I had a great first year reading with Mateo. We started reading to him the day he was born (Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Seuss & Where the Wild Things Are). After a few months, he was able to crawl and grab his own books. It is safe to say these are his top picks! Most of these are board books and age appropriate. He will be 1 on January 7, 2015 and I am looking forward to his favorite books going into his second year of life.

Mateo’s First Year of Books

Illus. in color. A baby bird is hatched while his mother is away. Fallen from his nest, he sets out to look for her and asks everyone he meets — including a dog, a cow, and a plane — “Are you my mother?”

Where the Wild Things Are is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up. If you disagree, then it’s been too long since you’ve attended a wild rumpus. Max dons his wolf suit in pursuit of some mischief and gets sent to bed without supper. Fortuitously, a forest grows in his room, allowing his wild rampage to continue unimpaired. Sendak’s color illustrations (perhaps his finest) are beautiful, and each turn of the page brings the discovery of a new wonder.

An Ocean Primer with beautiful illustrations.

Meet 2 friends, Mina and Lucy, and the 5 heroes who try to save them from the dreaded Count Dracula in Dracula: A BabyLit Counting Primer. Make sure you’re wearing a necklace of 10 garlic flowers as you count wolves, ships, tombstones, and boxes full of soil in this witty retelling of Little Master Stoker’s classic Gothic tale.

Just like STAR WARS: 1, 2, 3 and STAR WARS: ABC, this novelty board book is aimed at fans both young and old. Each vibrant color is illustrated using Star Wars’s most popular heroes, villains, vehicles, droids, and aliens

It’s bedtime in the Star Wars galaxy, and Darth Vader’s parenting skills are tested anew in this delightful follow-up to the breakout New York Times bestsellers Darth Vader™ and Son and Vader’s™ Little Princess. In this Episode, the Sith Lord must soothe his rambunctious twins, Luke and Leia—who are not ready to sleep and who insist on a story. As Vader reads, the book looks in on favorite creatures, droids, and characters, such as Yoda, R2-D2, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Maul, Admiral Ackbar, Boba Fett, and many others as they tuck in, yawn, and settle down to dream. As ever, Jeffrey Brown’s charming illustrations and humor glow throughout, playing on children’s book conventions to enchant adults and kids alike.

What if Darth Vader took an active role in raising his son? What if “Luke, I am your father” was just a stern admonishment from an annoyed dad? In this hilarious and sweet comic reimagining, Darth Vader is a dad like any other—except with all the baggage of being the Dark Lord of the Sith. Celebrated artist Jeffrey Brown’s delightful illustrations give classic Star Wars® moments a fresh twist, presenting the trials and joys of parenting through the lens of a galaxy far, far away. Life lessons include lightsaber batting practice, using the Force to raid the cookie jar, Take Your Child to Work Day on the Death Star (“Er, he looks just like you, Lord Vader!”), and the special bond shared between any father and son.

The first book every comic book geek Dad will want to read to his child! And the first-ever touch-and-feel Superman book.

The first book every comic book geek Dad will want to read to his child! And the first-ever touch-and-feel Batman book.

Star Wars: ABC is an alphabetical adventure through the imaginative and intergalactic world of Star Wars featuring the names and images of the most popular characters, droids, spaceships, and creatures in this galaxy far, far away.

With artistic alliterative text that describes each image and emphasizes each letter, Star Wars: ABC is a completely new way to learn about the legendary story of Star Wars.

Announcing a brand new idea in publishing books for babies: the completely durable, completely safe Indestructibles. Published on the same paper-like material used in shipping envelopes, Indestructibles are 100% baby-proof: chew-proof, drool-proof, and rip-proof. That’s because Indestructibles not only will not tear or turn gummy with teething, but they are also completely washable.