Throw a baby shower party with a difference! Instead of the usual gifts of baby clothes, bedding and infant formula, make this party one about your baby's future. In particular, your baby's literary future!

After the first milestones of baby talking, baby walking and baby weaning, most parents look forward to the next biggie – baby reading! For some parents, it begins even when baby is in the womb and continues with parents reading to baby all the way up to when baby can read. So get a head start on this exciting journey and throw a "Books for Baby" themed baby shower.

Invitations and Bookplates

Send out invitations which include a bookmark for your guests and a bookplate. A bookplate is a prettily designed card or sheet of paper which usually features a special message such as "This book belongs to (fill in baby's name)". It"s nice to include also "With much love from (your guest's name)" and space for a personal message from your guest beneath it. Let your guests know that you hope that they will bring a book for baby. It could be books which they themselves loved as children, or new favourites which their own children have loved.

Literary Quotes

Decorate your home with literary and humorous quotes. Print them out, frame them and hang them up. Some quotes to get you started are "Keep calm and read a book", "Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them – Lemony Snicket", "It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it – Oscar Wilde", "Think before you speak. Read before you think – Fran Lebowitz".

Food For Thought

Take the literary theme one step further by naming the food you serve after popular children"s books. You could play with titles such as "How to tame your tacos", "Green eggs and ham sandwiches", "Mother Goose-berry tarts" and more.

You could alternatively, create a menu from a classic like the Mad Hatter's tea party in "Alice in Wonderland" which features "drink me" tea, "eat me" biscuits, "Queen of Hearts jam tarts", magic mushroom quiches and of course, a Victoria sponge cake.