the best baby shower gift, baby shower gift ideas

Plus, 5 books which are great neutral baby shower gift ideas

I think books make the best baby shower gift. This is not a secret.

Now, as you may know, I create gift baskets for small humans filled with books so I’m obviously a bit biased but there are some really good reasons why you should put books on the top of your list when it comes to looking at gift options for a baby shower.

So here are my top five reasons why books make the best baby shower gift, plus my list of the 5 best books to give as a gift next time you attend a baby shower:

1. Books are gender-neutral gifts

Books are a great choice if you’re looking for gender-neutral baby shower gifts. No need to worry about whether the parents-to-be love the pink-or-blue thing or whether they prefer a more neutral palette when it comes to clothes and nursery furnishings. Just choose a fantastic book – or a few books – and know that your gift will be enjoyed and appreciated by the new baby boy or girl when he or she arrives. And if the parents are keen to raise a child without emphasising gender stereotypes, your gift will be even more deeply appreciated.

2. There’s a book gift to suit every budget

There really is a book gift to suit every budget. One book, thoughtfully chosen, will always be appreciated and loved and is a great option if you’re looking for cheap baby shower gift ideas, perhaps for a work colleague. If your budget is a bit more flexible, you might choose a couple of hardcover, keepsake books or a book and a special toy to go with it. If you’re able to spend a bit more – or if you are very close to the parents – a gift basket filled with wonderful books – like my Baby’s First Library Gift Basket – makes a wonderful gift.

3. Giving books encourages a life-long love of reading

Giving books as a baby shower gift encourages a love of books and reading right from the word go and we know that this matters in the lives of our children. Sharing stories together deepens the bond between parent and child and creates the foundations for early literacy and a life-long love of books and reading which in turn lays a strong foundation for learning in all areas of life. Research shows that the number of books in a child’s home is an accurate predictor of the level of education that child will attain and by giving books as a baby shower gift, you’ll be playing an important role in this new little one’s adventure with books. How great is that?

4. Books are gifts that last for years

Books are the gifts that keep on giving, often for years. Those cute newborn outfits are gorgeous but babies grow fast and, sadly, they tend to grow out of those outfits in about five minutes (well, that’s what it seems like!) The books we give as baby shower gifts will be read for at least a year and probably for much longer and are likely to be passed on to younger siblings and and enjoyed by the whole family. Books really are the gift that keeps on giving.

5. Books are great baby shower gifts for multiples

Choosing baby shower gifts for twins or other multiples can be tricky and, let’s face it, expensive. Do you buy two or more of the same gift, the same cute outfits in different colours or choose completely different gifts for each baby? Some parents are very keen to dress their children alike and some know in advance that they absolutely don’t want to do this. Books are the solution! A gift basket filled with beautiful books is a great baby shower gift for twins or triplets or you can just choose a selection of books to suit your budget.

best baby shower gift

What do you write in a baby shower book?

You may have decided that giving books for a baby shower gift is an excellent idea and now you’re wondering what to write in a book for a baby shower. 

Or perhaps a fellow baby shower guest has bought a special book to give to the baby and is asking all the guests to write a message in it. 

Either way, there are lots of cute things to write in a baby shower book. You can write a quote about reading, a wish for the baby or simply a heartfelt message like you would write on a baby gift card.

Here are a few ideas you might like to use:

Kid, you’ll move mountains! – Dr Seuss

A lifetime of adventures begins with a story a day.

Wishing you many nights of bedtime stories and sweet dreams.

May every story you read inspire adventures of your own.

This book holds a special place in my heart … just like you!

We wish you a life filled with amazing stories and beautiful memories.

Below you can see the messages my son’s partner chose to write in the books she gave her niece. Aren’t they lovely?

The 5 best books to give as baby shower gifts

Any really good book makes a wonderful gift for a baby shower: a classic hardcover, a board book (or two) or a book you or your children really loved.

Thinking about the parents’ interests can also be helpful. Buying for a science-loving mum or dad? Physicist Chris Ferrie has written some beautiful board books for babies about scientific concepts which are great fun. You check a few of them out here.

Does mum or dad love to read? BabyLit publish some gorgeous first board books based on classics like Pride and Prejudice and The Jungle Book. You can see some of them here in our Little Classics Gift Basket.

Books which celebrate the arrival of a new little person in the world are especially lovely to give as baby shower gifts. They can be read to the baby from birth and may well become a treasured part of the little one’s bed-time routine. The five books on this page are my favourite books on this theme and are all perfect to give as baby shower gifts.

And if you’re stuck for a message to write on the gift card, you may like to have a look at the lovely messages my customers have written here. 

welcome child

1. Welcome, child!

This is a new book which won’t actually be released for you to buy until 1 March 2021 but it’s a perfect book to welcome a new baby so I had to include it.
Sally Morgan is an Australian Aboriginal artist and author and this little book is a beautiful and heartfelt celebration of the love parents and family members feel for a new child. With its bright and colourful artwork filled with happy birds, dancing stars and hearts that shine, this book is a really sweet way to welcome a little one to the world and the gentle lilt of the text makes it a joy to read over and over again.

on the night you were born

2. On the Night You Were Born

This lovely book is a beautiful tribute to the uniqueness of every child. In gentle, rhyming text the book tells the story about how there’s only one you in the world and how much you mean to the people who love them. It’s a lovely book to read aloud to a new baby and to keep reading as he or she grows.

oh the places youll go

3. Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

This book is a bit of a classic and is a fantastic book to give as a baby shower gift as parents prepare to embark on a wonderful new life with their child. Written in Dr Seuss’s trademark rhyming verse, the book describes the adventures life has in store for all of us, the ups and downs, the fun times and triumphs and the lurches and slumps and conveys the encouraging message that the difficult times can be overcome. It’s an uplifting, reassuring and inspiring story which is perfect for reading aloud to babies and to older children.

Guess How Much I Love You book

4. Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You has been a favourite book of mine for many years. It was first published in 1994, the year before my twin sons were born, and I read it to them, and then to their younger sister, when they were all small. Now that my children are all grown up, I give this book as a gift to new babies and as a baby shower gift and it’s included in both our Baby’s First Library Gift Basket and our Bedtime Gift Basket.

“Guess how much I love you” are the words Little Nutbrown Hare says to his father as he is getting ready for bed and the words prompt a lovely discussion between father and son about just how much they love one another. This is a gentle and very beautiful little story which celebrates the love between parent and child and is perfect for reading to babies from the day that they’re born. In fact, I know several families who’ve chosen to read this to their little one as the very first book they hear on the day they were born.

here we are

5. Here We Are

I love Oliver Jeffers’ books and use them a lot in the classroom. This one is a bit different, though, and its differences make it a lovely book to give as a baby shower gift. Subtitled Notes for Living on Planet Earth, this book is written as a guide for new babies to the joys and puzzles they will encounter as they navigate life on this planet that is their home. The illustrations are, of course, beautiful and the text is whimsical, reassuring and, ultimately, gently uplifting.

To save this post for later, pin the image below:

easy baby shower gift ideas

Over to you

Do you give books as baby shower gifts?

Do you have a favourite book you like to give?

I’d love to hear what you think so drop me a line in the comments.

2 Comments

  1. Selena A. H. Hess

    Your writing is so eloquent and persuasive You have a talent for getting your message across and inspiring meaningful change

    Reply
    • Felicity

      Thank you.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

felicity bio

I’m Felicity - a parent to three young humans and a primary school teacher who loves books.

I’m passionate about helping parents discover the joy of reading to their little ones and I love helping you discover quality picture books to share with the babies and small humans in your lives.

I also create gift baskets and Little Book Gifts filled with the very best books for children from newborns to four-year-olds. You can check them out here.

SEARCH THE BLOG