Whether it's for playtime, bedtime or learning time, we can all agree that children's books play a vital role in development, and the introduction of black and white baby books is a great idea for young babies.
Not only is reading baby books a chance to bond with your little one, but the black and white shapes that fill the pages will teach them all about the world around them. So, it's worth making a space for them on your children's bookcase.
Best black and white books at a glance:
• Best for newborns: Baby's Very First Cloth Book: Faces Rag Book by Campbell Books – buy now from Amazon
• Best black and white baby book overall: Jane Foster's Black and White – buy now from Amazon
• Best reflective black and white baby book: Faces: Baby Touch First Focus by Ladybird – buy now from Amazon
And although they might not be able to read or understand what you are saying or even see the books very clearly, reading is a brilliant habbit to get into. It also provides a brilliant opportunity for baby to get to know your voice and establish a healthy bedtime routine.
It takes a few months before babies begin to see things in colour (they can see all the colours of the rainbow at six months), which means high-contrast black and white toys and cloth books are really good stimuli for newborns. In the weeks following the birth, babies are most likely to see reds and greens first as their vision strengthens. Hopefully, you now know more about black and white baby books and how they can help infant development. Now, it's time to find out about our favourite ones.
The best black and white baby books:
Best black and white baby book overall
How beautifully illustrated is Jane Foster's Black and White? Your baby will love looking at the bold black and white images that contrast with the bright background. We love the fact that this book can stand up on its own.
Best black and white book for animal lovers
Introduce your child to the animal kingdom with this incredible Hello, Baby Animals: A High-Contrast Book. Flip the pages to uncover magical black and white images of elephants, ducks and more.
Best black and white book collection
Learning is such an essential part of your little one's development. With this Baby's Very First Black and White Little Library by Stella Baggott, it's full of black and white books, you'll be able to grab the attention of any baby.
Best for newborns
Don't just settle for any book - get a little creative with Baby's Very First Cloth Book: Faces Rag Book by Campbell Books. This sensory experience will help to stimulate the senses as well as help your child focus on the big, bright world around them.
Best for eye catching designs
Reviewed by over 2,500 customers on Amazon, Look, Look! by Peter Linenthal is an enchanting book is a great gift for any baby. It's a sturdy book, ideal for smaller hands and also features red copy which is another colour babies can see. You may even see your baby's first smile!
Best reflective black and white baby book
The pages and illustrations in Faces: Baby Touch First Focus by Ladybird will help your baby learn about different faces, and the mirror at the end will allow them to recognise their reflection. What a lovely touch.
Best black and white book for bedtime
Join Little Bunny after a busy day to get ready for bed with this sparkly, bold, high-contrast novelty board book. Night, Night introduces a peaceful bedtime routine of bath, book, and bed with bold text and beautiful images.
It's perfect for bedtime.
Best charity black and white book
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Inspire a love for wildlife by finding 12 animals who live in Africa. Our favourite thing about this Black And White Baby Board Book Africa is that 25 per cent of the profits will go to helping animal and wildlife charities worldwide.
Why do black and white baby books appeal so much to babies?
Different studies have been conducted around when babies can see clearly and what they can see. One study by Russell D Hamer, PhD found that "their sensitivity to light and dark, and subtle shading (contrast sensitivity) improves about four times faster than their visual acuity: thus, by eight to nine weeks (not eight to nine months !) of age, your baby will be able to distinguish two shades of grey that differ by only 1/2% in brightness, about half as good as adult sensitivity! In the first month of life, a baby can see many colours, although [they] might not be able to tell the difference between very pastel colours."
So, if your little one doesn't distinguish between two shades of colours, black and white baby books will surely help information and images stand out to them, right? Because of the bold lines and shapes.
How long will my baby enjoy black and white baby books for?
The best time to read black and white baby books to your little one is from birth up to four to six months. After the four month mark, they are able to see more of the primary colours, making it a great time to introduce books with more colour.
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Stephanie Anthony is the Deputy Digital Editor at Mother&Baby and auntie to four aged 7 to 2 months old. With a particular interest in health, she loves discovering products that make parent’s lives easier.