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 as well. While cards are often a traditional way to include a personal message to the baby or parent-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 can 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 bring a book instead of a card. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of this growing baby shower trend. We’ve also included word 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 fine to ask guests to bring a book instead of a baby shower card. We are seeing more and more parents-to-be asking their guests this question as it is becoming a popular trend. It’s also about personal preference. If receiving books for your child is preferred over greeting cards, let your shower guest know either on your invitation or through 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 in a drawer or are eventually thrown away. But a book with a personal message inside will take pride of place 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 of reading, and helps build a personal library.

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

Developing Early Reading

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

Beginning to Build a Personal Library

Fill the empty shelves in your nursery with books lovingly gifted by your baby shower guests. This is a perfect way to start a personal library for your baby. As your child grows, they will have a collection of books that thoughtful family and friends give them with sweet messages written inside.

Encourages Parent-Child Bonding

As parents read to their children, it helps build a strong bond between them. Reading creates lasting memories as you share stories, read nursery rhymes, and look at colorful drawings. This bonding time is also important to the child’s emotional and social development as they grow older.

A Long Term and Sustainable Alternative to Cards

Asking baby shower guests to bring a book instead of a card is also environmentally friendly. Although many cards are thrown away after the event, the books are kept and treasured for years. Books also have resale or regifting value, whereas greeting cards do not. By donating a book, visitors are making a sustainable and eco-conscious choice.

Personalized and Thoughtful Gifts

A baby book with a personal message creates a meaningful keepsake that your child can cherish for years. Instead of writing a message on a card, guests write their thoughts inside the book. They can share a sweet anecdote or an encouraging message with the parent-to-be or the little one to come. Parents will appreciate this message and the child as they grow older.

Versatile and Friendly

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

Supporting Local Authors and Bookstores

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

Gifting Books is trending

Asking guests to bring a book instead of a card is becoming a trend, and we can see why for all the reasons we mentioned above. Parents-to-be may be eco-conscious or want to start building their baby’s library. Recently, baby shower books have increased in popularity over traditional card purchases.

Please Bring a Book instead of a Card – Vocabulary Ideas

How do you ask your guests for books in exchange for cards? See the bring a book instead card wording ideas below for inspiration. And if your guests need 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.
• While cards are nice, please bring a book instead. We want to fill the nursery with fun stories that include sweet messages from family and friends.
• We are building a library for our sweet boy – bring a book instead of a card; it will be so much fun!
• While a card is good, it is only read once or twice. Please bring a book instead of a card and include a message straight from your heart.
• A small request, hopefully not difficult, bring a book instead of a card. Choose any book, but whichever you choose, include a note to the baby from you.
• Let’s stock up on 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 child will enjoy for years to come.