Requesting book recommendations for a one-year-old

November 30, 2013 10:45 PM

My one year old niece loves books that "do things" - especially ones with flaps to lift. Her favorite thing to do when she wakes up is to play quietly with her books for about 20 minutes, and I'd love to encourage that. I would like to get her some books for Christmas. I've purchased Fuzzy Bee and Squishy Turtle for children before, and they were well-received, but the children were younger (in the 6 month range). Are Fuzzy Bee and Squishy Turtle too young for her? Can you recommend any other books that she might like? Her parents are open to anything, as she doesn't have many books and they'd like her to have more, but they're first time parents and not sure what she'd like either.
posted by RogueTech to Shopping (20 answers total)

That's Not My Kitten/Train/Snowman/Dragon/etc. from Usborne Touchy-Feely are popular little books for that age range where each page has a textured panel for the reader to feel that goes with the page's description. They're addictive for mall people and remain popular for quite a while ... My four year old still likes them.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:49 PM on November 30, 2013 [6 favorites]

My 15 month old son likes Gallop.
posted by Specklet at 10:58 PM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]

Why not make your own?
posted by mjklin at 11:04 PM on November 30, 2013

The Where's Spot? series is pretty great, and a pioneer in the genre. I also love Hervé Tullet, who has many ingenious books that "break the fourth wall" or whatever you'd call it. Some of them might be for slightly older kids (like 18 months) but it's hard to go wrong with Fingerworms.
posted by Catchfire at 12:16 AM on December 1, 2013 [2 favorites]

Pat the Bunny comes in a few different sizes and covers.

Not as tactile, but I also got The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle because I figured these books are harder to replicate their experience as eBook versions.
posted by Seboshin at 12:58 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Seconding the That's Not My X books. My son (21mo) also still likes the Noodle Books, which are similar but have slightly more going on in them.
posted by doop at 1:28 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Dog by Matthew Van Fleet: very large and sturdy board book with photo illustrations, funny rhyming text and lots of touchable textures, flaps, etc. The page that always brought the house down for us was "Sticky dog licks."
posted by apparently at 2:39 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

This might be better for next year when she's a bit older, but it's so great and different that I have to recommend it. "Press Here" is a book of colorful dots. You follow directions to press the dots and shake the book, and the dots "magically" change page-by-page. It's a really fun book and different than any others I've seen.
posted by shortyJBot at 3:35 AM on December 1, 2013 [3 favorites]

My kiddo loves Do Cows Meow? and Do Crocodiles Kiss? which both have animal sounds and flaps.
posted by judith at 4:28 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

My kids loved Where is Baby's Belly Button. Not textured, but lots of flaps to lift and since it's all about their little bodies there is a corresponding tactility.
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:46 AM on December 1, 2013 [2 favorites]

My niece loved "Whose tail is this?" and related (Whose Feet are These?, Whose Eyes are These?)

They feature a variety of animals in easy, puzzle-like situations (think a puppy hiding behind a flower pot, with his tail and half his body sticking out.)
posted by valoius at 6:46 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Came in to recommend Press Here, as above - it's a seriously magical book for that age.

http://www.amazon.com/Press-Here-Herve-Tullet/dp/0811879542/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385910628&sr=8-1&keywords=press+this

Mine also really liked Gallop.

Baby Einstein's Violet's House fits the bill also
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Einstein-Violets-Touch---Feel/dp/0786818727/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385910729&sr=8-1&keywords=violet%27s+house
posted by mazienh at 7:12 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden
Once Upon A Potty (girl) by Alona Frankel

Also seconding:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
That's not my… series of Usborne touchy-feely books
Where's Baby's.. series of lift-the-flap books by Karen Katz
posted by hush at 8:15 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

In My Nest.
posted by Bardolph at 8:33 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

I don't understand the appeal myself, but my daughter loved these Wheelie Books.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:41 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Maybe for a wee bit later... Go Away Big Green Monster
posted by kathrynm at 9:53 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

I agree with the Press Here recommendations. Another books along the same line is Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson.
posted by Lay Off The Books at 10:36 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

My daughter is fond of Maisy lift-the-flaps.
posted by kestrel251 at 10:38 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

My 16 month old LOVES Mole's Hill by Lois Ehlert. Karen Katz's lift-the-flap books have been successful in the past, but now he's older, the flaps get torn off too easily.
posted by saturnine at 6:17 PM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you everyone for your great suggestions! We went with Dog, Gallop, and either Press here or Tap the Magic Tree (still deciding!), but I now have many ideas for future birthdays and Christmases as well. Thanks again!
posted by RogueTech at 7:09 AM on December 5, 2013