Discover the Best Board Books for Kids
Board books for kids are best for our youngest growing readers from infant age up to age 4 or 5.
Board books are generally accepted as being for the consumption of our youngest and most immediately impressionable readers. The ideal age range for kids board books is infant or baby to 4 years old. After the age of 4 or 5, children seek greater depth to storytelling and characters, more in line with the types of stories found in picture books. Sound, touch, and visual stimuli are some of the essential elements of board books for kids. The variety of shapes and sizes in the board book spectrum is endless. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, or large enough to overflow a school backpack.
Some of our favorite storybooks come in both board book form and picture book form. Go Dogs Go, by P.D. Eastman, is a classic favorite describing what seems to be a day in the life of dogs, and comes to life in both board book and picture book form. The board book narrative is more or less the same as the picture book version, a day in the life of dogs, but follows a shorter format with differing text in comparison to the picture book. Both the board book and picture book version are great reads and unique in their own ways; however, the sturdiness of the board book makes it more accessible to infants and toddlers.
Great for bedtimes, train rides and plane rides, ideal anywhere and anytime. During travel, parents pack a few board books in their carryon baggage, and accompany families to new and exciting destinations only previously found in books!
For families seeking outdoor inspiration read these nature-inspired board books for kids:
Introduce Young Kids to Nature With Two Beautiful Board Books
Keep babies and toddlers busy with these must-have board books:
5 Sweet Board Books for Busy Toddlers
Absolute best board book collections for kids can be found here:
The Best Board Books Released in 2019
Kids will love these interactive board books for young children and babies:
Finger Puppet Books by Chronicle Books
Snuggle up with these board books when bedtime rolls around:
3 Nursery Rhyme Board Books for a Fun Snuggle Time
Inspire your future nature lovers with nature board books for kids:
Introduce Young Kids to Nature With Two Beautiful Board Books
Board books are also great gifts for the holidays, especially in a stocking. Here are some gift giving ideas:
8 Christmas Board Books Filled with Holiday Magic For the Youngest Readers
Board books can be ongoing sources of inspiration for our young and growing readers. Keep them low on the shelf and you just might find your kids will load up their hands with board books to fill an afternoon of reading! If you have any great stories or examples of your little ones reading and finding inspiration in board books for kids, then send us suggestions through Twitter, and share your most distinguished board books on Instagram or Facebook with #thechildrensbookreview. In the meantime, let’s keep growing readers one book at a time!
Buy board books in our Book Shop powered by Amazon. And if you’re lucky enough to have a favorite hometown bookstore, they can always place a special order or it might just be on their shelf.
Daytime Nighttime, by William Low, is sturdy and longer than average for lots of reading enjoyment, and the illustrations are beautiful and calming for bedtime.
I SEE KITTY is an adorable board book, perfect for preschoolers and younger.
This delightful touch-and-feel book is sure to be a hit with babies and toddlers. It features easy prose, colorful pictures and popular zoo animals.
Construction trucks. School buses. Airplanes. You name it, kids can’t get enough of it. Here are a few of our favorite books of Things That Go …
Toni Buzzeo is the author of the 2013 Caldecott Honor Book and New York Times bestseller One Cool Friend, as well as many other books for children.
Simple, bold illustrations with fun formats that beg to be touched by little hands.
Just B: Baby’s First Book of Objects is an ideal board book to share with babies and toddlers who are learning to identify colors, sounds, and words.
The best board books of 2014, as picked by the editors and contributors of The Children’s Book Review.
Chu’s Day follows the day in the life of Chu the panda who happens to have a giant sneeze. His sneeze is so powerful it makes bad things happen.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, by Caroline Jayne Church, is a delightful board book that takes a childhood favorite nursery rhyme and sets it with beautiful illustrations of children around the world.