One of the most valuable baby development items are black and white books for newborns. When my daughter was a few weeks old, she would always stare at the warning label on the inside of her bassinet before drifting off to sleep. What was it about this warning label that intrigued her? It was the bold black words against the white background. Babies are drawn to high-contrast images like this. Below I share everything you need to know about black and white books for newborns including some of my favorite books, how I use them, and ways to make this development activity work for tight budgets.
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Why Black and White Books for Newborns?
Did you know that your newborn can’t see very well? They can only see in focus about 8-15 inches in front of them. This is roughly the distance from their face to your face when you are breastfeeding or holding them. Their color vision will develop over the first four months, but when they are first born they can only see black and white with shades of gray. Therefore, objects with high contrast are highly engaging to your baby. As a baby, my little one’s eyes would open wide when she saw black and white baby books, cards, and toys with high-contrast colors. When she was no longer interested, she looked away and we would go on to the next item. Looking at high-contrast objects is an easy prep activity and one you can count on doing every day for the first few months.
Reading is always going to be number one on my list of activities to do with your child. The research that supports the benefits of reading to your child is extensive! When reading or looking at high-contrast books with your child, feel free to add your own dialogue. This type of reading is called dialogic reading. Researchers have found that dialogic reading is one of the most significant ways you can boost your child’s vocabulary. Parents and caregivers automatically incorporate rich and diverse language when they add their own thoughts and memories to the story they are reading.
When reading, place your baby so they are looking at you. This allows them to be able to see your mouth form the words as well as allow them to see the beautiful face of the person they love so much.
Recommendations of Black and White Books for Newborns
For some caregivers, time is limited so DIYing is not an option. If this is you, below are some books you can order to save yourself some time. Books fall in the $5.00-$10.00 budget. As a former teacher, dialogic reading comes naturally to me as it’s a huge part of reading instruction. However, I know it is not natural for a lot of parents. To help you with practicing dialogic reading, I have also written down some talking points for each book.
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- Hello, Bugs! and Hello, Animals! by Smriti Prasadam
My daughter was a big fan of these books. They are mostly black and white with a pop of shiny color on each page. They say, “Hello, ________ (insert animal shown on page here), and then two sound words the animal might say or create by their body movement. For example, the bee page has “Hello, Bee! Buzz, Buzz” while the fish page says, “Hello, Fish! Splish, splash.”
What I like about these books: These books kept my little one engaged. She would look at each page for several minutes. They also teach animal vocabulary in a straightforward way. The simplicity did not over-stimulate her, and it provided interactive opportunities.
How I would use these books: I pointed out the key features of the animal. For example, I would say, “Wow! Do you see the stripes on the bee?” I also would comment on the pop of color to help develop color vocabulary. “Oh, the fish is red.” I would name other details on the page. “The bee is getting pollen from the flower.” I would make movements that matched the sounds, “The snake says ‘sssss.’ He sticks out his tongue and says, ‘Ssss.’ Can you stick out your tongue?” As a side note, studies have shown that 45 minutes after birth, babies can imitate their caregivers sticking out their tongues. A great activity to try with your newborn!
- Hello, Baby Animals! and Hello, Garden Bugs! by Duopress
While these book titles may sound very similar to the books above, they are special in their own way. Each page has a unique greeting for the animal or bug shown on the page. Some of the greetings are even in different languages! For example, one page says, “Bonjour, Grasshopper!” The pages are matte black and white. One page has an illustration of the animal and the other page has a greeting and a high-contrast pattern often related to the animal. For example, the page with the ladybug has polka dots on the pattern page.
What I like about these books: These books are a great way to introduce synonyms or the idea that there are a lot of ways to say the same thing. In this case, there are a lot of ways to say, “Hello!” I find the illustrations and the designs to be aesthetically pleasing and my little one found them engaging. I like the idea of having the greeting in different languages! This is a great talking point if you have an older child listening in on storytime. These books also provide great baby animal vocabulary and help make connections between adult animal names and baby animal names. Just like the other books, these books teach animal vocabulary in a straightforward and simple way.
How I would use these books: I would comment on how the design is connected to the animal. For example, I would say, “Oh this page has snowflakes because some penguins live in cold places that snow like Antarctica.” I would count items on the page. I would say, “Oh, this duck has 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5 little ducklings.” I also would talk about the adult and baby names of the animals. For example, I may say, “Hello, duckling! A duckling is a baby duck.”
Other Books in this Series: Baby Loves Sports, Hello, My World, Hello Ocean Friends, Hello, Bedtime, Booook! A Spooky High Contrast Book
- How to Be a Cat by Nikki McClure
We are a cat-loving family over here, so this book was gifted to us by a friend. This book tells about the activities in a cat’s daily life. It is a mostly black and white book with one colorful word per page.
Things I like about this book: I like that this book has one action word per page. The one-word page provides simplicity. However, the action provides an exciting new concept.
How I would use this book: I would act out the word! I would streeeeeetch as I read the word “stretch.” I would do a little hop when I read the word “pounce.” I would also have my BABY act out the word. I would bring her arms up above her head as I read “stretch.” This connects the body movement to the action word.
- White Cat and Black Cat by Claire Garralon
This is an adorable black and white book that has a pop of color surprise! Can you tell we are a cat-loving family yet? I put this book on my registry, and I am so glad I did.
Things I like about this book: Unlike the other black and white books for newborns I have mentioned, this book has a storyline that is great for introducing the idea of a story structure. It also has some advanced themes like the idea of camouflage and friendship. While your baby does not understand it now, nothing is off-limits when talking and introducing vocabulary to your child. Also, it’s a great conversation starter for an older sibling listening in. I also just adore the cute surprise ending.
Ways I would use this book: I would ask and answer my own question aloud about the story. For example, I would say, “Why is the black house a good place for the black cat to hide? Oh because he can’t be seen in the black house. He blends into the colors. He is camouflaged!” I would also make predictions aloud. For example, I would say, “Hmmm. The cats need a place where they can meet and they both can see each other. Where do you think they’ll go? I think they’ll go somewhere that isn’t black or white. Maybe they will go somewhere red.”
- Look, Look by Peter Linenthal
This black and white baby book has black and white images of ordinary items and it includes simple captions. Peter Linenthal has several black and white books for newborns with pops of one color. My little one loved these books.
What I like about this book: I liked Look, Look and other Peter Linenthal books because they are simple. They also include items from real life that a baby may encounter in their environment. These books were well liked by my little one.
How I would use this book: For this book, I would just read the words provided and let my baby stare at them. Babies need time where they aren’t overly stimulated by talking and can just take in what they see. These books offer some time for that. I also used them to encourage tummy time. I would put it in front of my baby so she would look up at it while doing tummy time.
Other high-contrast baby books by Peter Linenthal: Look at the Animals, Look Look Outside, Look at Baby’s House
- Spots and Dots (Art Baby) by Chez Picthall
This is one of two books in the Art Baby series. The books in this series are wordless picture books with high-contrast patterns that are great for visual system development. Being able to see a diverse range of patterns is a great developmental activity for babies.
What I like about this book: I like that it is versatile! It can be a book or used as pictures for tummy time. I also like the simplicity. It’s great for a young baby.
How I would use this book: For these books, I would label the designs on each page such as zigzags and circles. Mostly, I would let my baby enjoy some uninterrupted time to focus on the images.
Another book in the Art Baby series: Stars and Hearts
- Baby’s Special Bible by Corien Oranje
This is a special book for my family and it may not fit your family’s beliefs. That’s okay! I did want to share it in case it is helpful to know about this book. The book has short sections that are based on stories from the Bible as well as songs and poems. The short stories have a lot of focus on sounds, rhymes and repetition. All great things for a baby learning the structures of our language!
What I like about this book: I like that I can bring the Bible to my baby in a developmentally appropriate way. The songs and poems were and still are great for me to sing and connect with my baby. I also like that there is an emphasis on sounds from animals and things found in nature. The appealing rhymes and repetition are key components in helping babies learn the English language and is another great feature of this book.
How I use this book: We still read this book regularly at 21 months. She asks for it often, but we mostly read this at bedtime. It is a great way to connect with my baby and introduce her to the idea of prayer or devotions before bed. The songs and poems are also helpful for calming Baby before bedtime.
- Notable Mention Books: While I don’t own any, we did borrow Black and White by Tana Hoban from the library. She famously creates picture books with no words, and this book was no different! Black and White is an accordion-style book that you can stretch out for your baby to use during tummy time. These are the books in her black and white board book series: Black and White, Black on White, White on Black
DIY Black and White Books for Newborns:
Some families need cheaper options for black and white books for newborns. Here are some inexpensive ways to do it yourself! There are many ways to do this, but I have shown three ways below for creating pages and two ways for binding the pages together. Pick the one that works best for your finances and schedule. As you go through this process, remind yourself that it doesn’t need to be perfect for your baby to love it! I have also included a free black and white baby book printable. Get it here!
DIY Black and White Book Pages
- Techy Method: For this method, you will need a computer, white paper or card stock, a printer and some understanding of Google Slides. If you do not have any understanding of Google Slide, watch the video below, and I will take it through it step-by-step.
- First, open Google Slides.
- Then, go to File>page setup>customize
- After that, enter the size you want your baby’s book pages to be. I recommend 6 in x 6 in
- Next, click the plus sign to add a page for each page of your book.
- Once you have your book pages set up, insert a shape on the first page, such as a heart.
- Then, fill in the heart with black, and make the background of the page white.
- Next, type a simple sentence or label at the bottom of the page. Ex: “I love you.” or “Heart”
- Repeat with another shape on each page.
- Some of the pictures can be filled in white with black backgrounds.
- You can also search for “black line” clip art on the internet and fill it in with black or make the background black.
- Adding a pop of red is also a great option.
- Print your pages.
- See below for how to put your book together.
- Quick Method: For this method, you will need white paper/index cards/cardstock and a marker. Stencils and a red marker are optional.
- First, choose how many pages you want, and cut the paper to the size you desire for your book. I recommend 6 in. X 6 in.
- Next, decide if you want patterns, simple black pictures on a white background, or white pictures on a black background.
- To create black pictures on a white background, simply draw or trace a simple object on the paper such as a flower, and color it in black.
- Label the picture at the bottom with a word or a short sentence.
- To create white pictures on a black background: Draw or trace a simple item such as a star.
- Then, use bubble letters to label the bottom of the picture.
- Next, color the background black.
- You can also choose to draw patterns such as zigzags, bubbles, doodles, etc.
- Adding a pop of red is also a great option.
- See below for how to put your book together.
Artsy Method:
For this method, you will need white paper, black paper, scissors, a pencil, and a glue stick. Stencils, red paper, and address labels are optional.
- First, choose how many pages you want, and cut the paper to the size you desire for your book. I recommend 6 in. X 6 in.
- To create black pictures on a white background, simply draw or trace a simple object on the white paper such as a star.
- Next, cut out the star.
- Then, glue the star on a black page.
- If you want words, label the picture with a word or simple sentence.
- To create white pictures on a black background, use the background piece of the star and glue it on a black page.
- Use a white address label, glue down a white piece of paper, or use a white writing utensil to write down a word or simple sentence on this page.
- You can also cut out white or black zigzags, circles, spirals, etc., and glue them to the opposite color paper to create pattern pages.
- Adding a pop of red is also a great option.
- See below for how to put your book together.
Finishing Touch: Ways to Bind Your Black and White Pages
I have to reiterate that perfect isn’t the goal. Your baby will love it whether it is perfect or not. While taking pictures for this post, my little girl actually grabbed the book that was made with sharpie and paper, laminated with contact paper and bound with staples and duct tape (the quickest way to bind it). She wanted me to read it immediately, and she chose this book over the machine-laminated and computer printed. I wanted to share that to remind you that even if it doesn’t look perfect, it’s helping your child grow and learn and that’s what matters!
- Optional Step for Added Durability: For this step, you will need clear contact paper or a laminating machine.
- Before binding your pages together, cover them in contact paper or laminate them so they hold up to your baby’s mouthing or super-strength grip.
- Quickest Way: For this method, You will need a stapler and tape.
- First, put your pages in order.
- Next, staple them together on the left side.
- Then, cover the staples with tape.
- Always watch your baby with your handmade book to prevent injury.
- Artsy Way: For this method, you will need ribbon/yarn/string and a hole puncher.
- First, put your pages in order.
- Next, hole punch 2-3 squares on the side.
- Then, lace the ribbon through the holes and tie together. There are two ways to do this. See the picture for more details.
- Always watch your baby with your handmade book to prevent injury.
Center: Book made with no lamination and yarn tied once through two holes, Right: Book laminated with a laminating pouch machine and bound with three ties through three-holes
Free and Quick Black and White Books for Newborns:
A cost-effective and time-saving way to have black and white books for newborns is to utilize your local library! Many libraries have moved to having at-home searches and holds, curbside pickup, or books mailed straight to you making the library more convenient for parents with babies. I am a BIG fan of using your local library. If you are unsure how to make the library work for you, please email me and I will be happy to research your local library and help.
Final Thoughts on Black and White Books for Newborns
I hope this guide was helpful and provided some insight to the value of high-contrast baby books. Have you made black and white baby books? What are some of your favorite black and white books for newborns? Let me know in the comments!
