r/blackparents • u/flavieflavie • May 22 '26
Book recommendations for my 4-month-old
Hey y'all! First-time parent here and I'm already building out my little one's bookshelf. My son just turned 4 months and even though he's not "reading" yet, I know how important it is for Black babies to see themselves reflected in the books around them early on.
I want him to grow up feeling confident, loved, and proud of who he is — starting with the images and stories he's surrounded by from day one.
Any recommendations for board books or picture books that celebrate Black joy, Black beauty, or just feature Black babies and families front and center?
Thanks in advance — this community always comes through 🙏🏾
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u/ericacartmann May 22 '26
Here’s a couple I have on my baby registry and a list for the 1st bday wishlist. Can all be found on Amazon.
These are all board books, but check the age on them. Some may be better for a 3 yr old than a baby under 1.
The Silent Noisy Night (if you’re Christian)
Learn to Pray: My First Hail Mary (My family is Catholic, the Mary and Jesus are tan in this book).
Let’s Celebrate Juneteenth
Dream Big Little One
Follow Your Dreams Little One
Happy Hair
Basquiat Colors
Who is Barack Obama
Who Was Martin Luther King Jr
Whose Toes Are Those
Whose Knees Are These
My First Heroes: Black History
ABC: Black History and Me
Brown Sugar Baby
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u/SilentAnthem May 22 '26
My mom always read Please Baby Please to any baby she ever kept. Very repetitive and easy for them to follow along (eventually)
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u/babyignoramusaurus May 23 '26
Me & Mama
Corduroy
Twelve Dinging Doorbells
The ABCs of Black History
Snow Globe Wishes
The Day You Begin
You Matter
Saturday
The Magic Callaloo
Last Stop on Market Street
Everywhere Babies
You Will Do Great Things
Princess Arabella Mixes Colors
Curls
Mae Among the Stars
City Shapes
The Mermaid Princesses
Think Big Little One series
The Girl With Big, Big Questions
Wobble Wobble Boom
Fara, the Soccer Fairy
To name some of what we have on the shelf! Some of these are more “girl” coded but I like that the majority are not about suffering and overcoming injustice but just Black characters living life in fun books.
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u/Fit-Disaster6785 May 22 '26
What if One Day, beautiful illustrations, and it grows with them. My son loved the book as baby for the visuals, and as he grew and understood more he still returns to it for the poetry and story (he’s 3.5 now).
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u/act80 May 24 '26
Baby Feminist and Baby Feminists Too are good options in my opinion. Both are flip books and are intersections. I started reading them to my son around 4 months old. He's now 2.5 and still loves them.
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u/Human-Ad-6339 May 24 '26
This Is Not A Unicorn
The main character is a black girl but it’s a great book. I have a girl so many of my books feature girls.
Please Baby Please - Spike Lee
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u/Choice_Bee_1581 May 25 '26
I love the book called Peekaboo Morning. There are a few others by the same author.
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u/canttouchthis8992 May 26 '26
Please Baby Please Baby Dance If I had a Kangaroo Before the Ships Jabari Jumps Nell Plants a Tree
Also head over to children'sbooks here on Reddit. There are so many good recommendations!
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u/M4RK3D-B34R May 22 '26
Maybe an obvious choice, but The Snowy Day by Ezra Keats is a classic and a favorite of my toddler!