There was recently a post on Brightly (a site I’ve been writing for) that I really liked – “8 Baby Shower Books That Won’t Get Returned” by Janssen Bradshaw. Not only did it offer some great gift book suggestions, but it also got me thinking about the subtle politics that go into buying a friend a really great gift book for their baby shower. Because, let’s be frank, you WANT your book to be the favorite. You want your book to be the hit of the shower. And, more than anything, you don’t want your book to suffer that fate worse than death for a gift book – to be returned, with a stack of similar books, for (shudder) store credit.
So, how do you make sure that your baby shower book stands out from the pack? For starters, don’t buy anyone Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, Guess How Much I Love You, or any other standard shower staple. Yes, they’re fantastic books, but they’re PREDICTABLE. Any bookish parent worth a damn is going to get ten copies of those titles from ten different people. They’re the baby shower equivalent of the letters Pat Sajak gives you as freebies during the final puzzle of Wheel of Fortune.
What other advice can I give you? After reading Bradshaw’s article, I took to Twitter the other day to list off some of my favorite tips for buying baby shower books. Some are no brainers, some are super-passive aggressive, and a few are borderline evil. But they should give you a decent idea of how to plan out your baby shower book purchase and ensure that your book finds a place of honor on their child’s bookshelf for years to come.
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If you want any specific ideas for other superior shower books, here are a few suggestions I’ve had in the past:
Five Great Board Books That Aren’t Goodnight Moon or The Runaway Bunny
Building a Library for Friends: Great Starter Books for Your Best Friends’ Baby
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There’s a science to making sure that your baby shower book won’t get returned. Rule #1: Don’t give Goodnight Moon (they already have it)
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
Making Sure Your Baby Shower Book Won’t Get Returned Rule #2 – Don’t buy any book you can get at Target. (Everyone will do that.) — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
Ensuring Your Baby Shower Book Won’t Get Returned Rule #3 – Thematic significance. If the parents are chefs, buy In the Night Kitchen, etc — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
At the very least, writing an inscription makes sure they have to keep YOUR copy of Goodnight Moon and return the OTHERS to Target.
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
I like to give one book for the baby now and one for later. That way, I gave them their first copies of Jamberry AND Catcher in the Rye. — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – If they know the name of the baby and you can find a kids’ book w/ that baby’s name in it, you look like a wizard.
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – Forget about Pat the Bunny. Buy them all seven Harry Potter books. In a few years, you’ll be revered as a god. — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules If you buy a really nice, expensive book, tell the parents-to-be “I expect this will be destroyed. Let the kid go nuts”
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules If anyone at the shower gives those Curious George books that were written after Margret and H. A. Rey died, JUDGE THEM — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules Get the board book, not the Golden Book, version of Monster at the End of This Book. Babies need to read it ASAP.
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – If you give the parents-to-be a parenting book at the shower, YOU ARE A MONSTER. — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules Trying to write an inscription on a board book is next to impossible. Test your pens on a lesser board book first.
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – I once gave friends a picture book signed by the author. They put it on a shelf and didn’t let the kid touch it. LAME — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – AVOID personalized kids’ books. I know the concept seems cool, but too often, they underwhelm http://t.co/wzDLrwiik6
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – If you have the choice between a clever, ironic book or an earnest, heartfelt book, let the parents feel the feels. — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – Buy the baby the Caldecott Medal winners from the year their parents were born.
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – If you buy the baby a book that makes noises when you press a button, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – Giving a baby a pop-up book is like asking Godzilla to delicately admire Tokyo from afar. Bad idea.
— Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015
#babyshowerbookrules – If you go to a used bookstore and get an older edition of a popular kids book, you look like a Pinterest hipster GOD. — Tom B. (@BuildaLibrary) February 11, 2015