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    Home » Blog » Reading with Kids

    Baby Shower Gift Basket for Book Lovers

    Published: Apr 22, 2010 · Modified: May 3, 2022 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A photo collage shows a baby shower gift basket filled with books and three matching book themed baby onesies.

    This baby shower gift basket is a unique baby shower gift that is especially perfect for book club members to give friends who are expecting.

    A basket of books to start a young girl's home library.

    My completely fantastic book club ladies surprised me with the best baby shower gift basket for Little Pea at our last book club meeting before my daughter arrived.

    I can't think of a gift more appropriate from them than the one that they chose--a starter library for Little Pea.

    Each woman from the club chose the chapter book that inspired her love of reading as a young girl and they filled a basket with copies of their choices.

    I was thrilled to see several titles I remember loving myself mixed in with a few I hadn't heard of before. Isn't that just the best part about being in a book club??

    It just so happens that as soon as I knew I was pregnant, I had already started to set aside my childhood favorites for the girls and this wisely chosen gift was the perfect fit.

    Jump to:
    • Why This is the Best Baby Shower Gift
    • Materials You Need
    • How to Wrap the Books
    • How to Choose the Books
    • Books to Give as Gifts
    • Holiday Themed Gift Basket
    • Baptism Gift Basket
    • Book Quotes to Use for the Gift Card
    • Book Themed Baby Onesies
    • Baby Shower Tips
    • 💬 Comments

    Why This is the Best Baby Shower Gift

    Let me give you a piece of advice as a parent who is further down the road on the childhood journey . . .

    At a baby shower, new moms will receive countless adorable onesies and things that their precious newborn is going to outgrow within just a few months.

    Baby shower gifts that recognize that sweet little baby is going to grow into a bigger child and provides things that parents can enjoy and use later are the true gifts.

    I tucked this gift basket away for safe keeping in my daughter's nursery. In just a blink of an eye it seemed she was suddenly big enough to start pulling the books down off the shelf to read.

    With each title we enjoyed together or she read on her own, I smiled as I remembered the sweet book club friends who knew these days would come.

    Materials You Need

    To make your own baby shower gift basket like mine, all you need is:

    • A practical basket that can double as a diaper holder or storage in a nursery.
    • Everyone supporting the gift should add one or two books to the pile.
    • A decorative picture frame
    • A sweet printable with book quotes to fill the frame
    • Reading-themed onesies with matching tees for any older siblings

    How to Wrap the Books

    This is the best part of a gift basket! No wrapping required.

    My friends used colorful tissue paper to fill the bottom of the basket and hold the books in a nice presentation.

    They tucked in the picture frame and onesies to help fill in the open spaces between books.

    A basket of books to start a young girl's home library. There is a framed printable of book quotes in the basket and two pink onesies sitting on the table in front.

    You could try to find a large gift bag or wrap the entire basket in clear cellophane, but honestly just stick a pretty bow on the front and you can call it good!

    How to Choose the Books

    Each book inside the basket was carefully chosen by one of the members in my book club as the book that sparked her love of reading.

    I loved that they were personally recommended and cherished titles each member remembered from her girlhood days. You can see the list of the books for girls they chose right here.

    You could also ask that every gift basket contributor choose one book on this theme:

    • A classic children's literature gift basket: Examples could include Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, etc.
    • A modern best seller gift basket: Ask guests to stalk the current best sellers in various late elementary/middle grade genres.
    • A read aloud gift basket: Books that are specifically meant to be enjoyed together with the child.
    • A picture book gift basket: Start the family library off right with plenty of picture books.

    Books to Give as Gifts

    Whether the baby shower is for a baby boy or a baby girl, I've pulled together three great book lists to help get you started:

    • A photo collage shows several best classic books for kids.
      18 Classic Books for Kids Every Home Needs
    • A photo collage shows several popular chapter books for girls.
      10 Essential Chapter Books for Girls
    • A photo collage shows several chapter books for boys.
      10 Essential Chapter Books for Boys

    If you prefer to start a Read Aloud Books Gift basket, you may also enjoy these excellent book lists:

    • A row of great read aloud books are on the living room mantle.
      Read Aloud Books for 9-Year-Olds
    • A photo collage of book covers that are good to read aloud to 8 year olds.
      Read Aloud Books Your 8-Year-Old Won't Be Able to Put Down

    Holiday Themed Gift Basket

    If your baby shower or the baby's due date falls closely around a holiday, consider making an extra-special themed holiday book basket:

    • A pink and red basket with a felt heart has a Valentine's board book inside and sits on a stack of pink and red books.
      30 Best Valentine's Day Books for Kids
    • A photo collage of picture books for St. Patrick's Day.
      St. Patrick's Day Books for Kids
    • A photo collage shows the picture book covers of 4 bunny books for kids.
      Kids Easter Books About Bunnies
    • A photo collage of several lovely fall picture books to read aloud to kids.
      Gorgeous Fall Books for Kids
    • A collage of Halloween picture books for reading out loud to kids.
      Delightful Halloween Books for Kids
    • Collage of four book covers: Christmas Stories, The Christmas Pig, The Vanderbeeks of 141st Street, and A Christmas Carol.
      12 Best Christmas Read Aloud Books

    Baptism Gift Basket

    A book gift basket would also make an amazing baptism gift for a baby. Any of the themes above would be special, but these would be especially appropriate:

    • A collage shows the covers of several First Communion books for kids.
      Fantastic Books for First Communion
    • Collage of four book covers: Song of the Stars, Three Wise Kings, The Legend of the Poinsettia, and The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree.
      22 Powerful Christmas Books for Advent
    • A collage shows several picture book covers for Easter books for kids.
      Best Christian Easter Books for Kids

    Book Quotes to Use for the Gift Card

    My book club friends printed these quotes on a sweet 8 x 10 decorative page and framed it for me to keep in the nursery.

    Any of the quotes would also make a lovely addition to your card to help explain the gift:

    There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world.
    Love of books is the best of all.
    -Jacqueline Kennedy

    To learn to read is to light a fire;
    every syllable that is spilled out is a spark.
    - Victor Hugo

    There is more treasure in books than
    in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island.
    -Walt Disney

    Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.
    -Emilie Buchwald

    The greatest gift is a passion for reading.
    -Elizabeth Hardwick

    Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading,
    to make reading one of her deep and continuing needs, is good for her.
    - Maya Angelou

    The more you read, the more things you will know.
    The more you learn, the more places you'll go.
    - Dr. Seuss

    Book Themed Baby Onesies

    Since Little Pea was my second baby, my book club friends also included a matching onesie for the baby along with a t-shirt for my older daughter.

    It was such a thoughtful way to include both kids.

    4 baby onesies with book themes on the design.

    Each of these designs comes in over a dozen different onesie colors in all shades of pink, blue, green, grey, and black as well as various sizes from newborn to 24 months.

    I recommend choosing a size the baby can grow into so they can enjoy it as long as possible!

    • Future Bookworm Onesie
    • Silently Correcting Your Grammar Onesie
    • Elephant and Piggie Onesie
    • Dragons Love Books Onesie

    Baby Shower Tips

    If you're hosting a baby shower, this is a great gift idea to wrap the entire theme of the party around. But, to keep the guests happy you might also want to plan for a few of these super fun baby shower games!

    A photo collage shows a baby shower gift basket filled with books and three matching book themed baby onesies.

    More Reading with Kids

    • A photo collage shows 4 different covers of cookbooks for kids
      The Best Cookbooks for Kids 2023
    • A girl lays on a bed reading a book.
      You Want Smart Kids but Are You Doing This?
    • A stack of Halloween books with a pumpkin on top.
      8 Halloween Movies Based on Books {Not Too Scary}
    • Collage of four book covers: The Christmasaurus, The Girl Who Saved Christmas, The 12 Dares of Christa, and Nutcracked.
      12 Christmas Chapter Books for Tweens

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Katrina

      March 04, 2013 at 7:20 am

      What a wonderful and thoughtful gift/idea! Those are great selections. I would've added: The Little House series, Anne of Green Gables, Mandy, The Last of Great Wangdoodles, and The Chronicles of Narnia 🙂

      Reply
    2. Kate corbin

      January 19, 2013 at 11:50 pm

      My dad read "The Paperbag Princess" to me as a child. I LOVED it, I have copies for my children as well, I recently had a baby girl and we've already read it...

      Reply
    3. Saleigh Strohl

      December 06, 2012 at 7:10 pm

      I'm a little older and would add, Black Beauty, Beautiful Joe, and the Black Stallion Series.

      Reply
    4. TAMMIE MAUBACH

      October 31, 2012 at 7:47 am

      I would add Bed Time Bible Stories

      Reply
    5. Beth Pipkin

      September 10, 2012 at 1:43 am

      Not a chapter book but Each Peach Pear Plum is a must.

      Reply
    6. Jessica

      August 25, 2012 at 6:01 pm

      I know this is old but I just found you on pinterest. I see that one of my favorite books growing up is not represented and it needs to be represented. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine was so important to my childhood. I probably have read it a few hundred times over the years. It's one of those twist on the Cinderella story. Ella is strong, smart, and kind but she's also very stubborn. She's a great real role model.

      Reply
    7. Christine

      July 11, 2012 at 9:16 am

      I would have added Little House on the Prairie, Black Beauty, and Classic Winnie the Pooh. Also a custom library of rubber stamp with her name to make sure all those wonderful books find their way back to her.

      Reply
    « Older Comments
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    Trackbacks

    1. Alex’s Book Drive » Peanut Blossom says:
      December 19, 2012 at 1:26 pm

      [...] 19, 2012 Alex’s Book Drive One of my most popular posts here on the site, ‘Little Pea’s Library‘, features one of the most awesome baby gifts I’ve ever seen. The mastermind behind [...]

      Reply
    2. Things I Love Thursday « M O M S Y – T U R V Y says:
      November 22, 2012 at 10:48 am

      [...] starter library book basket is a great gift for a new [...]

      Reply
    3. 5 Must-Read Roald Dahl Movie Pairings | Lasso the Moon says:
      September 17, 2012 at 6:45 am

      [...] I happened to miss out on as a child. Oddly enough, we currently own a copy of the book thanks to an awesome baby gift. I thought it would be the perfect place to start since I selfishly wanted to see how the book [...]

      Reply

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