Anastasia Elise
Miracle Baby,
25 week preemie
Books for Preemies
All babies should be read to frequently, but for preemies, books are particularly important. Preemies may tend to lag behind in language skills, but reading to your preemie is a perfect way to encourage such skills. It's also comforting for your baby to hear your voice (and snuggle with you as you read).
Small infants love anything you read (including the newspaper), but even a baby as young as a month old will enjoy looking at colorful pictures in books designed just for babies.
If the illustrations are boring or bland to you, they will be to baby, too. Instead, read books with colorful, fun pictures. Choose board books whenever possible, since handing (and yes, chewing on) books helps babies learn to love reading. Simple, rhyming books have been shown to be most engaging for babies.
Click here for expert tips on babies and books.
Any book that fits the above criteria is a good thing, but here are some books that are particularly big hits in our household:
For adults, this book may seem too simple, but it's a baby classic for a reason! Preemies (and full-termers) love the bright, colorful pictures with tons of detail, and the simple, rhyming text. A must have.
Babies love to look at other babies. This book is a perfect size for small hands, is durable, and quite chewable. It's also a great way to help preemies (who are often unable to be around other babies due to RSV) get some exposure to what other babies look like. And as baby gets older, this book will help teach her how to define her emotions.
Most of Boynton's books are good for toddlers, but this one is a real hit with younger kids, too. The pictures are creative, the text rhymes...and babies love it when you make animal sounds.
The pictures in this board book are very colorful, with foil accents. The rhymes are also fun. The book describes eating pancakes, baking cookies, taking walks, going to the pool, taking a bath, and reading a bedtime story with mommy. Really sweet.
This baby classic is ideal for stimulating preemies. Here, they can pet a soft, furry bunny, see themselves in a mirror, touch a daddy's scratchy (not yet shaved) face, and more.
This is a special favorite in our house. The pictures are big and bold, and the text encourages learning about sounds. The end is the best part: listen to Peter Rabbit snore!
Although I find the pun (intended for parents) at the end of this book a real groaner, the illustrations in this board book are bright and interesting, and the text helps babies learn about animals.
Even when Anastasia was only a month old (corrected age), she loved the unique black, white, and red illustrations in this book. Plus, the text is fun - even for parents!
Touch and feel books are an excellent choice for preemies. These sturdy books hold up to chewing, have vivid color photographs of real critters, and varied textures for baby to stroke and explore.
This board book overflows with awesome illustrations. There are vivid color photographs of animals and everyday objects, but what makes this book special is the fabulous artwork by famous artists like van Gogh, Chagall, Degas, and O'Keeffe. Anastasia is fascinated! Plus, each page has cut-out shapes (like the window on the cover), which Anastasia really likes playing with.
When your preemie is a bit older, you might try this book, which described life in the NICU through the eyes of a preemie's big brother.
Expert tips on babies and books:
"Choosing Books for Your Baby and Toddler" (Scholastic)
"Exploring Books with Babies" (Scholastic)
"Why Babies Need Books" (Scholastic)
"Enticing a Restless Reader" (Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine)
"Reading Milestones" (PBS)
"Reading
to Babies Ups Language Skills" (WebMD)
"Miracles are a
retelling in small letters
of the very same
story
which is written
across the whole world in letters
too large for
some of us to see."
C. S. Lewis
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