It’s never too early to start building up a child’s library. Books also make the best baby shower or birthday gifts when you’re unsure of what to give. Here are some recommendations for a baby’s first library. These books are available through Amazon, Blue Fountain, Lanree via the Douban books.
Douban gives you the option of ordering books from individual sites such as Blue Fountain, but you have to register for an account first. The other option is to buy the book from Douban directly after registering with a Weibo account or phone number. The prices are in Chinese Yuan and US Dollars. There are various languages available for some of these books, including French and Spanish. The reviews below were sourced from Amazon and Douban.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
"With its lovely, humorous illustrations and wonderful story about a hungry caterpillar growing up to be a beautiful butterfly, Eric Carle’s story touches anyone who still has some growing to do. Along with reassuring repetition ("He was still hungry"), the book includes some wonderful interactive moments. What youngster can resist sticking a finger through that hole in the page as his ravenous friend makes his way through various delicacies?"
Close Your Eyes by Kate Banks
"Alternating between real-life scenes with the baby tiger and his mother and enchanted dream scenes of sleep’s possibilities, Kate Banks’s simple, comforting text and Georg Hallensleben’s bright, colorful illustrations make this a charming bedtime story for small children a must read. "Close Your Eyes" is a 2002 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year and a 2003 Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year."
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
"In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room – to the picture of the three little bears sitting in chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one – he says goodnight. In this classic of modern children’s literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day."
Guess How Much I Love You All Year Round by Sam McBratney
"This is a lovely collection of four sweet stories about the Nutbrown Hares from spring to summer to fall to winter and back. The little Nutbrown Hare has lots of questions when growing things start to sprout in the spring—and wonders what he will turn into one day. By summer, he notices colors everywhere, but there’s one that he’s sure he likes best. The autumn wind inspires hiding and chasing—and a funny surprise for Big Nutbrown Hare. And when wintertime comes, playing "I Spy" games is especially fun in the snow. These simple, endearing tales starring two of the world’s most beloved characters are perfect for sharing with little hares any time of year."
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
"Children will love this book of zoo animals with its eight color flaps. "Big print and spacious pages are the setting of a series of flap-covered pictures, each of which is tidily centered on the page which makes it just right for the ready-to-read."– Bulletin, Center for Children’s Books. There are many variations available of this book on Douban with even a noisy version with 8 interactive sound buttons to listen to the different sounds zoo animals make."
This blog is part of a two part series with part two looking at Corduroy, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Gossie, In the Tall, Tall Grass and Are You My Mother?
Photo by Katerha (Flickr)
