Ultimate List of Baby Shower Books that Won’t Get Returned

One of the greatest baby shower trends is giving baby shower books instead of cards to help build baby’s first library! But there’s one little problem – everyone goes for the popular classics they know. Then the family either returns the duplicates or is stuck with multiple copies of the same book they can’t give away because there’s a sweet note inside from a loved one.

True story, that happened to me and my baby. We got two of One the Day You Were Born, three of Brown Bear, Brown Bear and four of Goodnight Moon.

It’s not that the popular classics aren’t wonderful for baby shower books. They are! They’re cherished classics for a reason. But I promise, the family either already has them or will certainly get them.

So, you want to give a unique baby shower book that the family will not only love but won’t get returned.

This list has OVER 40 books that are perfect baby shower books and aren’t likely to be duplicated or end up in the give away pile. They are all books my family and I love, and I know the family you’re giving them to will, too.

There are a variety of books in the list broken down into categories: General Favorites, Sweet and Sentimental, Interactive and Learning, and Religious.

I hope you find one (or several) you love and enjoy giving the gift of reading to the newest bundle of joy in your life!

And if you’re wondering what to write in your book once you’ve purchased it, check out my post What to Write in a Baby Shower Book? 55 Examples from Simple to Heartfelt for some great ideas!

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If you’re looking for a unique story to become a new family favorite, this is your list. It’s a collection of generally good stories that are perfect to read any time.

An adorable lift-the-flap book about a child who asks the zoo to send him a pet.

A quirky repetition read about a very odd donkey the narrator meets on the road. This one will have everyone laughing and has even been put to song.

A sweet and simple book about the ways dads love their children illustrated by animal daddies and their babies.

The perfect book for dog lovers where daddy dogs and their pups are used to show all the ways daddies are awesome. This one is a family favorite in our house.

A heartwarming book about all of the special moments mommies share with their babies to show their love.

A hilarious story about everything a little girl must do to successfully “babysit” her grandma on an overnight visit. It’s the perfect gift for a grandma-to-be.

This companion book to How to Babysit a Grandma shares how a little boy “babysits” his grandpa when he goes to visit one day.

For those who love the classic but often over purchased Llama Llama Red Pajamas, you’ll be just as entertained by this rhyming book about how Llama Llama spends a sick day home with his mama.

Sandra Boynton has many adorable books and this frequently requested favorite is no exception. You won’t be able to help yourself from signing out loud as you read this one. Like Wonky Donkey, it’s another great book that has a song version as well.

This is another book that is always grabbed off our family’s book shelf. It’s a simple, silly story about a turkey who just can’t figure out how to wear his clothes properly like his friends. It’s also great for teaching colors, articles of clothing, and parts of the body.

This was our go-to bedtime book for quite a while. It’s a sweet rhyming book with peek-a-boo window pages about all the animals on the farm winding down for the night. It also has a fun bonus feature of glow in the dark stars on the last page!

If you’re looking to give a book for a new baby or parent that is meaningful, heartfelt, or inspirational, then this is your list. All of these baby shower books have beautiful, wonderful messages and stories but their underrated popularity will make it more likely to be a unique gift just from you.

If I had to pick an absolute favorite on this page, it would be this book. It’s a poetic tale of all of the hopes and dreams a mother has for her child accompanied by beautiful illustrations. It is the perfect heartwarming book shower book for a new mom, especially if she’s been dreaming of being a mother for some time.

I had never heard of this book until I was given it by a sweet friend for my first baby and it has been my go-to baby shower book to give ever since. It is an adorably illustrated animal ABC book with a different attribute of kindness for every letter.

This clever book tells the story of how to take an idea, even one you or others may doubt, and turn it into a beautiful reality. It’s part of the wonderful box set What You Do Matters with additional books about facing your problems and taking bold chances. They’re all incredibly illustrated and bring abstract and important lessons to life, making them perfect baby shower books.

This sweet book shares how all the field and forest animal mamas love their babies in relation to their natural habitats. Strong like the river, cozy and safe like a bunny den, and vast as the fields.

This precious, poetic book shares all the ways a mother loves her baby through everyday moments. It is a perfect baby shower book to share how much a mama loves her baby.

This book shares an adorable back-and-forth exchange between a father and son as they try to out do each other for who loves the other more.

This book teaches the ABCs along with positive words to build little ones up. A bonus about this adorable book is that it’s sold by a small business, so it’s a great baby shower book option.

Babies of all ages love interactive books! All of the baby shower books on this list have lift-the-flaps, textures, sounds, buttons to push, or some other super fun interactive experience. These awesome books all help promote little one’s learning and development and will make a great gift just from you!

This book tells the story of an owl flying over a farm as it winds down for the night. Each page has a different texture to bring the pages to life like bump bark, velvety cow fur, and fluffy sheep wool. It’s the perfect baby shower book to help babies explore their sense of touch.

This was another fan favorite in our house until the flaps fell right off from reading it 50 million times a day. This book covers four classic nursery rhyme songs (Twinkle Twinkle, Hickory Dickory, Its Bitsy Spider, and Wheels on the Bus) with Eric Carle’s classic illustration style. Each rhyme has a lift-the-flap interaction, too.

This fun and informational book is a great way to learn in true Baby Einstein fashion. It includes pages on 10 different animals with both cartoon and real pictures plus buttons to hear the animal sounds as you go along.

This is a great first book to start reading with babies early on. It has different colors, shapes, and textures to introduce baby to different sensations and sights in a fun way.

This is the perfect interactive book for Winnie the Pooh lovers. It takes you through Pooh’s quest to find honey by letting you rub is soft, hungry belly, search in the scratchy dirt and wavy water, and by touching the sticky honey when he finally finds it.

The “Never Touch” books are full of fun 3D textures made of silicone-like material so babies can explore their sense of touch. The colors are vibrant, the story lines cute and educational, and the unique texture component makes these baby shower books a home run gift!

This is another fun textured touch-and-feel book that is still a go-to in our house years later. It highlights five animals with a fun fact and different texture to pet the animal.

If you want a “do it all” kind of interactive book, this one checks all the boxes. It has sounds, it has touch-and-feel, and it has flaps and pop outs! On top of that, it focuses on fun farm equipment and animals which are always a hit with little ones.

This is adorable lift the flap book is all about finding the animals hiding on the farm using the time-treasured peek-a-boo game! Can you find them all?

It is so hard to find good baby shower books that have both English and Spanish but this adorable book has that covered, plus it teaches numbers and has touch and feel features!

This is another great English-Spanish baby shower book. It takes you through a story of giving kisses to a little girls favorite things like her family members, butterflies, and the sun. The back of the book even has a little glossary for learning vocabulary words featured in the book!

This book came everywhere with us for a solid six months because it was a sure fire way to keep my baby entertained! The book is divided two-page spreads of different categories like pets, eating, and playing. The vivid, real life pictures capture babies’ attentions and help them learn to recognize different everyday objects. If you love this book, there’s even a First 100 box set that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

This is yet another family favorite of ours because all of it’s unique features make it so you’ll never get bored. There are indented letters to trace, colorful pictures, and lift thew flaps featuring two vocabulary words per letter. It’s a great tactile, interactive book to introduce different words to babies.

I am a big fan of teaching babies to sign and this book is a great way to introduce baby sign language to both parents and baby. It has adorably illustrated pages featuring basic baby signs for words like “water”, “mama”, and “more.”

Contrast books like this one are fantastic first books for babies. Newborns can really only distinguish between dark and light so this black and white book is a fun way to read to babies in a way they can really enjoy. Plus it helps develop their eye sight, too!

This lift-the-flat board book is unique because it has felt flaps instead of cardboard making it easier for little babies to play with. It takes you through the Sesame Street neighborhood with different characters introducing basic shapes.

If the family you’re giving a baby shower book to is religious, giving one of these Christian-based books is a meaningful, unique gift. All of these baby shower books are perfect for introducing baby to God’s love for them and will sure to be a cherished book in the family’s library.

This adorable book is a regular part of our bedtime book rotation because of it’s rhythmic story and sweet message about gratitude. It tells a bedtime prayer focused on thanking God for all of the wonderful things in our life like family, nature, and simple every day things.

This personalized name book by iSeeMe Books is a precious keepsake to give to any child. It shares about God’s wonderful creations in the world and weaves the child’s name throughout the story. My girls have received several of the personalized iSeeMe books (which aren’t all religious) and every one of them has been told great stories with beautiful illustrations.

This sweet and reassuring book shares God’s love for his children through good times and hard times. It shares different relatable experiences and reassure children that their parent and God love them forever.

This heartwarming book will become a new mother’s favorite. It shares of the unconditional love of a mother through special milestones like finding out you’re pregnant, first laughs, and sweet sleepy moments. It’s the perfect gift for a new mom who has been patiently and lovingly waiting to become a mother.

Every child just wants to know they’re loved and special and this book assures them they are. It’s a beautiful book about a child’s unique abilities and talents that make them so special and how they fit into God’s plan.

If you like the popular book On the Night You Were Born, you’ll love this religious book that shares all of the ways a baby is adoringly waited for and loved. It’s rhyming story and adorable illustrations make this a book parents, grandparents, or any loved one will enjoy reading to baby over and over.

Giving a book to a child, especially one who has been so excitedly anticipated, can be such a meaningful and special experience. Each of these unique baby shower books will give you the opportunity to give a gift that is different from what others may give, ensuring yours is just as special as you want it to be.

I hope you’ve found a baby shower book (or a few) that you’ve never seen before and gets you extra excited to share the gift of reading with the little one in your life.

If you’ve been invited to a “books not cards” baby shower and are looking for ideas of what to write in your book, check my post on What to Write in a Baby Shower Book: 55 Messages from Simple to Sentimental.