Should You Ask for a Book Instead of a Card

As loved ones shop for your baby shower gifts, they’ll likely pick up a greeting card too. While cards are often a traditional way to include a personal message to the baby or parents-to-be, consider asking for books instead. When guests bring a book instead of a card to your baby shower they’re also helping you start your child’s library.

Plus, you and your baby will see their meaningful message every time you open their book. From fostering early literacy, to creating a parent-child bond, there are many reasons to ask your baby shower guests to please bring a book instead of a card. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of this growing baby shower trend. We’ve also included wording ideas on how to ask your guests for a book instead of a card.

Should You Ask for a Book Instead of a Card

It’s perfectly ok to ask guests to bring a book instead of a baby shower card. We’re seeing more and more parents-to-be ask this of their guests as it’s becoming a popular trend. It’s also about personal preference. If receiving books for your child is preferable to greeting cards, let your shower guest know either in your invitation or via your baby shower website.

Reasons You Should Ask Baby Shower Guests to Bring a Book Instead of a Card

Many times greeting cards end up shoved in a drawer or eventually discarded. But a book with a personal message inside will sit proudly on a shelf and be read often. This makes a baby shower book a more sustainable option compared to a card. Gifting books also fosters an early love for reading, and helps build a personal library.

Keep reading for the many reasons to ask guests to bring a baby book instead of a card.

Fostering Early Literacy

Books introduce babies to a world of reading even before they understand the words. Reading to a child at an early age promotes language development, improves cognitive skills, and creates a love for literature. When your guests give your little one a book, they play a part in nurturing your baby’s learning journey.

Starts Building a Personal Library

Fill the empty shelves in your nursery with books lovingly gifted by your baby shower guests. It’s a perfect way to start a personal library for your baby. As your child grows, they’ll have a collection of books given to them by thoughtful family and friends with a sweet message written inside.

Encourages Parent-Child Bonding

As parents read to their children, it helps to form a strong bond between them. Reading creates lasting memories as you share stories, read nursery rhymes, and look over colorful illustrations. This bonding time is also crucial to a child’s emotional and social development as they get older.

A Long-Lasting and Sustainable Alternative to Cards

Asking baby shower guests to bring a book instead of a card is also environmentally friendly. While many cards end up discarded after the event is over, books are kept and cherished for many years. Books also have a resale or regifting value, whereas greeting cards do not. By gifting a book, guests are making a sustainable and eco-conscious choice.

Personalized and Thoughtful Gift

A baby book with a personal message creates a meaningful keepsake your child can cherish for years. Instead of writing a message on a card, guests write their thoughts inside the book. They may share a sweet anecdote or encouraging message to the parents-to-be or the arriving little one. The parents will treasure this message and the child as they age.

Versatile & Inclusive

Books come in various formats, including sturdy board books and soft and squishy books that stimulate the senses. The stories inside can cater to diverse interests and backgrounds, meaning there’s a book suitable for every family. Gifting a book also celebrates inclusivity and supports the child’s expanding view of the world around them.

Supporting Local Authors and Bookstores

Encourage your guests to purchase books penned by local authors or sold at small-business bookstores. Not only does this directly contribute to your community’s economy, but it also supports local authors. When guests choose a locally written book as a baby shower gift, they help promote the literary arts in your hometown.

Gifting Books is On Trend 

Asking guests to bring a book instead of a card is becoming a trend, and we can see why with all of the reasons we mentioned above. The parents-to-be might be eco-conscious or want to get a head start on building their baby’s library. Recently, baby shower books have increased in popularity over purchasing a traditional card.

Please Bring a Book Instead of a Card – Wording Ideas 

How do you ask your guests for books in place of cards? Check out the bring a book instead of a card wording ideas below for inspiration. And just in case your guests need some help deciding what to write, send them our list of wording ideas for a baby shower book.

• Instead of a card, please bring a copy of your favorite childhood book for our baby boy/girl.
• Although cards are nice, please bring a book instead. We want to fill the nursery with happy stories that include sweet messages from family and friends.
• We’re building a library for our sweet little one – bring a book instead of a card; it will be so much fun!
• While a card is nice, it’s only read once or twice. Please bring a book instead of a card and include a message that’s straight from your heart.
• One little request, we hope it’s not hard, bring a book instead of a card. Pick any book, but in whichever you choose, include a note to the baby from you.
• Let’s stock baby’s library! Instead of a card, please bring a book to the baby shower. Include a message and your name inside so we know who it’s from.
• Instead of a greeting card, please sign the cover of a book that our little one will enjoy for years to come.