A while back we posted a long list of children’s books about breastfeeding. We thought we’d follow it up with a list of books that depict babywearing! There are far fewer, but they’re a great addition to a natural parenting children’s book library.
Carry Me is a board book depicting babywearing around the world. With rhyming text and a diverse array of carrying styles, it’s an easy favorite for infants and toddlers. An index at the back identifies each of the cultures shown.
A Ride on Mother’s Back shows the many ways mothers around the world carry their babies, from Africa to Latin America and beyond, all from a child’s point of view. The book provides notes with more information about each tradition, and a map showing the home of each of the cultures depicted. Beautiful illustrations and simple text make this a classic babywearing book.
Two books, Babies on the Go and Carry Me! show the ways that other animals carry their young. A great companion to Mama’s Milk, which depicts the ways that other mammals nurse their young, these teach how normal it is for mothers of many species to carry their young. A chart at the end of Babies on the Go identifies each animal.
The Backpack Baby series of board books show, in simple and bright illustrations sure to appeal to the youngest readers, the adventures of a dad his baby carried on his back. One book shows a bottle, but this may allow for a discussion of fathers feeding babies breastmilk when they are not with a nursing mother.
What Baby Needs is a classic of attachment parenting, written by William and Martha Sears. Among a number of topics, including breastfeeding, What Baby Needs shows both a dad and a mom carrying a baby in a sling. It’s a wonderful book to help introduce a pregnancy and new baby to older siblings.
Are there other books depicting babywearing we should know about? Feel free to share your favorites!
