Someone you know is having a baby, so of course, you are buying books. You ARE buying books right? I mean someone else has certainly got the bottles or the bath tub managed? But if you’re buying the books, you have GOT to be on top of it. You simply cannot walk in with a copy of The Giving Tree (they might forgive you, but I certainly won’t) or sit there feeling great about your choices whilst the parent-to-be unwraps the fourth copy of Goodnight Moon they’ve received. No, no. If you are doing the books, you are going to do it right.
Quite honestly, picking out books for a new baby is just about the most fun I’ve had lately. I’m not entirely sure what that says about my social life, but I can’t worry about that when I’m in the midst of putting together THE perfect baby shower gift.
I’ve enlisted the help of my local independent bookstore (of course I have) and I’ve checked books out of the library. I’ve stared thoughtfully at my own children’s overcrowded bookshelves and racked my brains for their very first favorites and I’ve made my list. And I’m going to share it all with you. My strategy, my favs and what I ultimately picked for the soon-to-be baby in my world.
First things first, let’s talk shopping:
Go Indie
If you have an indie bookstore local to you, see if they can order books for you. In most cases, if you give them a wish list and a little bit of time, they can absolutely collect all the titles you need. Most indies also will handle gift wrapping and some will even put your carefully curated collection together in a fantastic gift display for you! When I pick up my loot from The Voracious Reader, I’ll be sure to give you a glimpse.
Shop Not Amazon
It is incredibly hard to resist the siren lure of prime 2 day shipping and an extensive selection, but supporting non-Amazon bookstores is critical to maintaining a healthy publishing industry. Don’t panic if you haven’t got a local indie. Barnes & Noble (despite their crappy layoff choices) is downright virtuous compared to Amazon. Also check out The Book Depository which will have many of the titles you need and has free shipping!
Build a Basket
Even if you’re shopping indie, there is no harm in starting by filling up your cart at a big online concern. If you copy and paste your basket contents into an email, it usually includes links where your indie can check isbns and make sure they are ordering the exact version of the book that you want. I also greatly appreciate that the math is done for me. While buying indie sometimes costs a BIT more, I have a rough idea of what I’m spending without whipping out a calculator.
I can’t wait to share my basket with you!
