Baby Shower Book Instead of Card: What to Write Inside?

What is a “bring a book” baby shower?

“Bring a book” baby showers are exactly what you think they are. It’s very common to purchase a card and sign it whenever you’re giving a gift. Cards are lovely, and they can be a wonderful way of expressing love and good wishes to the person who receives them.

However, most cards are only read once and then discarded or put away. By bringing your favorite childhood book instead of a card to a baby shower, you’re ensuring that your gift will be used for a long time. You can also send the book directly to the guest of honor if it’s a virtual baby shower. Mom and dad will be able to read lovely books to their new baby, and in a few years, that baby will be able to read them on his or her own!

Children's books can be used for a long time, as long as they’re taken care of. So your gift could even be read generations down the line, once the new baby grows into an adult and has his or her own children. Bringing a book instead of a card to a baby shower can be a great way to start a new baby library! And these books can become a family treasure over time.

How to set up a book baby shower

If you like the idea of having guests bring books instead of cards, it’s very simple to set it up. Simply create an invitation that includes a message about how guests should bring a book instead of a card for the baby shower.

If you’re an expectant mother and would like for guests to bring books, talk to those who are planning the event. And if invitations have already been sent out, you can always create a witty message to let your guests know.

There are plenty of templates for invitations for “bring a book” baby showers. Some of them even include funny poems to ask guests to bring books instead of cards. You can create your own invitation or poem if you’re feeling creative. Alternatively, you can search Pinterest, Google, Twitter, or Facebook to come up with ideas.

Is it okay to give a book instead of a card for baby shower?

If you’ve been invited to a baby shower and would like to bring a book instead of a card, you can always do it! Children’s books are a great gift for new parents and for the baby. 

Reading to babies has a lot of wonderful health and development benefits. Research has found that reading to a baby can improve communication, introduce words and concepts, and build listening, memory, and vocabulary skills.

Even though young babies won’t understand everything that they’re hearing, reading to them provides a bonding experience and allows them to learn more about the world. Children who are read to are more likely to know more words and to learn to read at the right age.

Reading to a baby can also help improve its social skills. When you read to a child, you usually try to adapt your facial expressions and vocal tone to the content that’s being read. This helps children understand social cues and emotions from an early age. Children associate reading with positive emotions, and they try to imitate sounds - which helps their language development.

So even if the baby shower you’re invited to isn’t a “bring a book” event, giving children’s books always makes for a lovely gift. When in doubt, you can talk to the baby shower planners or the expectant parents about your gift. This is especially true is guests are planning to give a single shared gift.

What to write inside a baby shower book?

Since you’re giving a book instead of a card for the baby shower, you can write your own message inside the cover. You can use this space to write a sweet note of love and encouragement for the new parents. Considering that the baby will grow up and be able to read the book in a few years, you can also write directly to the baby.

You can also use your favorite quote or do a Google search for a nice quote to inspire children. If the book you’re giving is one of your own favorites, you can reference your favorite part of the book. You can also write about the memories that the book brings for you. You never know how many generations could be reading your message years from now!

“Bring a book” baby shower poems

If you’re hosting a “bring a book” baby shower, a poem could be a creative way to include in the invitations. You can create a personalized poem, or you can go online to find inspiration. Social media websites like Pinterest can provide tons of ideas for your “bring a book instead of a card” poem.

These are some popular poems for “bring a book” baby shower invitations:

One small request that won’t be too hard

Please bring a book instead of a card

Whether Cat in the Hat or Winnie the Pooh

You can sign the inside cover with a note from you

(Baby's name) will become very smart indeed

If we begin early, he/she'll soon love to read!

From Peter Rabbit to Mother Goose

Goodnight Moon and Dr. Seuss

Curious George and Winnie the Pooh

Eloise and Babar, too.

In lieu of a Card, please bring

Your favorite childhood classic.

Let’s build a library for (baby's name) 

That will be fantastic!

Instead of a card

We have a request

Please bring a book

The baby will

Enjoy that the best!

We can read your note

Each night before bed

And enjoy your sentiment

For all the years ahead!

“Bring a book” baby showers have become increasingly popular for good reason. Children’s books are a much more personable gift than a card, and they can be cherished for many years. Additionally, the benefits of reading to a child are becoming more well-known. That means that bringing a book instead of a card to a baby shower is also a gift with many benefits for the baby!

If you’re having a “bring a book” baby shower, create a lovely invitation that lets guests know that they should bring their favorite childhood classic or a new, trendy children’s book. What a lovely way to start the baby’s library!