Board books: Three a day keeps the reading specialist away

That’s essentially what I write in every card as I hand over a stack of board books to expectant mom friends: “Three a day keeps the reading specialist away.” After a chuckle and a roll of the eyes, my Mom-to-be friends add our tried and true board book titles to the pile of baby gifts and toys. But I’m happy, knowing that those board books will be loved and chewed on for years to come. My standard stack includes Jamberry (opens in a new window), which taught us all a rhyme we can STILL recite, “One berry, two berry, pick me a blueberry,” Mrs. Wishy Washy (opens in a new window), whose wishy-washy rhythm had my very young daughter waving her chubby little hand to help “wash” the animals, and Good Night Gorilla, (opens in a new window) a book my husband loved to read to the girls the most. (His use of different voices made it so fun for all who listened.) As you can see, my stack doesn’t include usual suspects such as Goodnight Moon (opens in a new window), Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (opens in a new window) or The Very Hungry Caterpillar (opens in a new window). Those wonderful titles are also must-haves, but I like to share our own family favorites for something different. Most people have their favorite board books (and memories that go along with them!) Here are a few ideas in case you too are looking to share the love of reading with friends and babies: New York Times Board Book Round Up article (opens in a new window) and slideshow (opens in a new window) A list (opens in a new window) from Parents Magazine A fun list with an eye towards design (opens in a new window) Must-haves (opens in a new window) from the School Library Journal