Contemporary classics to gift a new baby
So your best friend/sibling/cousin/workmate/neighbour/casual acquaintance is having a baby. Books make the ideal keepsake gift, but before you accidentally buy them their seventh copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Where the Wild Things Are, consider one of our favourite recent release picture books that are almost guaranteed to become contemporary classics. Browse some highlights below, or drop into one of our shops and our knowledgeable booksellers will be happy to share their personal picks.
My Little Barlaagany (Sunshine) by Melissa Greenwood
As the sun shines throughout the day, it warms your cheeks while we play. As the sun sets in the evening sky, say, 'Yaarri Yarraang, goodbye.
From Gumbaynggirr artist Melissa Greenwood, My Little Barlaagany is a gentle rhyming bedtime story that follows the journey a mother and child take across a day and into the Dreamtime - finding special places to visit, creatures to meet and new things to discover.
One Day by Joanna Ho & Faith Pray (illus.)
One day, your hair will tumble across your head as you embark on adventures. Life will pull tears that roll like rivers over your cheeks. Let them roll, sweet boy. Softness is a sign of strength.
One Day by Joanna Ho is a love letter to the hopes and aspirations a parent has for their newborn child. Featuring dreamy illustrations and minimal text, this gentle book offers a message of optimism, hope, and boundless joy.
Welcome, Little One by Sophie Beer
Welcome, little one, to our little world. We've been waiting a whole lifetime to meet you. We'll wrap you in a blanket, safe and warm like a hug … and watch the world go by.
Written and illustrated by Australian picture book creator Sophie Beer, Welcome Little One is a gorgeously bright and beautifully illustrated book about introducing a new child to the world in which they've been born: the blanket to keep them warm, the family dog who will teach them friendship, and the bedroom window that. offers a gateway to wonder and adventure.
I Am a Baby by Bob Shea
I am not sleepy. I am not sleepy because I am a baby. Mummy is sleepy. Mummy is sleepy because I am a baby.
Bob Shea's I Am a Baby is a genuinely funny look at new parenthood through the blithely unaware (but extremely pleased with themselves) perspective of a newborn baby. Hilariously deadpan, this is perfect for someone who's already run the first-time parenting gauntlet to share with someone still in the trenches.
Welcome to the World by Julia Donaldson & Helen Oxenbury (illus.)
Welcome to the world. Welcome to the light. Welcome to the day. Welcome to the Night.
Written by The Gruffalo's Julia Donaldson and illustrated by We're Going on a Bear Hunt's Helen Oxenbury, Welcome to the World is a joyous, rhyming celebration of first experiences, from the comfort of home to the adventures of the great outdoors, spending time with family to first encounters with nature.
DJ Baby by DJ Burton & Andy J. Pizza (illus.)
Hey DJ Baby! Pump up the Jammies! Spin those Records! Jump up little lambies!
With record turntables that actually spin, DJ Baby is a novelty board book that boasts bright funky art, rhyming text, and a fun gimmick that will make it an instant favourite with parents and babies alike.
My First Lift-the-Flap Nursery Rhymes, illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius
Never underestimate the usefulness of a humble collection of nursery rhymes. For first time parents who can usually remember only as far as 'Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed, um, ha ha ha, and something something balloon?' they're an invaluable resource. This one, with flaps for added interactivity and terrific retro illustrations from Ingela P. Arrhenius, also boasts QR code links to the songs, so that you can remember the tunes too.
Just in Case You Want to Fly by Julie Fogliano & Christian Robinson (illus.)
Just in case you want to fly, here's some wind and here's the sky. Here's a feather, here's up high, and here's a wing from a butterfly.
With lyrical rhyming text from Julie Fogliano, and wonderful mixed media illustrations from Christian Robinson, Just in Case You Want to Fly is a tender book about growing up, having adventures, and knowing that there's always a home full of love to come back to.
A Mother Is a House by Aurore Petit (translated from French by Daniel Kahn)
A mother's a shell, the moon before dawn. A mother is gentle, the port in a storm.
A Mother Is a House by Aurore Petit features eyecatching neon illustrations and a simple story that shows a mother as seen through the eyes of her child as they grow up. She is a house, a mountain, an island, a song, but always with you, wherever you roam.
Want to gift them something really special? We have a variety of children's book subscription services that deliver your lucky recipient a new book in the post every month. Available as either a new picture book subscription, or a classic board book subscription, and from six months or the full year, a Readings children's book subscription is a perfect way to spark a lifetime love of books and reading.
