It seems to be baby shower season! There are lots of little ones arriving and that means gifts. Gifts for babies can be everything from little sleepers, hats, and socks to swaddle blankets, burp cloths, and sleep sacs. Cuddly toys with silky corners for little fingers, teethers, and dribble bibs are options as well. One trend we see is to give a book instead of a card. Such a great idea, practical and babies do love books.
One of the best choices for baby books are the Indestructible series. Literally made from indestructible material, these books are water-proof, chew-proof, tear-resistant and full of colourful images for babies to enjoy. The books were invented by a mother of triplets so she had a fabulous testing market for her product. She wanted books that her children could enjoy without destroying them. Babies are always putting everything in to their mouths. It’s one way they learn. Board books can be chewed to mush. Indestructibles cannot be chewed to mush or pieces. They can even be machine washed after a good chew. The images are engaging for babies, especially the pictures of babies. Little ones love to look at other little ones. Lots of titles to choose from, and a gift that will be handed down to the next baby, means Indestructibles are a good choice for gifts.
Manhattan Toys has a series of soft cloth books, filled with simple images and words, and lots of tactile or noisy elements. ‘Baby Turtle in the Ocean’ has silky ‘seaweed’, a squeaky crab, a crackly whale in the pages made from polyester fabric. There are several themes to the cloth books, all things that babies like to look at with bright colours and great textures. ‘Goodnight My Sweet Pea’ is lovely for reading to little ones as they nod off.
Wee Gallery bath books are game changers for tub time. Full of black and white drawings, the images come to colourful life when they get wet. It’s a fun thing for the bath, and wonderful entertainment value as the colours emerge.’Who’s in the Pond?’ or ‘Who Loves Dinosaurs?’ are two of the titles. The books have just a few words but very detailed pictures to make lovely gift ideas.
And local author Christie Hartlin has written a book called ‘Dreaming About You’. It’s told from the parents perspective and is beautifully illustrated with images of what parents and children will do once the baby is here. It’s likely to become a bedtime favourite with rhyming verses and lovely illustrations. It’s a gift that will warm the hearts of expectant parents.
Books are one of the very best things we can give our little ones, right from birth. I like the idea that we give books instead of cards. I’m pretty sure the babies would agree that the books are more fun.
Did you know? During the Victorian Age, baby showers were tea parties, and were very private events as pregnant women were rarely seen in public at this time.
Cathy