Buying books for a one-year-old is a little different than buying books for, you know… someone who actually cares about the plot.
At this age, I want books they can poke, touch, press, point at, and apparently occasionally lick.
So if you’re looking to add a few books to your one-year-old’s collection, these are five I’m convinced they’ll be obsessed with.
1. Melissa & Doug Poke-a-Dot
Be prepared to start hearing pop, pop, pop anytime your child is awake.
The little dots are ridiculously satisfying to poke, and honestly, the best part is that your kid doesn’t even need you to read the story for this book to be entertaining.
My one-year-old will grab it, sit down, and just start poking away.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
So yes, technically it’s a book. But it’s also basically a toy disguised as a book, which is exactly the kind of literature I’m looking for at this stage of life.
2. Never Touch a… Book
This is where we really start exploring our senses.
We love touching all of the chunky textures with our fingers.
And our toes.
And sometimes even our tongue.
Mom thinks that last one is a little gross, but apparently that’s what being one is all about.
The textures are sturdy enough for those not-so-gentle toddler hands, and there’s something extremely entertaining about telling a one-year-old not to touch something while actively encouraging them to touch every single page.
Find it here! and other great books from the same camp (Amazon)
3. Touch-and-Feel Baby Animals
If there is a fluffy animal in a book, we WILL be touching it.
And lately, my daughter has decided that simply experiencing the textures herself isn’t enough.
She’ll feel the fuzzy little animal, then grab my finger and physically place it on the page so I can feel it too.
Because obviously Mommy cannot miss out on such an amazing opportunity.
It’s honestly very cute, and I love that this one has turned into something we do together instead of me just reading while she flips through the pages at lightning speed.
Safest way to feel a Bear (Amazon)
4. Noisy Farm
This one has buttons you can press to hear the different baby animal noises, which is obviously very exciting when you’re one.
But there’s also a sneaky educational bonus: it helps teach them which noises the animals make.
Which is GREAT.
Because my animal noises are pathetic.
The book makes the correct noise, she gets to press the button herself, and I’m no longer solely responsible for convincing my child that whatever sound just came out of my mouth was supposed to be a cow.
Everybody wins.
Hear and Feel around the Farm for yourself! (Amazon)
5. My First 100 Animals
This is such a good book for the stage where your toddler suddenly wants to point at everything.
There are tons of animals to look at, recognize, and eventually start naming. You can point to an animal and say what it is, ask them to find a certain one, practice animal noises, or just let them flip through and point at whatever catches their attention.
And because there’s so much on every page, it’s one of those books that can grow with them instead of getting boring after five minutes.
For the little hands that want to hold the book - good luck. (Amazon)
Basically, One-Year-Old Books Need to Be Fun
At one, I’m not looking for a riveting storyline.
Give me buttons. Give me textures. Give me things to poke. Give me animals. Give me literally anything that allows those tiny hands to get involved.
If you need a first-birthday gift, want to refresh your one-year-old’s bookshelf, or are just looking for something new to keep a busy toddler entertained, these five are a very good place to start.
And if your child ends up licking the touch-and-feel book too, just know we’re right there with you.
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