Hellobee Boards

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: my sister did this for the shower she hosted for me! She used almost exactly the same rhyme that is in the picture you shared, and it was written on the invite. It was such a huge hit! People wrote beautiful things and all of my aunts actually passed down books that have been in the family since before I was born.
I wouldn't include a book plate only because people chose all different sizes of books, and some people wrote more than would fit on a book plate (like my father in law wrote a whole poem to the baby).

I would just write something like: "In lieu of a card, please bring your favorite book for the baby!" Or something like that?

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: You sound exactly like me! I don't have a registry but people started asking my sister what I wanted so I gave her a few things that we need and she passed them on.

She made up the invitations for my shower and on the bottom it said something like "As we all know, Char54 is a book fanatic. If you would like to add to Baby's library, bring a book instead of a card and write a message to baby inside."

I plan on doing a Book Wall in the nursery and so the books from my baby shower will help to fill it out and I also love the idea of having the messages from loved ones inside!

I do not think that cards and children's books are comparable in cost, so I kind of feel that asking anything in lieu of is kind of rude ("Don't bring us a $0.99 card wishing us well! Please spend $5-$15 on a book we can use instead!") What about a cute saying or poem that says something about how you want to share the gifts of books and reading with your child? Or better yet, let people bring their own gift of their choosing or not one at all? Gifts after all are not required at a sip and see...I just think you need to find a way to encourage the idea of books without asking for them/demanding them from each and every party guest. Kind of how it's rude to put registry info in a wedding invite because you're not supposed to demand presents...

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: could you print it on the back?
In lieu of cards, please bring a favorite children's book. Or "help us build baby Lemon-Lime's library"

You know, I did receive duplicate books, but the duplicates were at my non-book shower. So I had a signed copy of the Lorax or Goodnight Moon and then an unsigned one. So I exchanged the unsigned ones.

@hilsy85: this is the exact wording we used for our baby shower invites.

we also used these library card invites

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76358444/build-a-library-baby-shower-invitations?ref=col_view

@Mrs. Lemon-Line: I didn't know this was for you--fun!

Since the invite you like is modern and simple, I would keep the wording on your invite about books short as well.

I wouldn't write "in lieu of a card." It's not a price comparison for me, because yes, cards can be expensive! It more about the effort/level of thoughtfulness involved. I'm going to take more time to pick out a book and write a message for someone, whereas I would pick up a card during my weekly grocery trip.

I expect registry info on shower invites, and I guess the same for a sip and see.

At my shower a couple weeks ago, the hostess put this on invite. There was some cute rhyme on the invite, but I don't remember it. To be honest, I'm now overwhelmed with the amount of books we have. We did have some duplicates of books we already had, and what's worse is that due to the way it was phrased everyone wrote in them so they can't be returned.

Personally, if you're uncomfortable with gifts, I would just leave everything referencing a gift off of the invite. If people ask what they can bring, then tell them to bring a favorite book. But they'll likely bring you clothes and blankets if you don't have a registry. Even if you do have a registry too, haha.