Board Books

Here at Childrensbookstore.com, we take a special interest in board books.  Our experience is that board books are the first introduction to books for most children.  They are the durable soldiers of juvenile literacy that can withstand little hands.  Aside from their durability, board books serve an important role in the first steps in learning to read for a young child.

Through board books, a child has the experience of independently using a book from a very young age.  Child literacy experts agree that the first building block of reading is simply learning how to open and turn the pages of a book.  Once that skill is mastered, a child learns to follow images and words to see a theme and follow a story in a book. Board books also show a child that reading in English happens from left to right on the page.

History of Board Books:

Board Book as we currently know them is a rather new innovation in publishing.  Since the 1960s, publishers have generated books that have "double-thick" pages that consisted of glossy card stock.  These more durable versions of books were better than their conventional predecessors, but, anyone with an 18 month-old child can tell you that little hands can be very effective at tearing even seemingly thick pages out of a book.  These thick-page books were printed by Little Golden Book and other major publishers for many years as the best option for children who were equally interested in tearing paper and reading what was on the paper they were tearing.

It was not until the mid 1980s that printers began binding modern board books.  The major innovation that allowed modern board books to be produced was printing on, then binding thick pieces of cardboard--a feat that required new printing presses and a new binding method.  The trick was finding a way to bind the thick cardboard pages into a useable book.  Once the engineering was figured out to make books from the thick and stiff board books, the cost of creating them came down and board book publishing took off.

Books for all:

We offer more than 5000 titles in board books on every imaginable topic; from colors, animals and trucks to manners, families and classic stories--we have it all.  We have found that a quality board book can become a treasured possession for a young child.  For the parents, having two or three small board books in the diaper bag and the car is an essential to keeping a young child happy in the car, at the grocery store, while changing a diaper, etc.  The owners of childrensbookstore.com have 10 children between them, we have seen board books be passed down from one child to the next--usually with many bite marks and some pages sticking together.  We know that modern board books are built to last and delight children for many years.   

In the "Board Books" tab at the top of the website, you will find a selection of some of the most popular board books.  As you browse books on the site, anytime you see the phrase "board book" above the jacket image of the book; that means that title comes in a board book format.

Many parents remember their favorite books from their youth.  Publishers are well-aware of the desire parents have to pass along treasured stories and titles.  We see that publishers have moved forward with reprinting classic titles in a board book format for the first time.  If you have a favorite book from your youth, search for it above.  If the book is in print, there's a good chance it will be available in a board book format.

We'd love to help you find the board book that fits your needs.  If you'd like help finding just the right book(s) for your child, please use the "contact us" button at the top of the page and send us an email.  We'd love to help you find board books that will become treasured possessions for your children.