15 types of books to introduce reading to young kids and infants

Reading is an important activity that improves language skills and helps in cognitive development, as per research. It is not only an essential skill for academic success but it also helps in activating parts of the brain associated with visual imagery. Reading aloud has a lot of benefits for young kids.

From a long term outlook, it is an ideal habit, if your child starts loving his books and develops a reading habit. From an immediate gratification perspective, it is much more relief to have your kids play with a book, then to howl on the top of their voices, out of boredom or weariness.

But, what if, your child doesn’t like the mere idea of reading. After all, it’s much more fun to do the things that are forbidden, like watching TV, littering the house with toys, or playing (aka, being merciless) with mommy’s phone. But if you are one of the lucky ones, and your child obliges your efforts of reading to him, then still there may come a point, sooner or later, when the child outgrows that stage.

In either of the above scenarios, it’s important to be persistent in your efforts and find new ways to nudge them to books. ‘Variety is the spice of life’ – and books need to live up to it. No, I am not talking about the genres of books but the different types of books. Yes. There are different types of books that can arouse the love for reading, among toddlers and young kids. Or, you could also use them to rekindle a newfound infatuation towards books and transform it into a lifelong passion, at a tender age.

Black and white books for  visually stimulating the newborn babies

The vision of newborn babies develops rapidly during the first few months. During this time, it is relatively easier for them to see black and white images, than colourful images. So, introducing black and white books like Faces, at this time, helps in visual stimulation for the developing eyesight. They are useful until 3 months of age, but can still be used until colour vision is developed by five months of age.

Touch and feel books are a visual and tactile delight and are too much fun to resist

Touch and feel books are highly stimulating books that take colourful illustrations to the next level, by introducing different textures to touch, feel and stroke. These books are a great fusion of playing and reading. They help in the cognitive and brain development of the child. You can pick these books to teach colours and shapes to your infants or to teach counting to your toddlers and even for reading a storybook.

Sound and Music Books are an absolute delight with vibrant pictures and an audio appeal

Sound and Music Books are ideal for infants and toddlers alike.  ‘Baby’s very first Nature Sounds Playbook’ is a good book with soothing sounds and lively pictures. Another interesting book is Baby’s very first noisy book farm with animal sounds, but for a combined touch, feel and sound effect ‘Noisy Baby Animals’ is a good pick.

Lift the Flap Books are one of the best peek-a-boo books that your toddler will absolutely love

Lift the flap books are highly engaging books for preschoolers, that are loaded with a lot of surprises. Kids totally enjoy searching for the hidden characters or finding the objects that are hidden under the flaps. The first 100 words (lift the flap) book is one of my toddler’s favourite books, which helps me to teach him new words in a playful way. Lift the Flap Busy Zoo book is another entertaining book that kids would love.

Quiet Books are a fun way to keep your little ones productively engaged

Quiet books are not just books of excellent workmanship but are an ideal way of learning by doing for toddlers and kids. They give the little ones the freedom to mix and match, do and learn, play and have fun and stay creatively engaged. Parents with creative interests can even make a quiet book for their kids at home. But if you are short of time, then Muddy Puddle is a good book, that you can order online.

Flip Flap Books are yet another fun books to keep the little readers hooked

Baby Touch Flip Flap book is quite a vibrant and colourful touch and feel book that can delight your toddlers and infants. It introduces shapes, counting, and a lot of objects to the child, with the help of visually attractive flaps, that gives a new experience every time, depending on the order of flipping.

Pop Up Books or 3D books are not just fascinating, but also, captivating enough to keep the reluctant readers engrossed

Pop Up Books are another fun way to inculcate an interest in reading in young kids. Of course, there is a risk of the pop-ups being torn apart, when reading to infants and toddlers, but speaking out of my experience, that may not be the case. My toddler didn’t like the appearance after tearing one pop up, and never pulled or tore away another pop up from his books.

Picture Books are one of the essential books that every child needs to have

Picture books are the basic educational books, that every child usually has.  For babies and infants, there are variants like foam books, padded books, cloth books, and even teether books. Introducing picture books in different materials not only clubs the feel of different materials and different types of books into one but also, enhances the sensory stimulation, with different textures.

Picture books can be classified into two types, books with ungrouped pictures and books with grouped pictures. What I like the most about books with grouped pictures, is the story that you can weave out of the connected pictures in this book.

For Instance, ‘My first Padded Book of Things At Home’,  groups pictures used in different rooms (bedroom, living room, bathroom, etc) separately. Similarly ‘First 100 Words’, groups pictures based on the things used in bathtime, bedtime, mealtime, etc.

These books make storytime fun for both, my toddler and me, and gives me the chance to explain my daily chores in the kitchen and activities like changing and folding the bedsheets, etc. It is fun when my toddler talks to me about the chores and the work that needs to be done, in his baby language.

Board Book Sets for the curious little learners

Board Book series like ‘Peppa Pig Little Library’ or boxset of 10 or 20 picture books like ‘My First Library’ are good tools to help the child’s vocabulary. I am particularly fond of these books, as they are economical and include different categories, in its set of books.

Finger tracing books are an ideal precursor before teaching those tiny fingers to write

As the name suggests, finger tracing books are a great way to teach letters or alphabets to kids, before they are even ready to hold a pencil. ‘A is for Apple – trace and flip’ is my favourite in this category. It is a colourful book with big and bold traceable letters, flaps and pictures.

Similar books: 123 Count with Me (Smart Kids Trace and Flip) and ABC Tracing Books

Rhyme Books are a must-have quintessential for every toddler

Rhyme books are a must-have for every toddler. If you think you can show them rhymes on TV or your phone, think again. That is the precise reason for kids to have rhyme books, to restrict their screen time. But, if you are too tired to sing the rhyme from your rhyme book, then musical rhyme books are the perfect choice for you.

Books with rhyming words are a fun way to teach phonics, articulation, and inflection

Are you perplexed with your kid’s obsession with ‘Bala’ song? Well, kids love to listen to stories, songs or words that rhyme. This also explains why nursery rhymes are a trusted educational resource for tiny tots. So don’t think twice, before ordering the classics with rhyming stories.

Recommended Books: The Cat in the Hat, A Great Day for a Pup

Comic Books are the next in line, of illustrative books, for toddlers and young kids

Comic Books are the perfect transition books from super colourful children books to regular books. They are a total experience in themselves with the graphical element and the callouts. Chacha Chaudhary had surely been my favourite as a kid. With DC Comics, Captain Marvel, Batman, Avengers and all the superhero range of comics, there are plenty of options for the toddlers and young kids to take a pick from.

Activity Books are another top hit among toddlers and young kids

Activity books are super engaging books with activities like colouring, finger trailing, pasting stickers, matching the objects or shapes, etc., as per different age groups. For infants, flip-flap or peek-a-boo books, like Baby’s very first touchy, feely, lift the flap Playbook can also be used as activity books.

For toddlers, sticker activity book  I Can Dress Myself is not just a fun activity book but is also highly useful in teaching them dressing up or playing treasure hunt, by letting them explore the wardrobes in the book.

For young kids in the 4 to 6 age group, there are a lot of activity books, particularly to develop the critical reasoning and logical thinking skills with activities like word scramble, spot the differences, maze puzzles, number puzzles, apart from cursive writing or colouring. These books not only hone problem-solving skills but also, are a good tool to sharpen their observation power and reading comprehension.

• Suggested for Infants: Baby’s very first touchy, feely, lift the flap Playbook
• Activity books for toddlers: My First Transport Sticker Book
• Suggested for kids: 505 Activities for Kids, 101 Dot to Dot Colouring

Storybooks and Novels for the budding readers

Kids with a passion for reading are more likely to lay their hands on the Harry Potter Series, The Chronicles of Narnia, or other classics by Ruskin Bond, Roald Dahl or RK Narayan, by the time they turn 6 or 7 years old. The list, however, is endless for passionate readers and book lovers.

Concluding…

Reading is one of the most useful and rewarding habits for success. Books, not only, impart knowledge to the kids but also teach essential skills like imagination, understanding, and empathy. So, introduce different types of books to your little kids and help them discover the joys of reading.