12 Interactive Board Books That Will Engage Your Baby With Reading
My baby jumped and laughed in anticipation as I turned to the last page of the book. “Is he in the basket?” I asked enthusiastically. He quickly grabbed the flap and pulled it back to reveal the puppy, giggling as I responded, “There he is!”
It’s so much fun when your baby first begins to interact with books. One of my favorite things as a mom and librarian is reading books to my baby and seeing him interact with them. I love seeing his excitement. It’s clear that he’s understood these books long before he could physically or verbally interact with them.
I hope this list of some amazing interactive board books helps you create those moments with your baby too.
12 Interactive Board Books That Will Engage Your Baby With Reading
Peacock’s Rainbow Feathers* by Little Hippo Books
Interactive Element: Touch & Feel
Peacock’s Rainbow Feathers offers color recognition and textures for Baby to feel. Your baby may not pick up the colors until he/she is a little older (my son started to get them at around 18 months), but my baby loved feeling the textures. It’s nice to expose them to new things even if they don’t seem to be ready to learn them.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Interactive Element: Lift the Flap
Dear Zoo is a book that both of my kids loved when they were babies. Lift the flaps to find the animal that was sent from the zoo. Babies love lifting flaps. This one has sturdy flaps that will survive rough hands. Our one copy has survived both of my kids (unlike some others).
Bedtime Bear by Patricia Hegarty
Interactive Element: Touch & Feel
Bedtime Bear is a simple bedtime book that includes soft textures for your baby to feel. The story and textures both offer a calming effect that is perfect for bedtime.
See, Touch, Feel: A First Sensory Book by Roger Priddy
Interactive Element: Touch & Feel + Mirror
See, Touch, Feel is another touch-and-feel book. There is no story to this one. Just prompts that ask Baby to explore the pages. There is a lot to feel, alongside new concepts, and a mirror at the end that lets Baby see him/herself.
Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill
Interactive Element: Lift the Flap
Where’s Spot? is a classic lift-the-flap book that’s a favorite of so many babies for a reason. The story is simply about a mother dog looking for her puppy who is hiding. She looks in various places, finding an array of animals that should not be hiding around the house. Babies love lifting the flaps and looking for the puppy.
One negative to this book is that the flaps are flimsy and easy for rough little hands to rip off. We’re on our fourth copy.
Llama Llama Hide & Seek by Anna Dewdney
Interactive Element: Lift the Flap
The Llama Llama books are some of our favorites because the rhyme is quickly engaging for babies. Llama Llama Hide & Seek has Lama Llama looking for his favorite stuffed animal. Baby is asked to lift the flaps to help find him.
Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz
Interactive Element: Lift the Flap
Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? is another lift-the-flap book. This book is worth mentioning because it helps teach your baby body parts–eyes, hands, feet, belly button. It’s a helpful introduction to body parts. Better than pointing to your own eyes and facing constantly being poked in the eye for the next few months.
Never Touch a Dragon! by Rosie Greening
Interactive Element: Touch & Feel
Never Touch a Dragon! is one of many of the Never Touch Books. You can find one for any interest you or your child might have. The Never Touch the… books tend to have counting in them. For example, Never Touch the Monsters! is about five little monsters going to a movie. The Never Touch a… books have fun and unexpected stories. For example, Never Touch a Snake! is about a circus (who would have thought?).
Poke-A-Dot by Melissa & Doug
Interactive Element: Poke the Dots
Babies love these Poke-A-Dot books. It was one of the first items both of my boys started playing with on their own for extended periods of time. There are a few options for these ones that all simply go through different items with a dot on each. Your baby can poke the dot as you identify the item. I don’t think the baby gets much reading out of the book but the dots are a good way to keep Baby engaged.
Let’s Learn ABCs by Kidsbooks Publishing
Interactive Element: Sound
Let’s Learn ABCs is an ABC book that has letters for your baby (or you) to push as you read. There is no story. It just goes through each letter and includes pictures of items that start with each letter on the page. This is fine for babies because they are learning to associate items with the verbal signal (word) that identifies them.
Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden
Interactive Element: Cutouts & mirror
Peek-a-Who? is one of those simple, seemingly unimpressive books that babies love. The book shows a peek of an item and asks Baby to guess who. Babies love books that offer questions with answers on the following pages. This is also a fun way to introduce your baby to some animals. The book rhymes and the last page has a mirror–always a big hit with babies.
Baby Dino by Hippo Books
Interactive Element: Finger puppet
I chose Baby Dino for the finger puppet. Babies love finger puppets. Put your finger inside and move it around while you read. You will have your baby’s full engagement even at a young age. The story is simple, asking who does one thing or another. The answer is always “It’s Baby Dino!”
Fostering a Love for Reading
If you haven’t tried interactive board books with your baby, try these. I guarantee you’ll love those moments when you see the joy on your baby’s face as he/she interacts with the book.
Want to instill a love of reading in your kids? Don’t forget to sign up for my free email course on raising readers.
Books Your Baby Can Interact With
Try these interactive board books to get your baby to interact with reading time.
- Peacock’s Rainbow Feathers by Little Hippo Books
- Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
- Bedtime Bear by Patricia Hegarty
- See, Touch, Feel: A First Sensory Book by Roger Priddy
- Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill
- Llama Llama Hide & Seek by Anna Dewdney
- Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz
- Never Touch a Dragon by Rosie Greening
- Poke-A-Dot by Melissa & Doug
- Let’s Learn ABCs by Kidsbooks Publishing
- Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden
- Baby Dino by Hippo Books
