Five books I loved reading to my new baby
Bronte Coates shares five of her favourite books that she read during the first six months of her new baby’s life.
I am the Wolf and Here I Come! by Bénédicte Guettier (translated by Penelope Todd)
This French bestseller is a lightly interactive book that will withstand repeat reads. Your child will love the anticipation that builds with each turn of the page as the Big Bad Wolf gets dressed for his day, starting with a pair of rather silly underpants. But what exactly is he getting dressed for… Why to come GET YOU of course! Though if you want to make the book less scary you can end it with a big kiss instead which we can all agree is adorable.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd
The first time my partner and I read Goodnight Moon to our baby, we were bemused: “Goodnight mush?” But there is something magical about this classic which sees a small bunny name objects in the room, then bid some of them goodnight. Don’t bother ask yourself why the telephone doesn’t get a goodnight when ‘nobody’ does, or why there is a bunny fishing for other bunnies with a carrot, but rather, allow yourself to be drawn under the sleep-inducing enchantment of the strangely garish illustrations. Truly and inexplicably, my love of this book is eternal.
Rhyme Cordial by Antonia Pesenti
The wordplay of Antonia Pesenti’s Rhyme Cordial is a brilliant anecdote to the more straightforward board books that populate children’s bookshelves. Lift the flaps and sun hat becomes sun cat, fingernails become finger snails, cheese on toast becomes sneeze on toast. There’s plenty of scope for imagination and play in how you approach reading this book aloud, and your baby will love its bold, stylish design and large format.
Kissed by the Moon by Alison Lester
A dear friend gifted me this picture book when I first told them I was pregnant and I’m so happy they did. Described as part poem, part lullaby, it’s a loving celebration of the natural world and how we exist within it. Alison Lester’s illustrations are soft and soothing, perfectly enhancing the book’s tender and universal hopes for a baby’s future. Kissed by the Moon feels like it belongs in every home in Australia.
Tales From Moominvalley by Tove Jansson
In these early months, my partner and I spent time reading aloud to our baby so she could hear the sound of our voices. Roald Dahl was a definite favourite but ultimately it was rediscovering Tove Jansson’s gorgeous, gentle, strange Moomin books that gave me the most pleasure. I especially loved her story collection, Tales From Moominvalley, which I had never read before. It includes ‘The Fir Tree’ which is arguably the best Christmas tale story you’ll ever read.
