The best children's books every little boy needs to own
My college roommate just had her first baby boy and it has me dreaming of dinosaurs and monsters. She is going to be the most amazing boy mom ever and I giddy with excitement over getting to meet him later this week.
We're a big book family over here and I am totally that aunt/family friend who will always give books instead of toys, but I don't care. To quote Kathleen Kelly (because I believe in jumping on any opportunity to quote You've Got Mail), "When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does.” I don't think there is any greater gift we can give our children than the love of reading, so today I want to share with you my all-time favorite books to gift little boys. (NOTE: This post contains affiliate links)
My son is currently three, so you can correctly assume that I have read all of these books at least a thousand times. I wish I was exaggerating, but these are books that you will read over and over and over again.
1. Where The Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak
This one has been around for ages, and may fall under the "obvious" category for books every boy needs, but it is a classic. Because this one is already a classic, I usually don't give this as a gift because it's likely people already have it. I recommend asking someone if you can guy this for them before you purchase it as a gift.It is full of imagination and adventure which are two things every little boy needs to have in his life.
2. King Jack And The Dragon
By Peter Bently and Helen Oxenbury
This one is great for the younger boys (2 and under) because it is one fluid rhyme which babies love for the rhythm. I've read this one so many times that I can now perform it as a rap. It's really quite impressive. This book will foster a sense of leadership, imagination and bravery in your sweet boy. Even though this has all male characters (except the mom), this is a fun book to read with your daughters as well.
3. Demolition
by Sally Sutton and Brian Lovelock
Another book full of rhyme and rhythm that is fun for the baby to babbler age. This little board book follows the full process of a construction project, which most little boys are mesmerized by. Expect to hear "Rip Roar Crash" every time you pass a construction site after reading this book. WARNING: You will probably read this hundreds of times, so I won't judge you if it gets "lost" for a couple weeks at a time.
4. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild
By Peter Brown
This book is loved by the entire family. Aside from the absolutely gorgeous illustrations, and the darling dialogue, this book is ultimately about a Tiger who is learning to express himself in a world of straight and narrow animals (who apparently have British accents because that's how I always end up reading it). Peter Brown has a ton of amazing books worth checking out, but this is my favorite so far.
5. Dragons Love Tacos
By Adam Rubin and Daniel Slmieri
This is another one that is down right fun. There is no strong moral to the story, but it is about dragons who love tacos, but you'll want to find out what happens when they eat spicy salsa. I won't spoil it for you, but it's good. This book is what inspired the entryway of our home to be named "The Taco Cave." Little boys love dragons and all adults love tacos, so really it's just a no brainer for family bonding.
6. Big Frank's Fire Truck
By Leslie McGuire and Jo Mathleu
There is a lot of exposure to fire men and fire trucks when kids are little. It easily becomes an obsession for little boys. The work fire men do hits the core of the male spirit. They are fearless, selfless and hella brave. Big Frank's Fire Truck goes through what an entire shift looks like for a fire fighter. Everything from educating students on fire safety to cleaning the trucks to inspecting local businesses and of course fighting fires. It's a little longer, but is perfect for boys 3+ who love their brave role models.
7. Curious George Stories to Share
By H.A. Rey and Margret Rey
Curious George was a curious little money and is the only creature who could get into more trouble than my two toddlers. His adventures are a classic and this story book was gifted to us for a baby shower gift. It includes 8 classic stories and is a whopping $5.99 on amazon for the hard cover. This one makes a great gift!
8. Robots Robots Everywhere
By Sue Fliess and Bob Staake
This one is another rhyming book great for babies and babblers. I have yet to meet a little boy who is not easily excited by robots. I was so sad to see that the board book was out of stock, but this Little Golden Book Edition will get the job done and be a great addition to your Little Golden Book collection. Expect to memorize this book and have it haunt you every night as you are trying to fall asleep.
9. Dinoblock
by Christopher Franceschelli and Peskimo
Another obsession of many young boys is dinosaurs. You know the worst part of this is? As parents we have how clue how the hell to pronounce most dinosaurs. Let's be honest, we pretty much only know T-Rex and can only idetnify an Apartosaurus as "Little Foot." This book is AMAZEBALLS! They compare dinosaur features to things in our modern world that give a reasonable reference point and it includes pronunciations for so many dinosaurs.
10. Little Blue Truck
Last, but certainly not least, little blue truck. This book about a kind little truck teaches animals and their sounds as well as the importance of loving your neighbor. All the while rhyming in a smooth rhythm that will sooth a fussy baby. We actually own multiple of this book because it gets carried around all over our home and is frequently requested. Frankly, I just got sick of searching for it.
Final Thoughts
This is where I will leave you. If you are just starting your book collection for a little boy or are looking for gifts for a loved one, these are all great books that are well loved by both of my kids. In my experience the best ones for gifts are King Jack And The Dragon, Big Frank's Fire Truck and Dinoblock. I've never seen people give these books at a baby shower I've been to before so you probably won't see too many duplicates of these books.
Sarah Knox, of mommingishard.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
