Books

The best nursery rhyme books for babies

Hey there, fellow parents! If you’re searching for the best nursery rhyme books to share with your babies, then look no further.

The image shows the cover of a children’s book titled “Do a little dance: My First Nursery Rhymes.” The illustration features a playful scene with a brown bear wearing a blue scarf and a party hat. The bear is riding a blue bicycle with a large bundle of red and yellow balloons tied to the back. In the bicycle’s front basket sits a small grey bunny playing a trumpet. The background has soft, pastel-colored foliage with warm tones, giving a cheerful and whimsical atmosphere. The title text is written in a fun, red font at the top, accompanied by a small speaker icon, suggesting an audio feature.

The rhymes collected in these great books will have you and your little learners giggling, singing and bonding in no time. Perfect for bedtime stories, book baskets on the go, and building fond memories of the classic nursery rhyme tradition.

1. Each Peach Pear Plum

Front cover of the book "Each Peach Pear Plum" by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, which features a hand-drawn white cottage sitting on top of a large light blue oval that frames the title, surrounded by greenery, vines, fruits and woodland creatures (with a golden sticker on the bottom right commemorating 45 years).

This charming book is a must-have. As I have shared previously, it’s one of the books that makes me truly nostalgic for those early years as a young reader, having first delighted at its numerous narratives and beautiful, interactive illustrations as a baby.

Through the fun game of I Spy, you too can introduce your baby to characters like Little Bo-Peep, Tom Thumb and Old Mother Hubbard in a way that makes them feel part of each poem and excited to come back to find new hidden details with each read.

2. The Real Mother Goose

This is the book cover for The Real Mother Goose. It features an illustration of a cheerful older woman dressed as a classic "Mother Goose" character, wearing a green dress, striped stockings, and a large witch-style hat. She is riding a white goose, which is wearing a red ribbon, and carrying a baby in a basket. The background is bright yellow, and the title, "The Real Mother Goose," is written in bold black letters at the top. A checkerboard border surrounds the image, and the Scholastic logo is visible in the bottom left corner.

First published in 1916, this sturdy board book collects over three hundred tales by Mother Goose. Consequently, I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to relive the popular nursery rhymes of their childhood (or even their grandparents’).

By and large, it’s a mixed bag, with entries of varying lengths — some just a couple of lines. Meanwhile, the older the edition (pre-2000s), the closer to the real Mother Goose rhymes you’ll get. Some of the original stories were quite dark and, as a result, haven’t made it past today’s editors unscathed. Unchanged, however, are their soothing rhythms, colourful illustrations and memorable storytelling. So whatever your preference, this book is a keeper!

3. Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated Cartoonists!

Front cover of the book “Nursery Rhyme Comics,” in which a cartoon of a jovial Humpty Dumpty laughs at the comic book he is reading whilst sitting on a long low wall, surrounded by fairy tale characters like the king with his crow pie, Little Bo-Peep and the Three Blind Mice.

What a special book this is! The fifty familiar nursery rhymes comprising this unique collection (including Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill, and Hickory Dickory Dock) have all been lovingly reimagined in the diverse styles of celebrated cartoonists from around the world. The editors definitely struck gold with this idea, creating a vibrant, fun-filled visual adventure, sure to captivate both parents and babies alike.

4. A Nursery Rhyme for Every Night of the Year

Front cover for the book "A Nursery Rhyme for Every Night of the Year," edited by Allie Esiri and illustrated by Emily Faccini with gold capital letters on a white background and characters like the dish running away with the spoon, the cow jumping over a crescent moon and a cat playing a fiddle.

Released in March 2023, this hardcover book offers, quite literally, a nursery rhyme for every night of the year (plus one more if it’s a leap year)! Accordingly, it’s a lovely way to create a bedtime routine from an early age that includes a bit of poetry and rhythm. The black and white illustrations by Emily Faccini are also enchanting, making it an essential gift for younger readers.

5. The Puffin Baby and Toddler Treasury

Front cover of the book "The Puffin Baby and Toddler Treasury," where the title is written in various white fonts against a bright red oval background, surrounded by blue, green, pink, yellow and white diamonds in an argyle pattern upon which various characters and objects from the stories are represented. These include the boy and his snowman, Spot the dog, a little yellow duck on the water, a fairy with pink wings and a dancing puffin.

This little gem brings together a variety of classic nursery rhymes, along with some newer ones from Puffin Books’ tremendously successful bank of stories, all populated by engaging character artwork. It’s a solid choice for a book that can grow with your child from the baby to the toddler years. All in all, a wonderful collection that’s well suited to bedtime.

6. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Other Nursery Rhymes

Front cover for the lift-the-flap book "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Other Nursery Rhymes," edited and illustrated by Eric Carle, with the words written in blue, red, yellow and teal capitals on a white background and featuring the Itsy Bitsy Spider, the mouse that ran up the clock, and a curled up sleeping caterpillar.

Eric Carle’s signature style brings new life to classic nursery rhymes. This lift-the-flap book is filled with striking, collage-style illustrations that will delight both you and your child. Five favourites like the aforementioned Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are all beautifully presented, making this a short but satisfying read and a worthwhile addition to any nursery.

7. My First Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes: Dream a little dream

Front cover for the book “Dream a little dream” from the “My First Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes” series, in which a polar bear and a red fox sit on a dark brown wooden row boat under a clear night sky full of glowing stars. Next to the title, a small speaker icon denotes that this is a sound book.

The two musical books in this soothing collection for babies (My First Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes) combine classic rhymes and melodies for your bedtime reads. The companion text, Do a little dance, contains equally tranquil illustrations. These help promote a calming atmosphere, ideal for winding down at the end of the day. So whether your baby is in the mood for a sing-along or spoken rhymes, these books will deliver.

8. Baby's Very First Noisy Nursery Rhymes

Front cover for the book “Baby's Very First Noisy Nursery Rhymes,” which features the cartoon of a black and white cow jumping over a large yellow, cratered crescent moon surrounded by smiling stars on a mauve background. This is bordered by polka dots on pale blue and the tabs for various sounds available for each nursery rhyme.

This sound book was a hit with our baby! Press the buttons to hear the tunes of popular nursery rhymes like Baa Baa Black Sheep and Old MacDonald as you read along. It’s engaging, interactive, and sure to be a favourite of yours during story time too.

9. My First Lift-The-Flap Nursery Rhymes

Front cover for the book “My First Lift-The-Flap Nursery Rhymes” which is split into various square and rectangular sections, each with a colourful set of characters from the stories within. These include the Little Teapot, Humpty Dumpty, the piggy that went to market, the dish and the spoon, Little Bo-Peep as a dog, a lion dressed as a king, two sleepy owls and a lost sheep. A golden sticker under the title instructs the reader to scan a QR code to hear the songs.

Published in October 2022, this board book is perfect for the curious little hands of the youngest readers. Each page features flaps to lift, revealing hidden surprises that help bring the rhymes to life. It’s a great way to keep your baby entertained, whether learning the classic tale of Humpty Dumpty or I’m A Little Teapot.

10. The Baby Rhyme Time Series

Front covers for four square books in The Baby Rhyme Time Series: “Sleeping Bunnies;” “If You’re Happy and You Know It;” “Five Little Ducks;” “Round and Round the Garden.” Each is illustrated by Annie Kubler with a cartoon of children in fancy dress acting out the various stories against a plain colour background.

Each of Annie Kubler’s 12 board books for babies focuses on a different nursery rhyme, such as Five Little Ducks or This Little Piggy. Their small size, simple text and engaging illustrations therefore make them a fantastic option to take with you in a pinch on a day out.

11. Classic Nursery Rhymes

Front cover for the book “Classic Nursery Rhymes,” in which a crowned Humpty Dumpty sits on top of a stone wall surrounded by creeping vines, an old fashioned clock, three bags of wool and various small animals above the title and, below that, a large pie. The text and illustrations on the front cover are pale grey, set against a royal blue background.

This beautiful hardback collection is a bold addition to any nursery. Contained within are classic rhymes like Little Boy Blue and Little Jack Horner. Dorothy M. Wheeler’s illustrations are timeless, while Chris Riddell’s foreword adds a touch of modern magic. Hence, I think you’ll find that there’s a little something for everybody with this book.

12. Quentin Blake's Nursery Rhyme Book

Front cover for “Quentin Blake's Nursery Rhyme Book,” in which a selection of colourful characters have been brought to life in the artist’s dynamic, sketch-like style, all leaping in the direction of the text against a white background. In the centre, a woman in a pink dress with a green sash, hat and pair of shoes holds a bouquet of flowers in one hand and the hand of a brightly garbed jester in the other. A golden sticker above the jester commemorates this book as “A Quentin Blake Classic.”

The iconic artist who brought Roald Dahl’s stories to life has done it again, applying his signature style to this collection of both obscure and renowned rhymes. Depictions of lesser-known characters like Gregory Griggs (collector of wigs) and Terence McDiddler (the three-stringer fiddler) are juxtaposed with classic tales like Hey Diddle Diddle and Three Blind Mice, equally full of zest and whimsy. This makes for a highly entertaining read, and introduced me to rhymes that I never knew existed in a style that hearkens back to my own early reading days!

13. The Usborne Big Book of Nursery Rhymes

Front cover for “The Usborne Big Book of Nursery Rhymes,” in which the title sits in bold rose lettering against an illustration a full moon on a blue and purple background, as well as characters from the following rhymes: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star;” “Sing a Song of Sixpence;” “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary;” “Rub-a-dub-dub;” “Hey Diddle, Diddle;” and “Hickory, Dickory, Dock.”

This bright and colourful board book is designed with little hands in mind, and takes growing minds well in hand. The Usborne collection includes 19 well-loved rhymes like Old King Cole, Rub-a-Dub-Dub and Do You Know the Muffin Man? Furthermore, its delightful illustrations make it a hit with young readers, and its variety a staple for any nursery collection.

14. Sing-Along Nursery Rhymes by Cali’s Books

Front cover for the book “Count With Me” by Cali’s Books. In a line across the bottom of the cover, a illustration of a tawny cat holds a square teal card with the number one in the middle, a yellow dog holds a square grey card with the number two, and a pink pig holds an olive coloured card with the number three. Behind them, an abacus floats between two white clouds against a green sky, set against a pale grey background. To the right of the title, a musical note icon highlights the six songs contained within, as well as an instruction to “press, listen and sing along.”

These interactive books feature six kid-friendly sing-along songs and traditional nursery rhymes. Each melodic sound book covers classics like A-Tisket, A-Tasket and Five Little Monkeys, providing a sensory experience that young children will love. It’s particularly well suited to those early years, making it a great educational musical book. Plus, with technology moving along, there are now rechargable editions, meaning they’ll last and can even be regifted!

15. Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose

Front cover for the book “Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose.” An elderly woman with an azure cape holds onto the wide brim of her hat, which is decorated with flowers and fastened below her chin with thick orange ribbon. She rides a giant white goose with two children under either arm. They fly over a winding river and lush green countryside. One of the smiling children has turned to wave behind them while the other gazes up at the goose’s head.

This beautiful book offers a selection of 45 traditional Mother Goose rhymes with accompanying illustrations that are nothing short of enchanting. With his detailed and humourous artwork, Scott Gustafson breathes new life into old favorites like Mary Had a Little Lamb, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Polly Put the Kettle On. Overall, it’s a gorgeous gift for new parents and a dependable addition to any child’s bookshelf.

Conclusion

Naturally, most — if not all — of these entries overlap with each other in the nursery rhymes available to teach your little one. Yet each also offers its own twist on the theme, many with enthralling artwork or intriguing formats to keep your baby engaged in ways that go far beyond simply learning the words. Together, they comprise some of the best books that I can think of to share the tradition of nursery rhymes with babies. Whatever you choose, it will surely bring joy, laughter and a love of reading into your home. Happy rhyming!

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