You know those board books your toddler wants every night…sometimes three times in a row? The ones you can recite in your sleep?
Classics are classics for a reason: they’re rhythm-y, sturdy, and baby-magnetic. But alongside the old favorites, there’s a vibrant wave of newer board books by BIPOC authors bringing fresh sights, languages, cultures, and families to the page without losing that baby-friendly magic (think: short lines, big art, repeatable patterns).
Below is a quick “if you like this, then read that” to refresh your bedtime (and tummy-time) stack.
How to Use this List
- Rotate the pairs—one classic, one “new classic in the making.” Babies thrive on repetition, but variety keeps you (the grown-up) awake and lets your little one see themselves or others and the wider world on the page.
- Board books are often our kids’ first mirrors and windows. When we mix timeless rhythms with new voices and cultures, we’re building belonging.
Happy reading!
P.S. For even MORE picture book recommendations check out this list or this one.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Follow along as one of nature’s loveliest marvels eats his way through an amazing variety of foods as he prepares to grow into a beautiful butterfly! Children will love the strikingly bold, colorful pictures against a simple text in large, clear type. Featuring interactive die-cut pages, this board book is the perfect size for little hands and great for teaching counting, days of the week, and the concept of change as a positive and necessary part of life.
If you like this classic...then read Baby Goes to Market. Both use food, numbers and repetition. to engage little readers.
Baby Goes to Market
When Baby and Mama go to market, baby is so adorable that the banana seller gives him six bananas. Baby eats one and puts five in the basket, but Mama doesn't notice. As Mama and Baby wind their way through the market stalls, cheeky Baby collects five juicy oranges, four sugary chin-chin biscuits, three roasted sweetcorn, two pieces of coconut ... until Mama notices that her basket is getting very heavy. Poor Baby, she thinks – he must be very hungry by now!
Goodnight Moon
In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room—to the picture of the three little bears sitting on chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one—the little bunny says goodnight.
If you like this classic...then Good Night - Buenas Noches. Both books have the same gentle rhythm and object-naming cadence, but this one is interactive and bilingual.
Good Night - Buenas Noches
A bilingual slide-the-tab board book, with text in English and Spanish.
Cleverly provides a number of gentle good night wishes for baby at bedtime, as baby along with the cat, the trees outside, and even baby’s house all close their eyes and fall asleep. The sliding tabs do the work of closing the eyes on illustrator Xavier Salomó’s simple but engaging art.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
With the complete and unabridged text and art of the classic Brown Bear story, this lift-the-tab format celebrates the fiftieth Anniversary with a brand-new look and feel. Readers will discover the classic rhythmic text featuring colorful animals, brought to life in Eric Carle's powerful collage art.
If you like this classic...then read Round is a Tortilla. It swaps animals and colors for shapes in a Latino cultural context but keeps the question-and-answer rhythm that makes Brown Bear so engaging.
Who Do I See?
Who Do I See? is a lively guess-the-animal book that features different colors and animal patterns in a fun and instructional way. Each animal sports a different shiny foil pattern with a different set of colors, and young readers are invited to guess who the animal behind the die-cut window is, such as: Whose orange-and-black stripes do I see? (An orange-and-black tiger!)
Pat the Bunny
For generations, Pat the Bunny has been creating special first-time moments between parents and their children. One of the best-selling children’s books of all time, this classic touch-and-feel book offers babies a playful and engaging experience promoting all five senses, all the while creating cherished memories that will last a lifetime.
If you like this classic...then read Peek-a-You!. Still interactive, but swap textures for musical peekaboo rhymes and joyous brown baby faces.
Peek-a-You!
Cuddle up with your little one and play a happy game of peekaboo! You won't be able to resist this adorable board book with adorable rhymes and endless brown baby energy and fun. With bouncing, rhythmic text from New York Times bestselling author Andrea Davis Pinkney and warm, winsome illustrations from Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney, this joyful celebration of roly-poly, perfectly huggable, oh-so-lovable little ones is just-right for the whole family all throughout the year! Take a peek to see what you can find! And what's the prize? The wonderous gaze of your bright brown bundle of joy!
Guess How Much I Love You?
Children and parents worldwide have cherished the heartwarming tale of Little Nutbrown and Big Nutbrown Hare so much that it has become one of the most enduring bedtime classics of our time. Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not an easy thing to measure!
If you like this classic...then read Little You. Instead of measuring love, this poetic book affirms a baby's worth and connection to family and community.
Little You
This is a tender board book for babies and toddlers that celebrates the potential of every child. With its delightful contemporary illustrations, Little You is perfect to be shared, read or sung to all the little people in your life―and the new little ones on the way!
Available in French as Tout petit toi and in Spanish as Tú eres tú.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
In this lively alphabet rhyme, all the letters of the alphabet race each other up the coconut tree. Will there be enough room? Oh, no—Chicka Chicka Boom! Boom!
Countless children—and their parents—can joyfully recite the familiar words of this beloved alphabet chant. Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault’s rhythmic text keeps the beat with Caldecott Honor illustrator Lois Ehlert’s bold, cheerful art. This winning combination has made the Chicka Chicka series an enduring classic.
If you like this classic...then read A is for All the Things You Are: A Joyful ABC Book. Both are alphabet books, but this one celebrates identity, empowerment, and positive affirmations from A to Z.
A is for All the Things You Are: A Joyful ABC Book
A Is for All the Things You Are: A Joyful ABC Book is an alphabet board book developed by the National Museum of African American History and Culture that celebrates what makes us unique as individuals and connects us as humans. This lively and colorful book introduces young readers, from infants to age seven, to twenty-six key traits they can explore and cultivate as they grow. Each letter offers a description of the trait, a question inviting the reader to examine how he or she experiences it in daily life, and lively illustrations. The book supports understanding and development of each child's healthy racial identity, the joy of human diversity and inclusion, a sense of justice, and children's capacity to act for their own and others' fair treatment.
Where is Baby's Belly Button?
Karen Katz's adorable babies play peekaboo in this delightful interactive book. The sturdy format and easy-to-lift flaps are perfect for parents and children to share.
"Where are Baby's hands? Under the bubbles!"
"Where are baby's eyes? Under her hat!"
If you like this classic...then read Whose Toes Are Those? by Jabari Asim. Both books feature peekaboo body-part fun, but this one is a rhythmic, read-aloud that celebrates brown baby joy.
Whose Toes are Those?
Snuggle with a child on your lap with this cheerful rhyme inspired by the classic giggle-inspiring game of This Little Piggy.
The Showy Day
In 1962, a little boy named Peter put on his snowsuit and stepped out of his house and into the hearts of millions of readers. Universal in its appeal, this story beautifully depicts a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. The quiet fun and sweetness of Peter’s small adventures in the deep, deep snow is perfect for reading together on a cozy winter day.
If you like this classic...then read A Winter Walk in the City. Both books showcase the beauty of winter through a child's perspective in the city. A Winter Walk in the City incorporates hands-on play.
A Winter Walk in the City
Take a walk through the city in winter and experience the sights, sounds, colors, and smells of the multitude of different holidays we celebrate this season. From Hanukkah and Christmas to Mawlid al-Nabi and Chinese New Year, everyone has a reason to celebrate. With simple rhymes, a counting pattern, and stunning papercraft art reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats, this diverse board book is the perfect introduction to the cultural melting pot that makes the city so special.
