Cloth, Board or Felt Book: Which First Book to Choose for Your Baby's Age?

Standing in front of the shelves, the choice quickly gets overwhelming: cloth books, board books, bath books, felt books… Which one should be the very first? The good news is that there's no "wrong" first book. There are simply books that are more or less suited to what baby can do at each stage.

When I was looking for my own baby's first book, I asked myself exactly this question. Here's what I wish I had read back then: a short, age-by-age guide to choosing with confidence.

The three main families of first books

• Cloth books: very soft, often washable, perfect for the earliest discoveries. Their pages are thin and the illustrations are sometimes simplified.
• Board books: thick, rigid pages that are easy to turn, with crisp illustrations. They're sturdy, but don't love drool or chewed corners.
• Felt books: soft like fabric, but thicker and more structured. They allow hands-on elements (hook-and-loop, pieces to peel off and stick back) and stay with the child for longer.

0 to 6 months: look, touch, mouth

At this age, baby doesn't "read": they watch, listen to your voice, and explore with their hands and mouth. What they need:

• soft, safe materials with no small parts;
• strong contrasts and simple shapes that their still-developing eyesight can easily make out;
• a lightweight object they can hold lying on their back or tummy.

Our tip: a cloth or felt book, looked at together for a few minutes a day. Board books can wait a little: they're still too heavy and stiff for tiny hands.

6 to 12 months: grab, turn, repeat

Baby sits up, grabs everything and starts to understand that their actions make things happen. It's the age of hands-on play and first teeth.

• Choose pages that are easy to grasp, thick and flexible.
• Pick a material that can handle being chewed and washed.
• Look for simple hands-on elements: a flap, a texture, a piece that comes off.

Our tip: this is often where a felt book really shines. It can be held, folded and chewed without getting ruined, and every page becomes a little playground.

12 to 36 months: name, tell, do it myself

Language arrives, and with it the urge to point, name things and copy animal sounds. Children also want to turn the pages themselves.

• Board books become very relevant: sturdy pages, more detailed pictures, first little stories.
• Hands-on felt books keep their place: peeling off an animal, putting it back in the right spot, starting again… that's already logic, fine motor skills and focus.
• Everyday themes (the farm, vehicles, the sea) help connect the book to the real world.

Our tip: combine both. Board books for the bedtime story, felt books for independent, hands-on play.

The criteria that really matter, at any age

• Safety: strong seams, no small parts that could come loose by accident.
• Easy care: a first book goes in the mouth, to the park, in the stroller… it had better be easy to clean.
• Visual simplicity: few elements per page, harmonious colours. An overly busy book tires more than it stimulates.
• Lifespan: a book that can be rediscovered at 6 months, 18 months and again at two and a half is well worth its price.

So, what's the best first book?

The one you'll open together, often, without pressure. The format matters less than the ritual: a few minutes a day, on your lap, with your voice.

That's the moment we designed our felt books for: suitable from 3 months and made to grow with your child. If you'd like a gentle start, My First Farm Animals or My Little Raccoon are lovely places to begin, and you'll find the whole range in our library favourites.