These books have been “TOP 5’s” for as long as I can remember. I think we should just categorize these books as “classics” for the baby genre and make them a staple for any household with a newborn baby and/or toddler:

1. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish is a beautiful book, in terms of story and illustrations. Babies will enjoy the lovely drawings in calming colors and the fish’s sparkling scales. Parents will love the message this book teaches about sharing. The Rainbow Fish is an excellent bed-time story book, too, thanks to the restful colors and soothing text. The sparkling scales also look great by night-light.

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

5. Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth

Touchable, three-dimensional ladybugs and bright, bold illustrations make this a wonderful book for infants, who will enjoy the rhyming story of ten ladybugs who disappear one by one. Toddlers can practice their numbers and colors, as well as identify familiar creatures in the illustrations. Ten Little Ladybugs provides hands-on learning and fun for babies of all ages.

List published by About.com

As I was hanging around the house with my 2 year old little boy, we took the time to watch 123 It’s a Fruity ABC from Knowknowledge. This DVD aims to give kids an early lesson of the alphabet with fruits and vegetables as animated characters. Each lesson is based on synthetic phonics along with vivid colors and funny sounds/songs.

I’ve never really seen animated characters entirely put together using pieces of fruits and veggies, but my son certainly found it entertaining. And I would imagine that in addition to teaching kids the alphabet, the bright colors and fun shapes promote a healthy diet as well.

Overall, this is a really fun DVD for young children - It’s bright and colorful, and the unique style of characters made entirely from fruit and vegetables is truly fun to watch.

Approx. 40min | $29.99 (via Amazon.com)

Yes, your infant or toddler may be too young to understand the words, comprehend images, or even put the two together. The fact that they do not yet understand what you read to them doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits by reading to your child.

According to www.childliteracy.com, the more you read to your child the better. By reading to your child you are helping them build knowledge through their senses that are still developing.”

“The effort of focusing on pictures develops eye muscles. And each time he hears a particular word, it imprints more strongly in his brain. Think: how do our brains learn? They learn by doing. Each time your baby sees, hears, or feels anything, brain connections form. Eventually, the connections are strong enough to create a skill or a piece of knowledge”, says www.childliteracy.com.

To me, the benefits are obvious and makes a lot of sense. Additionally, reading to your child is another great way to build that parent-child bond. Reading to your baby can be fun for all and very helpful to your child’s early development. Happy reading.

A list of books to read to the little one:

• Lamaze Where’s Caterpillar
• The First Years Pooh Peek & Teethe Crinkle Book
• Sassy Soft Book - I’m a Teapot
• Sassy Soft Book- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Well, here is another great toy I wish I had when I was a kid. I remember I was given a broken telephone to play with. Good times. Anyway, Fisher Price has done it again. Fisher Price’s Laugh & Learn™ Learning Puppy™ comes with two modes of play, learning mode and music games. With music mode there are 10 fun songs for your baby to boogy to.

Learning Mode has six spots on the puppy that teaches your child body parts, ABC’s, and colors. My little one at the moment has learned chewing on the puppy’s ears can be very fun. Learning Mode uses fun songs and phrases to entertain, engage, and teach your little one.

When learning is over it’s time for fun and games. Game mode includes a counting song, color song, the alphabet song, and a body parts song. In addition there are six extra songs for continued enjoyment, boogying, and fun.

Get this toy for your child. It’s fun and you’ll enjoy watching your little one learn while enjoying delightful songs and games. Or you can enjoy watching your child chew on the ears.

**Things you should know:

• Manufacturer Recommended Age: 6 months - 3 years
• Batteries: 3 AA batteries required. (included)

**from amazon.com | Laugh & Learn™ Learning Puppy™