Raising Kids Activities Best Baby Book Subscriptions By Nicole Bonaccorso Nicole Bonaccorso Twitter Nicole is an expert in healthy family living, diet and exercise, and wellness. Her work has appeared on Weather.com, AskMen.com, Upworthy, NBC.com, RetailMeNot, and Mashable. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 20, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Family articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and family healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Tyra Tennyson Francis, MD Medically reviewed by Tyra Tennyson Francis, MD LinkedIn Tyra Tennyson Francis, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician and currently serves as the medical director of an outpatient clinic. 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It’s never too early to start building your child’s library. Luckily, there are plenty of baby book subscription boxes on the market to help you start collecting the books that will be part of your baby’s childhood. A study conducted at the University of Melbourne titled “The Sooner the Better: Early Reading to Children,” found that children who were read to earlier showed greater rhyming ability, verbal comprehension, and concept formation. Reading to your baby, and starting to do so early in their life, leads to linguistic competencies that are beneficial for their later social and academic development. A book subscription is a great way to get parents and the youngest children excited about reading. You’ll get fresh titles each delivery to help the baby’s understanding of the world and to strengthen your bond as parent and child. Best Baby Book Subscriptions of 2022 Best Overall: Literati Kids Best for First Books: Lillypost Best for Toddlers: Bookroo Best for Boosting Creativity: Owl Post Books Best for Learning Concepts: My First Reading Club Best for Diverse Characters: xfour Best for Bilingual Families: Sol Book Box Most Affordable: Amazon Prime Book Box Kids Best Baby Book Subscriptions View All Best Baby Book Subscriptions Literati Kids Lillypost Bookroo Owl Post Books My First Reading Club xfour Sol Book Box Amazon Prime Book Box Kids Final Verdict Compare Providers How to Choose FAQs Methodology Best Overall : Literati Kids Sign Up Now Key Specs Pricing: About $10 per month (shipping included), plus what you buyDelivery: MonthlyNo. of Plans: 6 Why We Chose It Literati Kids has an awesome subscription model. It’s a try-before-you-buy service for books. You and your little one will get a week to decide which books to keep before buying or returning. Pros & Cons Pros Unique book choices Prepaid shipping label for returns For newborns up to age 13+ Cons Late returns not accepted Little control over what is sent Overview With the Literati Kids’ Club Neo subscription, you’ll receive five books every month appropriate for newborn babies up to age 3. But before that, you’ll need to select your goals and tastes in your profile so that the company can send you great selections handpicked for you and your child. You can return here to review the books you receive so that your future deliveries are best suited to you. Once you receive your books, you’ll get a week to decide which books you want to buy. You return the rest using the prepaid shipping label provided. But if you keep all five books, you get a 5% discount. Boxes ship monthly, and you’ll pay around a $10 per month subscription fee, plus the cost of the books you purchase. Best for First Books : Lillypost Sign Up Now Key Specs Pricing: $19.95 plus $4.95/box shipping + taxDelivery: MonthlyNo. of Plans: 3 Why We Chose It Subscribers will receive three to four board books or picture books per month, a great way to build baby’s library. Pros & Cons Pros Board books and picture books available Caters to babies to children up to 7 years Each delivery gives to children in need Cons Only available in the U.S. and Canada Little control over which books are delivered Overview With Lillypost, you’ll receive four board books or three picture books at your doorstep every month for roughly $19 per month when you subscribe for three months. The subscription caters to newborns up to age 7. According to the company, the retail value of each box is about $25 to $50, so you’ll be building your baby’s bookshelf at a discount. You can choose to subscribe for one, three, or six months. The youngest age group is for ages 0 to 2 and includes board books. And you’ll feel good knowing that with each book shipped, Lillypost donates one book to a child in need. Best for Toddlers : Bookroo Sign Up Now Key Specs Pricing: $17.95 to $21.95 per box, plus shippingDelivery: Monthly or every other monthNo. of Plans: 4 Why We Chose It Your toddler will love receiving their Bookroo delivery because each book is individually wrapped, so it feels like a real surprise. You can choose a subscription for babies and toddlers ages 0 through 3 or for kids ages 3 through 6. Pros & Cons Pros Books for ages 0 through 3 and 3 through 6; books for older groups available as well Each book is wrapped like a gift Flexible payment options Cons Least frequent option is every other month No international delivery Overview Bookroo really makes a book subscription fun for toddlers because each book is individually wrapped like a gift, upping the excitement your child will experience when their new books arrive. You can choose between the board book subscription (suited for ages 0 through 3 years), which comes with three books each month, or the picture book subscription (suited for ages 3 to 6 years), which offers two books per month. Subscribers can save money by paying for three, six, or 12 months upfront, or there is an option to pay monthly. Twelve-month prepayment comes to about $17.95 per box; a six-month prepayment comes to about $19.95 per month, and a three-month prepayment comes to approximately $20.95 per month. Monthly payments without prepayment are around $21.95. Users can also opt for a box every other month. Best for Boosting Creativity : Owl Post Books Sign Up Now Key Specs Pricing: Roughly $14.99 to $32.99, with free shippingDelivery: Monthly No. of Plans: 3 Why We Chose It We chose Owl Post Books as best for creativity because each box comes with a craft and an interactive box. Pros & Cons Pros Choose between 1 or 3 books per month Each delivery comes with a seasonal craft Each delivery includes an interactive box Cons All subscriptions are monthly No refunds Overview Not only does Owl Post Books deliver handpicked new reads to your door every month, but each interactive box comes with a seasonal craft for your child to enjoy as well. While the youngest subscribers may not be able to craft quite yet, it’s great as babies and toddlers develop a sense of creativity. Subscription options include: The Imagination Box comes with three hand-selected books for about $32.99The Imagination Mini, which offers one hand-selected book per box for approximately $14.99The YA Fantasy Imagination box, which caters to older children and includes 3 YA novels per box for about $29.99 When subscribing, you’ll select your child's age range from a range of 0 to 13 and YA. Best for Learning Concepts : My First Reading Club Sign Up Now Key Specs Pricing: Around $16.99 to $19.99; free shippingDelivery: MonthlyNo. of Plans: 4 Why We Chose It Looking for monthly deliveries of books that teach learning concepts like colors, numbers, and shapes? My First Reading Club does just that. Pros & Cons Pros Offers books for children 0-2 and older 4 separate payment plans Learning concepts addressed in each box Gift for parent in each box Cons Only monthly plans available Overview The books in each My First Reading Club delivery teach key learning concepts for babies and toddlers, including colors, numbers, shapes, sign language, the senses, beginners’ Spanish, and motor skills development. The book subscription offers books tailored to the youngest babies through 11 years old. The youngest age group is 0-2. Simply choose your child’s age range and your payment plan. You can pay monthly, which will cost about $19.99. You can also prepay for three months at roughly $19 per delivery, six months for approximately $17.99 per box, and a year for around $16.99 per month. Shipping is always free. Each box packs three books and a gift for the parent, so you’ll both have a fun time bonding while opening each package. Subscribers can cancel at any time and will receive a refund for the books that didn’t yet ship. Best for Diverse Characters : xfour Sign Up Now Key Specs Pricing: Approximately $13.99 to $49.95 per box; free shippingDelivery: 4 times per yearNo. of Plans: 3 Why We Chose It OurShelves features books with black and brown characters, LGBTQ characters, neuro-diverse characters, and more. The subscription is a great way to make sure your child’s bookshelf has more diversity. Pros & Cons Pros Offers diverse books for babies and kids Activities included in the 3 book and 5 book subscriptions Free shipping Cons Only ships 4 times per year Only available in the U.S. Overview It’s important that children see people who look like them in their books as well as people who are different. You can start diversifying your child’s bookshelf early by subscribing to OurShelves; the youngest age range is for babies ages 0-2. The subscription includes characters of different racial backgrounds, LGBTQ characters, neuro-diverse characters, and more. Another great thing about OurShelves is that the company uses consumer power to advocate for existing and still-needed diversity in children’s books. OurShelves shares data with publishers about the types of books consumers are interested in and much more. Subscribers can choose from three plans: One book per box, costing roughly $13.99 per deliveryThree books per box and an activity to encourage further discussion, at about $32.97 per boxFive books per box, plus an activity to encourage further discussion, costing around $49.95 per box Each subscription offers ships four times per year. Best for Bilingual Families : Sol Book Box Sign Up Now Key Specs Pricing: Roughly $17.50 to $31.99 per month; free shippingDelivery: MonthlyNo. of Plans: 3 Why We Chose It Sol Book Box wins as best for bilingual families because the company ships monthly deliveries of bilingual or Spanish children’s books right to your door for children ages 6 and younger. Pros & Cons Pros Books are individually gift wrapped 3 payment plan options Hard-to-find books shipped straight to your door Cons Only one book delivered per month Cannot select age range Overview Another way to diversify your child’s reading list is to include bilingual or Spanish books on their shelves. Sol Book Box delivers one hard-to-find bilingual or Spanish board or picture book to your door every month. Each book is gift wrapped to make the delivery extra special. Parents can choose from three payment plans: Monthly payments come to about $20 per box; a three-month subscription runs roughly $19 per box, and a six-month subscription is around $18.83 per box. Most Affordable : Amazon Prime Book Box Kids Sign Up Now Key Specs Pricing: Approximately $19.99 per box; free shippingDelivery: Every 1, 2, or 3 monthsNo. of Plans: 3 Why We Chose It We chose Amazon Prime Book Box Kids as the most affordable baby subscription box because each box is $19.99, and subscribers can choose the frequency of deliveries to match their budget. Pros & Cons Pros Choose between every 1, 2, or 3 month delivery frequency Saves up to 40% off list prices 4 board books in every “baby to age 2” subscription Cons Most books are very popular and subscribers may own some already Only available in the U.S. Overview For a more affordable and flexible option, Amazon Prime Book Box Kids costs about $19.99 per box, which represents about 40% off book list prices, and shipping is free. Subscribers can choose to have a box delivered every month, two months, or three months. For the “baby to age 2” subscription, customers will receive four board books in every box. Books include popular titles and those that are widely loved. Subscribers can swap books after receiving their preview email of the books that are on the way, so you won’t receive titles you already have. Final Verdict Our favorite baby book subscription is Literati Kids. We love the try-before-you-buy service in which you and your little one will get a week to decide which books to keep before buying or returning. Literati Kids is also great for its unique titles and the 5% discount you’ll receive when you keep all five books. Compare the Best Baby Book Subscriptions Company Pricing Delivery No. of Plans Ages Literati Kids Best Overall Around $10 per month subscription fee, plus pay for what you buy Monthly 6 Newborns to 13+ Lillypost Best for First Books Approximately $19 per month Monthly 3 Babies to 7 years Bookroo Best for Toddlers About $17.95 to $21.95 Monthly or every other month 4 Ages 0-3 and older Owl Post Books Best for Boosting Creativity Roughly $14.99 to $32.99 Monthly 3 0-13+ My First Reading Club Best for Learning Concepts Around $16.99 to $19.99; free shipping Monthly 4 0-2 and up OurShelves Best for Diverse Characters Approximately $13.99 to $49.95 per box; free shipping 4 times per year 3 0-2 and up Sol Book Box Best for Bilingual Families Roughly $17.99 to $31.99 per month; free shipping Monthly 3 6 and under Amazon Prime Book Box Kids Most Affordable Approximately $19.99 per box; free shipping Monthly, every other month, or every 3 months 3 0-2 and up Guide for Choosing the Best Baby Book Subscriptions Are Baby Book Subscriptions Right for Your Child? Baby book subscriptions can help parents save time and money building their child’s library. They can also deliver hard-to-find and unique books that parents otherwise may never come across in a bookstore. Book subscriptions are a great option for families that prioritize reading with their children. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages all parents to read aloud to their children, as the activity can enrich parent-child relationships and enhance children’s social-emotional development while preparing children to learn language and literacy skills. Comparing Baby Book Subscriptions There are book subscriptions for every family out there, whether you’re looking for books that feature diverse characters, teach key learning concepts, or encourage bilingual skills. There are some key factors we recommend considering when purchasing a book subscription: Price: Does the subscription fit your budget? Is it flexible so that you can order more books or fewer per delivery, or adjust the frequency of delivery to better fit your budget? Age ranges: You’ll want to find a plan that fits the age of your child or children. Some of the best book subscriptions offer plans for multiple age ranges, so you can continue as a customer for years as your child grows.Subject matter: Do the books address subject matters important to your family, like diversity, learning concepts, and creativity? Ordering Your Baby Book Subscription Once you’ve found a book subscription company that meets your needs, navigate to the company’s website to sign up for their subscription. You’ll create an account, which usually includes choosing the age of your child, your delivery frequency, and a payment plan (though not all platforms offer these choices). Some subscriptions will let you choose your first books or swap the choices for other books. You’ll then input your payment method, and your books will usually arrive within the week. Many subscriptions allow you to pause your subscription, customize your plan, and more within your account. Frequently Asked Questions How Much Do Baby Book Subscriptions Cost? Baby book subscriptions can cost anywhere from $10 per box to nearly $50 per box. Some lower-end monthly subscriptions may also charge for the books you decide to keep. What Do You Get with Baby Book Subscriptions? You may receive anywhere from one to five books monthly or in intervals of every other month, every two months, or four times per year. Some baby book subscriptions come with bonus items such as activities, crafts, or gifts for the parents. Can Baby Book Subscriptions Help With a Child’s Development? Baby book subscriptions can absolutely help with a child’s development. Research shows that reading to a child from infancy can boost their vocabulary and reading skills four years later before they start school. So, the sooner you start filling those bookshelves with books to read to your child, the more robust your collection may become in the future. Methodology We considered 31 book subscriptions when compiling this list. To narrow it down to represent the best, we assessed book selection, price, ages catered to, character and author diversity, educational value, and delivery locations. Edited by Simone Scully Simone Scully Simone is the health associate editorial director for performance marketing at Verywell. She has over a decade of experience as a professional journalist covering pregnancy, parenting, health, medicine, science, and lifestyle topics. Learn about our editorial process Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 3 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Niklas F, Cohrssen C, Tayler C. The sooner the better: Early reading to children. SAGE Open. 2016;6(4). doi:10.1177%2F2158244016672715 High PC, Klass P, Donoghue E, et al. Council on Early Childhood. Literacy promotion: An essential component of primary care pediatric practice. Pediatr. 2014;134(2):404–409. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-1384 AAP News. Reading with children starting in infancy gives lasting literacy boost. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies