Board books vs. Hardcover?

[anneliese]

For those of you with toddlers/older kids, until what age did you use board books, if at all? I want to start building a book collection with the classics for LO, but I'm wondering if board books will be used long enough that it wouldn't be a total waste of money to buy them first instead of hardcovers. If you did use board books, what age did you start using hardcovers?

 

[tommyg]

By just over 2 he could handle paper books rather than board books.

 

[FoxMommy]

My daughter is 27 months, she can handle paper books with me but still loves her board books as they are easier or her to turn pages on and she can use them in her room without me (which is something new she's enjoying).

 

[Larkspur]

We're still using board books at 14 months and I would say it's some time until he'll be careful enough for paper. In fact, his board books are so well-loved (and sometimes nibbled) that we'll probably have to replace the best-loved ones later on anyway.

 

[Brieanna]

We have just started to have paper books, but we still have all her board books too. We are a reading family and she already has hundreds of books and she loves all of them but like someone else said, she can take board books anywhere without having to be constantly supervised and she can turn the pages easier so I think she still likes those better. I would say to get a nice collection of board books at first. Plus, they are more durable than paper books and so you will be able to use them for other children.

Also, board books are easier to clean (babies can be sticky, lol). If something gets on it, I just use a baby wipe or disinfecting wipe and its clean. She only has washable paints and crayons so if she decided to "decorate" her books, then I can wipe it off the board books. Not so with paper books, lol.

We bought a lot of ours on sale from stores, from large used book lots on ebay, and from the library when they have sales. I don't mind getting board books used because I can disinfect them.

If you are starting a book collection I would suggest getting lots of different kinds. We have books that tell a story, dictionary-like books (books with the word and then a picture for example pictures of animals then the names of them), learning books (numbers, opposites, sign language, etc), play books (picture finds, mazes, I-Spy, etc), touch books for sensory stimulation, and just fun books that she picks out.

Now that we are moving to paper books I am trying to get a variety too. We have some that have small words for learning how to read and also ones that are longer stories that are obviously for us to read to her.

We try not to spoil her with tons of toys (especially cheap plastic ones that will break after a few weeks!) but books are always something that we both enjoy and I feel no guilt for getting.

 

[bananaz]

My daughter loves books and has a huge collection of board books as well as some hardcovers. As others have mentioned, the board books are safer and easier to clean and I think my LO will continue using them for a long while since many will be great for when she starts learning to read.

I started giving her access to hardcovers at around a year old. She is pretty well-behaved with the paper and never intentionally rips it but sometimes she gets a little overenthusiastic when turning a page and it tears. That's becoming less and less of an issue as she gets older though and actually now I can't remember the last time she ripped a page. Not all toddlers share her reverence for books though! I have a friend with a very sweet 2-year-old who can't yet be trusted with hardcovers because he'd happily rip the pages out. So board books are always a safe bet

 

[skc22]

My LO is almost 26 months and I have been giving her paper books from around 20 months. She hasn't torn any pages and understands to be gentle

 

[cait]

Ellie had board books from about 6 mths (just picture books at that point) and has had paper ones from about 15 months. She still reads both kinds at nearly 2 though prefers the paper ones as they are more grown-up stories. She was never inclined to rip pages, but did have a phase of wrecking pop-up books (not always intentionally!).

Classic board books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar are a brilliant addition to any collection and definitely not a waste of money

 

[anneliese]

Thanks for the input everyone. I read somewhere online that many board books are shorter versions of the classic books. Does anyone know if this is true for most of the classics? (Eric Carle books, Dear Zoo, Guess How Much I Love You, Goodnight Moon, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom etc.) I'm ordering them online as I live abroad in a non-English speaking country and can't just go to the book store and check them out myself.

 

[joeyjo]

We have a lot of the Julia Donaldson books as board books (gruffalo, gruffalo's child, monkey puzzle) and they are the full story. DS1 still "reads" them at 4yrs.
We also have a lot of paper books which both boys have managed well since about 18months.

I like the board books for in the car as they are more robust if dropped etc.

 

[mayb_baby]

I have normal books for LO a few board books which I used under a year but LO has never ripped any thank god and he has loads of normal paper books

 

[bananaz]

Thanks for the input everyone. I read somewhere online that many board books are shorter versions of the classic books. Does anyone know if this is true for most of the classics? (Eric Carle books, Dear Zoo, Guess How Much I Love You, Goodnight Moon, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom etc.) I'm ordering them online as I live abroad in a non-English speaking country and can't just go to the book store and check them out myself.

Yeah pretty much everything comes in board book form these days, even adult classics like Shakespeare (though obviously they're very abridged versions!)

 

[DaisyBee]

I know that some of our board books are shorter versions. Mr brown can moo ( dr suess) is shorter. So is chicka chicka boom boom. Once Megan was about 2 1/2 she started refusing to read the board books. She now will read them once in a while but they are shorter and simpler books than what she is into now. Jordan has not been into books as much as Megan has been. Megan is obsessed with books and has been since a tiny baby. Jordan didn't want to really read books til 12 months or a bit after. Books that Megan was bored with at 12 months are ones that Jordan is just getting interested in. I have a feeling board books will last longer with Jordan than they did with megan.

 

[Zephram]

I love board books! I'm not even talking about my LO here, haha, I love them for me. There is something thing very satisfying about turning a giant cardboard page.

My LO loooves books, absolutely adores them. I've read to him every day since he was 8 weeks. He has board and paper books and it is true that the board books are easier for LO's to turn the pages. My LO has been turning pages of the paper books for a while too, though, and whilst he has ripped a page here and there, it's nothing some sticky tape doesn't fix.

I think he'll be using the board books for years, they are great stories and they'll always be great stories.

I'm not aware that any of ours have been abridged, by the way.

 

[SerenityNow]

Board books are great for the "books are toys" age when babies like to flip pages back and forth and carry them around but some of them are abridged and most of them have less/ smaller artwork. Also, the pages are sturdy but the binding isn't as durable as a hardcover book. I'd go for board books now while your LO is so young but I'd plan on replacing favorites with hardcovers. My DS is 28 mo and is fine with hardcovers, even library books. It depends on the kid though.

 

[MrsPear]

Think it really must depend on the personality of the baby- Joni is quite a 'cautious' child in general, and by 15 months she does prefer paper books which she uses no problem.

She occasionally rips a page, but then again, she occasionally chews a board book so it's no real difference. She has quite a few board ones and she happily looks through them, but since she's okay with paper ones too, I definitely won't be buying any more board books. Paperbacks are fine for my LO. Mainly she rips a page when OH is reading and he tries to stop her turning before he's finished reading. Whereas I usually just make up the stories according to how fast she wants to flick. I can't remember the last time she purposely ripped one.

She is just not a very 'rough and tumble' baby (in my opinion) so maybe that's why it's just her personality to be quite careful and turn the paper pages/look at the pictures quite well for her age.

There's so many board books out there though, you don't really need to be held back at all variety wise just because you want board. I was really surprised by the choice.

 

[Jchihuahua]

Daisy had paper books from about 18 months and looked after them well. Tommy is almost 2 and still needs board books as he is too rough with paper books.

 

[jd83]

DS1 started wanting to use paperback or hardback books around 2 yrs old, until then it was board books.

Now that there are 2 kids, I do both. Jaxon picks a paperback book, and Colton picks a board book.