book from Harbour Publishing by Roy Henry Vickers and Lucky Budd, groups of familiar and unfamiliar animals of the West Coast appear on embossed pages. Vickers, an Indigenous artist, provides high-contrast beauty and subtle textures while expanding vocabulary.

“Hello, Face!”:  This title by Aya Khalil from by Barefoot Books lets families laugh, sneeze, yawn and listen along to this inclusive homage to facial features.

“Hello Hello Colors”: This book from Chronicle Kids by Brendan Wenzel, filled with a parade of animals and insects, offers the opportunity to expand vocabulary while enjoying quirky, colorful illustrations. What starts as simple point-and-say illustrations will be a book baby grows with.

“Little Chick”: This Candlewick Press book by Petr Horáček has peek-through pages that encourage babies to grab on and explore, while repetitive text provides a rhythm for a little chick’s day on the farm.

“My First Book of Baby Signs”: This Callisto Publishing title by Lane Rebelo with illustrations by Cait Brennan has graphic illustrations, accompanied by instructions featuring babies and caregivers and it shows how to make each sign.

“Peekaboo Lion”: In this book from Candlewick Press by Camilla Reid, illustrations by Ingela P. Arrhenius, sturdy sliders reveal animals in bold colors, promoting the fine motor skills that emerge around the end of baby’s first year. A mirror at the end will bring a smile to baby’s face.

“Tummy Time: Farm” and “Tummy Time: Savanna (Nosy Crow)”: In this book by Louise Lockhart, fold-out pages share a “say hello” scene on one side and up-close depictions of animals on the other to delight babies during tummy time and beyond.

The Best Books for Babies committee has also shared these tips to help caregivers make the most of reading with little ones:

• Babies explore their world through touch and taste. Share sturdy books and books that offer different textures and sensations. Board books, in particular, are a good choice since babies are less likely to damage them in their explorations.
  
• Books with simple black against white pictures really appeal to babies and are easiest for babies ages birth to 6 months to see. Young babies also love patterns and photographs of people’s faces, especially other babies.
  
• Read, read, repeat! Be willing to read stories over and over again. But also give yourself permission to give some books a rest sometimes.
• Young children are wiggly! Do your best to share books when your child is relaxed, but still alert. And don’t be afraid to put a book down and pivot to another activity. Reading throughout the day, rather than just once, helps to reinforce the idea that books are a part of everyday life.
  
• Tune in, talk more! Share new words every day. Point to pictures on the page as you describe them. Make connections to things you see and interact with in real life, too.
  
• Children learn from everything they experience. Talk, sing, read, write and play, at least a little bit, every day. When you share these activities with young children, you’re helping them develop the early literacy skills (or reading readiness skills) they need to learn to read.

Throughout the year CLP hosts Best Books for Babies storytime events and CLP staff will also be at this year’s Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books on May 31. Click right here for information about Best Books for Babies, including previous book selections.