best buys
The best books for one-year-olds
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Books are such an important way for babies and toddlers to learn about the world around them – even before they can talk properly.
Bright colours and textures will be fascinating to them, as will animals and everyday objects, such as flowers, buses and even kettles!
Designs with lift-the-flap features will add another level of excitement, but remember that books should be as robust as possible for this age group, as children haven't learnt to be gentle when turning the pages.
Board books, rather than paper, are the best bet until around age two.
Try and make time once a day to share a book with your child, it's often a lovely, peaceful way to wind down after a bath and before bedtime.
1. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
Walker Books
*Board book edition of this classic baby book
*Simple rhyming text perfect for reading to your little one
*Beautiful illustrations by Helen Oxenbury
A sweet rhyming story, with pictures showing babies from all over the world simply playing with their fingers and toes!
It's the perfect picture book for very young toddlers.
2. Animal ABC by Jannie Ho
Nosy Crow Ltd
*First alphabet book for babies
*Bright and colourful illustrations
*Part of a series of animal-themed books
As well as first letter sounds to say out loud, there are bright pictures featuring lots of familiar animals to spot and talk about, providing hours of first-word fun for your little one.
3. It's a Little Baby by Julia Donaldson
Macmillan Children's Books
*Engaging lift-the-flap book by the author of the Gruffalo
*Simple rhyming text that your child will easily learn
*Gorgeous illustrations by Rebecca Cobb
Your toddler will love this cute book full of engaging rhymes and illustrations of babies doing everyday actions.
With big flaps to lift and discover, children will love joining in as you read the rhyming text.
4. First 100 Words by Roger Priddy
Priddy Books
*Bright and engaging first words book
*Ideal for babies just starting to talk
*Everyday objects for babies to name and recognise
Packed with over 100 first words to learn and bright, vibrant pictures that babies will love to look at!
The images are all of everyday objects, so children can start to learn the names and add to their emerging vocabulary.
5. Time to go with Ted by Sophy Henny
Bloomsbury Children's Books
*Lift-the-flaps adventure book
*Follow Ted on his adventures around the world
*Full of exciting discoveries for little ones
Ted has a wonderful imagination, which takes him on so many adventures. Spotting polar bears in the freezer? Or maybe hanging out with a bunch of hungry monkeys? Your tot can lift the flaps to find out where he's going next ...
6. Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins
Walker
*Explore the sea with Little Fish
*Lots of bright colour illustrations to engage your tot
*A fun and entertaining read
Meet Little Fish's friends Spotty and Stripy, Happy and Gripy, Hairy and Scary, even Curly Whirly and Twisty Twirly as you journey around the ocean.
7. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Macmillan Children's Books
*Young kids will love lifting the flaps to discover the zoo animals
*With bright, bold illustrations
* Aimed at one-to-five-year-olds
The classic children's story has a variety of different editions, this one board book version has lots of fun and interactive features.
Little ones will love lifting the flaps to discover the animals the zoo has sent!
8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Puffin
*Toddlers will love this engaging story
*Gorgeous and characterful illustrations of the friendly caterpillar
*A must-have book in any child's home library
A children's classic featuring a much-loved character. The story follows a little caterpillar on his journey as he eats his way to becoming a beautiful butterfly.
Read on:
- Classic children’s books every family needs
- The best books about starting school
- The top 10 toys for one-year-olds (that are educational and fun, too!)
This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase from Amazon. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
