Studies show that babies who are read to and sung to at an early age will demonstrate higher reading skills than other children. While many parents don't think a newborn is paying attention to the texts in their early days, getting them into a routine of reading will be worth the time spent in their infancy. These are 10 books every newborn nursery should have on the shelves.
Any mama who has frantically searched for her lil one's lovey will have a good laugh at Mo Willem's Knuffle Bunny ($11). The book tells the tale of a father that takes his tot to the laundromat and can't make out his lil one's hysteria as they make the trek back home. Of course, as soon as they return home, the mother asks where the lovey is and the family retraces their steps in search of the beloved rabbit. Written by a Sesame Street and Cartoon Network veteran, Knuffle Bunny is filled with photos of the author's Brooklyn neighborhood that are adorned with cartoon images of the characters. The book bills itself as a "cautionary tale," but it makes a perfect bedtime story for the toddler and preschool set. Willems is currently at work turning the book into a musical for the Kennedy Center's 2010 season.
