“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” –Dr Seuss

Reading bedtime stories to our children can be such a lovely part of their bedtime routine. Not only do they relish in having their parents’ full, undivided attention, it is a great addition to their bedtime routine which reinforces the strong signal that sleep is just around the corner. 

There can be so many benefits of reading to our children that develop their life skills. According to a study led by Dr Carolyn B. Cates, the more words that a baby hears, the stronger their cognitive development. Researchers found that the quality and quantity of book reading in early infancy influenced the child’s vocabulary and early reading skills. You can find the research HERE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5778903/

We’ve always read to our girls since they were babies. Here are our favorite books to read when they were babies:

Peepo By Janet & Allan Ahlberg

One of my absolute favorites, our girls have always loved looking through the holes to spot the beautiful illustrations. It is such a classic that is loved by both parents and babies.

Where’s spot By Eric Hill

Our girls squeal in delight to lift the flaps up to try and find Spot. This fun, interactive book is always an absolute hit and our babies are always thrilled at the end when they do find Spot!

Guess how much I love you By Sam McBratney

I never realized that the saying “I love you to the moon and back” came from this beautiful book. A true classic with a loving message.

Count with Little Fish By Lucy Cousins

A fun learning book introducing our little ones numbers counting from one to ten. There are lots of fun, bright colourful fish that are fun to find.

The Very hungry caterpillar By Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar has sold over 45 million copies worldwide and is a much loved favorite book in families. The bright colored illustrations and the finger sized holes for our little ones to page turn makes it a definite classic.

Dear Zoo By Rod Campbell

Your baby will love lifting the flaps to discover the animals that could be potential pets. It’s always fun to make animal noises along the way which our little ones would always love to join in with.

Giraffes can’t dance By  Giles Andreae

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I can recite this book without opening a single page ☺ A very well read book in our household, the rhyming text and bright illustrations matched with a lovely message at the end around self-confidence is a sure winner!

Happy reading!