It may come as no surprise to you that librarians love to give books as gifts. Whenever I know of friends or family getting ready to welcome a new baby to their family, I am always very excited to gift them a book for reading. Bonding with babies over books is one of my favorite joys. Here are five of my favorite books for celebrating a new arrival.
Written by Matt Zurbo
Illustrated by Patrice Barton
New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2025. Picture Book.
The combination of the artwork and the touching words represent to me everything good about a parent/child relationship. There is so much hope and possibility and the potential for joy around every corner. This book brought tears to my eyes, and I plan to find a special reason to gift it to my adult children to let them know that this is still how I feel about them.
Written by Joy Harjo
Illustrated by Adriana Garcia
New York: Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company, 2025. Picture Book.
My favorite part about this book was the connection between a new baby and the ancestors who came before her. The illustrator does a fabulous joy weaving the past and present together. I also appreciated the focus on the connection the human family has with nature, and the desire the family has to infuse their child taking good care of the earth. The book left me pondering on the beautiful connections families can make with each other, and how that is a lasting gift through multiple generations.
Written by Sylvaine Jaoui
Illustrated by Anne Crahay
New York: Enchanted Lion Books, 2025. Picture Book.
This book also has a solid message about the joy of nature and how that ties in to the gift of human life. A reader learns about things that both humans and plants need to survive and thrive. Before the end of the book, the author and illustrator chose to include beautiful illustrations that show a variety of children with different trees and it includes languages people speak in addition to English. It was very well done!
Written by Victoria Monet
Illustrated by Alea Marley
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025. Picture Book.
This is a beautiful rhyming book that I am sure will become a repeat read for many families with littles. Even before kids are old enough to understand what separation anxiety is, they will appreciate the lovely illustrations and comfort this book offers.
By Sandra Salsbury
New York: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2025. Picture Book.
Warm and fuzzy books have their place for gifting new parents. Sometimes a humorous book is also a great recommendation, which is why I picked this book as my final choice. I laughed so hard when I read it. New babies are such a gift and treasure, and they are exhausting. This book talks in a relatable way about the joy and struggle of nighttime routines. On some of my sleepless nights when my kids were babies, I think this book could have helped me have a laugh instead of a cry.
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