I would stick with board books.
A few my grand child likes are
Goodnight moon
How much do I love you
Any board books that show animals.

For babies, it's all about touch and feel, color and sound. The pictures have sandy-rough, silky-swoosh, velvet, fleece, some squeak or moo, etc etc. Most made of fabric and soft. Some are made for bath time. Been a few years since I needed them, so hopefully someone will have a particular one to recommend.

Suero.... DH and I just recorded "All the Ways I Love You" for our 9 month old granddaughter. It is one of the Hallmark recordable books.

This was my daughter's favorite board book. So sweet.
She also loved Raffi singing the song Baby Beluga, so she loved that board book as well. Both are perfect for the last book before bed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Time for Bed by Mem Fox

Definitely board books that can be chewed on and are easier for a baby to turn the thick pages. Eric Carle does the Brown Bear, Brown "Bear, What do you see? and there are two or 3 others like Panda Bear, Panda Bear and Polar Bear, Polar Bear along the same lines.

At that age you want to also look for books with larger print - rhyming words or a sing-song type of verse are good. Even at that age, point to the words as you read and point out specifics in the pictures. Leo Lionni, Lois Elhert, Bill Martin are great children's authors for very young children. Of course, nursery rhymes, shapes and colors books are great. Of all the children's books that I have read to my GS, his favorites are by Lois Elhert. I have tons of books - lots of paperbacks since I taught kindergarten for 22 years. He is very careful with them - has never torn out pages or damaged any. He knows his books are on his shelves and my books are in the baskets but that he can always get them out to "read".

Look at places like Marshalls - you can usually find board books at a good price there. Like others said, books with textures are great also.

For that age I would look for board books, cloth books and bathtub books. Priddy books make great books for this age. They have large, simple pictures. I am spending time with my just turned one year old GS and he loves "Fuzzy bee and friends"(Priddy)-a colorful cloth book with textures to feel on each page. They also make great board books. One is on animals and one is called "first 100 words" that has lots of good pictures of animals and babies. (Babies love to look at other babies.) Sandra Boynton and Eric Carle are two authors that do fun board books. Boynton's "Doggies" is another current favorite.

My husband gave each of our six children a book of children's poetry and classic literature the day they were born. Titles like A child's garden of verses, The Illilustrated Book of childrens poems. I am sorry I cannot remember them all, but they were bound books of childrens classics.

I/we read to each of them from their books while they were infants. As the kids grew older, the books became quite battered. The were drawn in, wrinkled, ripped and taped back together repeatedly. Each of the kids still has his/her own book, and reads to his/her own kids from those battered old books.

Grandpa has continued the tradition by buying similar books for our seven grands. One book to treasure forever.

I can't recommend one particular book, but Target has a very good selection of books for little ones. I recently picked up four books for my 18 month old GD, and 3 for GS who is 5. As they get older, pop-up books really excite them but they have to be old enough so they don't tear out whatever it is that's popping up. ;o)

goodnite moon is a nice one to start very young...

i remember 'a great day for up' , 'the 'b' book', and 'old hat, new hat' are 3 that i remmeber reading a gazillion times very early and the kids loving when they were very young!

and, i agree that board books are great when they're babies! bright and colorful ones!

This might help:

delightful children's books ages 0-13 mo

My kids had a book similar to the Whoozit book on that list, and loved it - never tired of seeing the pix.

I also love the interactive board books that have buttons to press on the side that correspond to prompts in the story as you go along, or have music.

I would also start any child on a collection of Dr Seuss, regardless of age. Even if they can't read them now, they are wonderful early reader books - and you never know when a child's interest in reading will begin.

There is another wonderful book called The Readaloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, which might make a great gift for baby's parents since they seem to value reading. I just love this book. It makes fabulous recommendations for every age-group, and also emphasizes the importance of continuing to readaloud even after a child can read him/herself.

Anything by Sandra Boynton. Her books are hilarious and sweet at the same time. I've bought the CD that has some celebreties singing the words to her books to give to new parents. My favourite is her book about hippos belly buttons.

Both my daughters loved "Dear Zoo" by Rod Campbell http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Zoo-Lift-Classic-Board/dp/0689825498

I bought it when my older daughter was about 8 months, after seeing how much she loved it at storyhour at the library.

My girls, as well as my neice and nephew also liked the Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton. Other favorites are Goodnight Moon and the Foot Book by Dr. Suess.

Also, the Usborne touchy feely books are great. We have "Thats not my puppy" http://www.amazon.com/Thats-Not-My-Puppy-Usborne/dp/0746037783/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324306040&sr=1-1

By Sandra Boynton: The Going to Bed Book, Barnyard Dance, Moo Baa La La La, But Not the Hippopotamus

By Rosemary Wells: Max's Breakfast, Max's Birthday, Max's New Suit, Max's Bedtime

Kiss Good Night

I second the Roger Priddy cloth books too.

Global Babies

Oh, these suggestions are bringing back memories! Old Hat, New Hat is one I have read about 400 times. Also:

Going On A Bear Hunt
Fox in Socks
Brown Bear, Brown Bear (Eric Carle)
Very Hungry Caterpillar (also EC)
Goodnight Moon

All of the above come in board book versions, or at least they did as of about 10 years ago!

Sandra Boynton's Barnyard Dance is one of my favorites! Easy to read over and over and over and over again...

Thanks for this thread! My great-niece is having her first child in July. I'll make a list of the suggestions for when I go shopping.

Good Dog, Carl!!! They are board books and were a favorite in my family.

Thanks for all your suggestions. The books are on their way!

I also wanted to say thanks again for all the suggestions! My great-niece's shower is in a couple weeks, so I got her 7 of the book recommendations here along with some bibs from Etsy and a Cloud B Sleep Sheep.

Y'all hit a homerun! I never saw anyone so excited about books before. She was familiar with all of them, but didn't have any. Thanks a lot!!!

Glad they were a hit, Natal. You've just reminded to order that superhero cape/bib someone posted. A co-worker is expecting and I thought that was the cutest.