Black and white baby books for eyesight development

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:

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.

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.