- November 2, 2019
15 Best Books for 1-Year-Old Girls and Boys
Even though they can’t read on their own, 1-year-old boys and 1-year-old girls still can and will enjoy some fun stories that their parents read them. However, there are hundreds of books to choose from, and not every book is for every child. You have to choose wisely and you don’t want to be rushing through the library with your child in the stroller.
That is why you should take a look at this list and see what books you should specifically look for. Plus, it’s always great to expose your kid to books and ready at an early age, because you can spend some quality time with them reading and they will develop a great appreciation towards books.
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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
This book is a classic and for a good reason. The book is beautifully illustrated and it’s a total baby brain candy. What is more, this book doesn’t insult your kids’ intelligence and you won’t get sick of reading it. Plus, the book is in a way communicating with your child and they have the power to answer back.
So, if you’re looking for one of the best books for 1-year-old children, then you should go for this one. There is a big happy frog, a funny plump purple cat, and a handsome blue horse and made other characters parading across the pages. Not to mention how great illustration will certainly spark creativity in your child and the color will keep them entertained.
Benefits:
- Fun and educational
- Interactive
- Delightful illustration
Where Is Baby's Belly Button?
Karen Katz has made many childhoods adorable with this book of hers. Where is Baby’s Belly Button is a beautifully illustrated interactive book and even slightly older kids will enjoy it as well. It comes in a sturdy format and it’s really easy to lift the flaps so your child can also flip through the pages on their own.
It is educational since your baby is learning about parts of their body in a really fun and colorful play. So, if you want your child to play peekaboo, enjoy the stories and look at the adorable illustrations, you should consider this one.
Benefits:
- Educational; learning about baby’s body
- Interactive
- Beautiful illustration and colors
Baby Touch and Feel: Animals
Since at this stage toddlers want to grab things and feel them, this book for 1-year-old children will bring them delight. This book is small and your kid can touch and feel bunnies, kittens, puppies, and many other soft animals. Baby Touch and Feel: Animals will certainly engage your child in exploring and developing their motor skills, while they get to work on their language foundation.
Besides being able to touch the animals, they can learn about how they look and what sounds do they make. The photography and illustration are life-like and your baby will have fun learning about kittens, puppies, penguins and many other baby animals (especially if they have a lot of stuffed animals and love them).
Benefits:
- Developing motor skills
- Fun and educational
- Works on language skills
Where's Spot?
Where’s Spot is one of the best books for 1-year-olds because it’s a timeless classic. It follows a cute little dog Spot and where he is hiding. Your little one will be shocked every time they discover this hiding cute dog and they will be very gratified when they finally find him in the basket.
Also, the book is lightweight and it’s easy to lift the flaps while searching for Spot. So, if you want to engage your baby into solving the puzzle of where Spot is and provide some of the best illustrations for them, this is your book.
Benefits:
- Timeless classic
- Lightweight
- Interactive
Peek-A Who?
This book is perfect for curious babies and toddlers. It’s a board book is filled with colorful pictures and simple rhyming texts that your child can even learn by heart. This book lets kids guess what’s peeking through the die-cut windows and they can even play this with their siblings and friends.
The book will certainly build some anticipation of what’s hiding on the next page and the bright engaging illustrations will keep your little one entertained for hours. Even the older kids will enjoy flipping through the pages and solving these mini-mysteries.
Benefits:
- Great for older kids, too
- Engaging and bright illustrations
- Interactive pages
Toes, Ears, & Nose! A Lift-the-Flap Book
Another masterpiece from Karen Katz, Toes, Ears & Nose is a great book for toddlers and babies who love finding things out about their bodies. With this interactive book, your baby can discover their toes, ears, nose and many more. Also, their language skills can improve because they are also learning about clothes that are covering their toes, nose, and ears.
This cutely illustrated also has the flaps of clothing which your baby can lift up and find out what is hiding underneath and play this fun peekaboo over and over again.
Benefits:
- Interactive and educational
- Lightweight
- Great illustration
Peek-a-Baby: A Lift-the-Flap Book
Another one from Karen Katz’s collection is this Peek-a-Baby flap book. Even older children can enjoy this book and play peekaboo. They will also get the chance to learn a few new words and lift the flaps with ease. Once again Karen Katz’s illustrations are colorful, bright and simply a delight to look at.
It is certainly a fun book for the whole family and your child will always be happy to play peekaboo with you and other family members. Not to mention all the laughs this book and games will bring to your baby.
Benefits:
- Easy to lift the flaps
- Colorful illustration
- An interactive and fun way to learn new words
Zoom, Zoom, Baby!
Karen Katz certainly provides some of the best books for 1-year-old kids and this one is also a delight. In Zoom, Zoom, Baby, your little one can learn about vehicles and various means of transportation. Under each flap on boats, planes, cars, airplanes, and trains the baby hides, while your little baby is looking for them.
It is a great book for learning new vocabulary and developing fine motor skills. And once again, Karen Katz continues to amaze your youngest with signature bright art and a sturdy book that can be used for days.
Benefits:
- Develops motor skills
- Bright striking art
- Interactive
Now You Are One
Now You Are One is one of the best books for 1-year-olds and their first birthday. You can even write a personal note about this special day under the cover flap and gift this book to any 1-year-old you’d like – making it the perfect personalized book for kids.
The illustrations are adorable and you can read this story to your baby whenever you want. What is more, the story is done in a rhymed narrative and it is cute and short. Plus, your little one can enjoy adorable illustrations of a cute elephant and his daily adventures.
Benefits:
- Can be used as a personalized gift
- Great for learning about everyday objects
- Adorable illustrations
Little Blue Truck
Little Blue truck is one of the books for 1-year-olds that is filled with a joyful cacophony of animal and truck sounds. And for some reason, babies really love trucks and this might just be the cutest book with trucks out there. With this book, your youngsters will be beeping and quacking and begging for another read every time you read it to them.
Illustrations too are adorable and the colors in there will certainly intrigue your 1-year-old’s eyes. It’s a true delight for an afternoon read, and your child will go for days singing the rhymes of the book.
Benefits:
- The beautiful cacophony of sounds
- Playful illustrations
- One from the series of equally great books
Daddy Hugs
This one is perfect for the father and the baby to cuddle up and enjoy this cute little book. Of course, there is a Mommy Hugs version for the books, but this one is all about fathers.
The illustration is adorable and it’s a perfect book for Dads to show their younglings how much they love them and to always give them hugs and kisses. What is more, with this book, Dad can enjoy a lot of quality time spent with their child cuddling and sharing love.
Benefits:
- Easy to read and understand
- Fatherly love
- Perfect for bedtime reading
Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?
This is a great book for 1-year-old children in which little digger trucks are the babies. It’s another great read for going to bed and it humanizes the heaviest machinery in the best way possible.
In this book, your child can learn how the diggers go to sleep; whether their mommy truck tucks them in and day sings the songs, it’s truly a nice perspective and the illustration breathes the life into those heavy machines. They also get to learn about dump trucks, diggers, snowplows, tractors and many other machines who have similar bedtime rituals as your babies. So, this is a perfect book for bedtime and it will lull your little one into a construction zone dreamland.
Benefits:
- Surprising characters
- A perfect bedtime story
- Imaginative and educational
Goodnight Moon
This is probably the most beloved books for 1-year-olds of all time. Goodnight Moon has quiet poetry of words and gentle and lulling illustrations to come with them to gently lull your little one to sleep each night.
The rhymes are perfect, the characters are all going to bed saying goodnight to their surroundings. Your baby can use the same rhymes to say goodnight each day and gently fall asleep with those illustrations.
Benefits:
- Calming read for bedtime routine
- Soft, lulling illustrations
- Perfect for learning new words
Look, Look!
This book is filled with mesmerizing black and white illustrations that will keep your baby calm and their eyes intrigued. It is a sturdy board book with high-contrast cut-paper art which is just perfect for staring at. There are only a few words in curving red type on each spread that are describing the scenes – car races, cat stretches, flowers bloom and it’s just perfect for young babies.
Look Look! is an ideal first book for your child and it’s just the beginning of their learning and looking skills.
Benefits:
- Hypnotizing art
- Great for babies eyes and to stare at
- Big and sturdy
Leo Loves Baby Time
This colorful and cheerful book will bring smiles to faces and laughs to your baby. In this book, Leao and his mom go to Baby Time and there they play all sorts of games – peekaboo, singing the rolly song, playing with animals and meeting new friends.
All these games in the book can inspire your little one to do the same and simply have a great time listening to you read the book. Also, all the activities in the book are probably already familiar to you and your baby, and if not, you can try them together. The illustration is presented in bright and vibrant colors and they will certainly draw the attention of your baby.
Benefits:
- Bright, vibrant colors
- Features activities familiar to children and parents
How to Choose Good Books
When choosing the best books for your 1-year-old child, you have to consider a few things. Since they still can’t read on their own, you should look for books that have small and easy words to listen to. The text in the books should also be short and to the point, and it’s best if it all rhymes. This way, your baby can have a laugh while they are learning a few new words.
Also, you should pay attention to the illustrations. Young children are always attracted by bright and vibrant colors, so make sure the books you pick have exactly that. What is more, you can look for illustrated nursery rhymes that your child is bound to love. Lastly, consider the materials of the book and look for sturdy covers and flaps, because those are practically indestructible. And your little one will give the book a few not so gentle grabs, so you want the book to last.
Criteria We Used
It is important to have good criteria for choosing the best book for 1-year-olds. That is why we chose three important criteria. The first one is based on the illustrations present in the books, which should be eye-catching. The second one is the materials used to make the book, which has to be sturdy. Lastly, we considered the educational factor and the books should teach your child some new words and life values.
Fun Illustrations
Since we all know that younger kids are amazed and attracted by bright colors, we used the illustrations and their quality to pick the books for this list. All of these books have soft and simply mesmerizing illustrations. The colors are bright and vibrant so they attract the eyes of your young ones and the lines are sharp and they all create fun pictures of everyday lives. We also looked for illustrations and designs that have flaps hiding more things underneath for your baby to discover.
Sturdy Materials
Your little one is still too young to be gentle enough with the books because they don’t yet have full control over their grabbing and pulling. That is why it is essential to look for books that are sturdy enough to withstand all those grabbing and flipping the pages. All the covers are hard, the flaps are tightly attached and the pages are thick. That way, your baby can grab and flip all they want and nothing will get torn.
Educational Factor
Every book your child read should teach them something. Since they can’t read, they can listen to your transferring all the knowledge to them from the books. All the content is done in rhymes so it is easy to remember, and repetition is key to learning. Also, some of the books will teach your kids about their body parts and where they are. Plus, there are books that will expand your little ones’ vocabulary to vehicles, animals and everyday objects.
FAQ
Can books help my child fall asleep?
There are dozens of books out there designed to put your kids to bed. There are some of them on this list as well, and their soothing rhymes and dim colors will help your child fall asleep together.
How books can help my child learn?
All the best books for 1-year-old children have content that is in the form of short songs that rhyme. They are easy to remember and your child will quickly pick up on the rhythm and fun words. Since we all know that repetition is the key to learning while singing the lines your child will learn new words and their meaning.
Can my child get paper cuts from the books?
There is very little chance of your children getting hurt by these books. All of them are made of sturdy materials and pages are thick. Also, most books are board books, which makes it almost impossible for the child to get hurt while flipping the pages.
Conclusion
It is very important to introduce your child to reading and books at an early age. Even though they can’t read on their own, they are still developing their skills and deep appreciation for books. Later on, they will want to read the books with or without you and learn new things. Plus, the best books for 1-year-olds are designed to help your baby start speaking early and develop their vocabularies fast. Just make sure the books are age-appropriate and that they have fun illustrations and you will be able to spend hours with your young one reading.
Catherine is a writer from Canada who simply loves toys, collectibles and superhero figurines. Writing is her passion, but she also loves reading, enjoying her “me time” and finding new ways to improve her work and ways to entertain the readers.
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