…assuming that the retiree is a book nerd. Most of the people around me these days are. And if you walk into the bookshop where I work, I am going to assume your friend or family member is a book nerd of the sort we usually get at the shop (unless you tell me otherwise, of course).

For retirement, bags filled with small gifts seems to be de la rigueur. So get a bag (maybe even a reusable one with their name or a bookish saying on it, for the library and their shopping. I came across a bag the other day that actually said, and I quote, “I want a burrito to tuck me gently into its warm beans and say ‘Rest here, my child. Be at peace now.’” Of course, “Goodbye tension, hello pension” works too). Then fill it up. Classically, you could begin with:

• clothing items (tees, hats) with more witty retirement sayings on them, especially socks with the saying printed on the bottom (because their feet will now be up)
• mugs with the same witty sayings, and make sure they are keep-at-home mugs. Travel mugs need not apply.
• bookmarks, or in my case, post-it notes with literary characters on them
• pens, especially fun or over-the-top or silly pens (or highlighters)
• small field note journals for throwing in a purse or sliding into a pocket and jotting down birds, yes, and also book ideas or book lists
• etc.

And now for the books that you will put in their bag:

• For There Is Always Light, Amanda Gorman, which is actually a journal with the occasional quote from Gorman’s poetry
• A Philosophy of Walking, Frederic Gros
• Foster, Claire Keegan
• You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, Ada Limon
• And possibly, if you have room in the bag for something bigger: The Backyard Bird Chronicles, Amy Tan (or A Dumb Birds Field Guide to the Worst Birds Ever, Mat Kracht, if that’s their sense of humor)

As for a baby shower, you will also begin with a bag. If the parent(s) know their new baby’s name for sure, then that goes on the bag followed by “’s Books.” This is for their trips to the library, mostly, so it could also say “Sally’s Library Books.” You probably want to purchase some other items, and personally I would watch their registry as the shower draws near—even up to the day-of—to fill in purchases that are less glamorous but are high-need things that other people have not purchased. Unless the parent(s) are rich. Then they can take care of themselves. But that’s just my practical and experienced self.

As for the books that you will put in the bag:

• Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak

Just do it. I cry nearly every time I talk about this book. I didn’t love it as a kid, but once I realized that the message to the little one is that no matter what they do they will always be able to come home to you, I give it at every baby shower I go to. Plus, it’s a classic with beautiful illustrations.

Add some board books for more immediate consumption (perhaps literally). Some that I love right now include:

• Hug Machine, Scott Campbell
• Dragon’s First Taco, Adam Rubin
• Peek-a-Who?, Nina Laden

Then some classics, for reading to the baby and keeping for a longer time:

• Frog and Toad Are Friends, Arnold Lobel
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Mo Willems
• The Book with No Pictures, B. J. Novak
• The Feelings Book, Todd Parr (could also be a board book)
• Hot Dog, Doug Salati
• I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go To Bed, Lauren Child
• And you probably want to switch a few titles or add to them with your favorite toddler book or your children’s’ favorite toddler books.

As time goes by, especially if you are an aunt, you will add to the library, so I won’t get into later titles including chapter books and more picture books that will reflect their personality and that of the family.

Oh, and if you want to throw a book in the bag for mom to read while she’s nursing, I recommend The Ornithologists Field Guide to Love by India Holton. Obviously the parent will have their own tastes, so proceed with caution, but this is a great, easy-to-read, fun romp of a book and there are more by Holton that can be read afterward.

That’s it. If you have a retirement part or a baby shower coming up (I had both in one day) and you don’t have the mental bandwidth to give it tons of thought, this is my contribution to your mental health. Or at least get the juices flowing.