As an avid reader, I tend to think I owe most of my love for books to my mom, who used to read to me every day without fail, even when I was a sleeping newborn. Mindy Kaling also values sitting with a good book [1] and tries to read at least three to five books a day with her 1-year-old daughter Katherine. Together, they mainly read board books, which Mindy says are great, because they're really short, really fun, and are able to endure the constant onslaught of baby drool.
"A good thing to know about board books is that they get covered with spit. This entire book [Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton] is 90 percent my daughter's saliva. I think that's why they are board, so they can chew on them," Mindy said on Instagram Stories on Jan. 7.
The mom also shared Katherine's favorite book, as well as one that Mindy herself relies on to help her daughter get to sleep. "Katherine's hands-down favorite book is Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton. I think she really likes the illustrations, which are incredibly friendly, and even though they're simple they have so much emotion," she said. "The most useful books for a selfish adult are books that encourage your child to sleep. This The Going to Bed Book is a classic. Without fail, by the time I'm finished, my daughter is [snoring]."
Mindy shared a few other stories she and Katherine love to read together (and drool all over, in Katherine's case), including Dr. Seuss board books and books that rhyme. But of course, even though his book doesn't come in a board book version, Mindy had to shout out her good friend B.J. Novak for those parents whose kids who are past the board book stage. "Obviously when she gets older, her favorite book will be The Book With No Pictures written by B.J. Novak — an iconic, classic children's book [2] — except that it's not a board book, so I didn't want him to feel offended."
Although Mindy was gifted a baby library by Oprah Winfrey [3], she says she's always looking for new books, especially as they "go through them so quickly because again, my daughter destroys them by chewing on them." And if you don't have your own personal Oprah, never fear: Mindy shared her and Katherine's favorite board books that are available on Amazon — check them out ahead!
Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!
Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton [5] ($7)
The Going To Bed Book
The Going To Bed Book by Sandra Boynton [6] ($6)
Moo, Baa, La La La!
Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton [7] ($6)
Boynton's Greatest Hits Volume 1
Boynton's Greatest Hits Volume 1: Blue Hat, Green Hat; A to Z; Moo, Baa, La La La!; Doggies [8] ($16, originally $24)
Peek-a-Baby: A Lift-the-Flap Book
Peek-a-Baby: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Karen Katz [9] ($7)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle [10] ($8)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault [11] ($8)
The Book with No Pictures
The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak [12] ($12, originally $18)
The Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books by Dr. Seuss
Amazon.com: The Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books by Dr. Seuss [13] ($12, originally $20)
MIndy Talking About Katherine's Favorite Books on Instagram Stories
