50 Best Books for 1-Year-Olds: 2024 Picks

Get ready for serious silliness as you mimic animal sounds throughout this book. Starting with cows and sheep and going on to a horse, dog, and cat, among other animals — your baby will be laughing all the way.

This little book is a fun way to introduce babies to different animals and the sounds they make. The book’s simple illustrations make it a wonderful and calming read for one-year-olds.

This colorful book is full of cleverly hidden objects that rhyme with “who” and the sounds they make. It starts with, “Peek-a…,” but rather than lift a flap, you turn to the next page to find the answer.

With repetitive phrases and rhyming words, this book provides an interactive reading experience for your child. Plus, they’ll enjoy making the funny sounds.

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Take a trip to the farm without leaving your house with this cute, colorful, and picture-filled book. Immerse yourself in the world of farm animals, farm produce, machinery, and farm projects.

This farm-themed book is excellent for building your baby’s vocabulary and helping them associate words with the corresponding pictures. It’s an excellent opportunity for you to simply explain how life on the farm goes.

This cute and colorful little book starts by asking where the baby’s eyes are. Upon opening the flap, you’ll find his eyes under a hat. It goes on to ask about other body parts which can be found under the next flaps.

This book is a fun and interactive way to help your baby learn about the different parts of their body. Soon, your child can point to their own eyes, mouth, and belly button!

This is the story of adorable animals getting ready for bed. With darkness falling all around, the story starts with mommy mouse telling little mouse to get into bed. The book uses creative and simple rhymes with watercolor illustrations to help soothe your little one to sleep.

A little frog introduces you and your baby to his friends who live by the pond. You’ll meet a duck and her newly hatched ducklings, fish, turtles, and a bunny rabbit, among others.

This vividly-colored little book asks questions and lets you find the answers under a flap. It’s great for interactive reading and learning. The sturdy board pages are perfect for little hands learning to turn pages independently, promoting a love for reading and learning.

The story starts with a little mouse asking if his mommy will be his sunshine on a cold day. She reassures him that she will be, then he asks if she will be his rainbow when it’s dull and gray.

The book uses weather elements to subtly ask if Mommy will always be there, even when we lose our way.

This heartwarming story will inspire affection and warmth. The reassurance will give your baby a sense of security while teaching them about unconditional love.

The baby is tired and crying. The whole family, including the pets, offer kisses to calm her down. From 10 kisses on the baby’s toes, this book counts down to one final kiss on her sleepy head.

Mommy and baby can try out these kisses during reading time. It will reinforce your affection for your baby, and they’ll know for sure that they are loved.

The cute bunnies on the front cover are enough to hook your wee one! This animal book is perfect for the little hands that like touching books and exploring textures. Each page showcases a different animal and what they might feel like in the wild.

The pages are easy to turn, encouraging your baby to interact with the book. With its simple yet engaging layout, your child can follow along and stay engrossed in the wonders of this delightful book.

The baby takes a trip to the zoo, hoping to see a baby tiger. He searches all over but finds different animals instead. Finally, he finds the baby tiger hiding in the tall grass.

This book uses repetitive phrases and beautiful illustrations to draw you in. Your baby will enjoy lifting the flaps to find the different animals while learning their unique sounds.

This book starts by highlighting that hands reach, flowers bloom, fish swim, and the stars shine. These are just some of the fascinating things that your child loves to witness.

The black-and-white contrast in the book is simply amazing. It uses full-page illustrations and short red text to help your baby comprehend how different things work.

Colorful and beautifully illustrated, with die-cut pages, this book tells the story of a little bear cozy in his den. We follow him as he lays down pinecones, hunts for twigs, and cuddles with his family in bed.

The book carries a reassuring message about how cozy it can be to lie down to sleep. Its unique layering and finger puppet feature allows interactive reading and fun moments.

This is the story of Little Guy, Little Pumpkin, and Little Bird, three babies who have lots of fun with their parents and grandma. From belly kissing to swinging in circles, the babies simply can’t get enough fun and demand more!

Doing some of the fun stuff you read in the book will undoubtedly turn this book into a favorite! Not only can you sit down and relax together, but you can act out some of the enjoyable antics within the story.

What better way to count than using delicious fruits? This book contains numbers one to 10 and fruits that match. Set on a white background, your baby will find it easy and fun to search and count the fruits.

This book will teach your child what different fruits look like. But it also provides a challenge. This book has a unique cut-out inside, which allows you to turn the pages on the top and bottom half of the book separately.

Once your baby is a little older, they can pick a number on the top page and find the same number of fruit in a picture on the bottom page!

Wander the world as you say goodnight to the crickets, owls, ducks, and other adorable creatures. This twist on Eric Carle’s classic book introduces your little one to the famous hungry caterpillar, as well as his friends.

It provides one final activity before bedtime. With flaps to lift, your 1-year-old can interact with this lovely rhyming story before winding down for a good sleep (hopefully).

Would you like a book that allows your baby to connect with their dad? This book provides the perfect opportunity. In this story, your little one can say hello to various babies and their dads. The best part is the various textures on each page, such as a shiny nose or soft tiger stripe.

Besides those features, this is also great for developing sensory skills and a base for your little one’s first words. A surprise at the end of the book will reveal your child’s reflection, too!

This dynamic and adorable book brings Scottish nature to life as Skye the puffling goes on a sneaky adventure! One morning, Skye escapes from her burrow and tumbles off the cling before being picked up by a gannet.

Told through rhythmic rhyming and accompanied by watercolor illustrations, this is a fun and fast-paced tale to read to impatient babies and toddlers!

This charming book is perfect for settling your little one down for a nap or nighttime. It follows a bear and its cub as they go through their day together, playing in water and climbing high mountains. Then the bear talks about how all these little moments are special signs of love. Reading such books can be a meaningful yet simple way to tell your little one how much you adore them.

While one-year-olds won’t understand the mischievous humor in this yet, it’s a great one to entertain parents during those long late-night reading sessions. This book follows Bear, who has lost his hat. When he discovers what happened to his hat, he is feeling vengeful! What awful thing will he do?

While you can buy this as a board book, which is great for little hands, we have the paperback version, which is great for reading to your little one while they’re playing or eating.

Parents, are you looking for a book that will genuinely make you laugh? This hilarious and adorable book about a small donkey is filled with hilarious and random rhymes and details. As part of the Wonky Donkey series, this is about a small donkey who is almost as cute as your one-year-old, making for the perfect daytime story!

From the creator of the beloved book, Dear Zoo, comes the farmyard version, Oh Dear! Grandma sends little Buster out to the farm to gather the eggs.

Your little one has to open the flaps to reveal the cow, pig, and other cute creatures before the eggs are finally found! This exciting adventure improves fine motor skills and teaches children about different animals.

The Usborne Sound books are a family favorite in our home. The buttons are so easy to press, which eases frustrated one-year-olds. This particular book follows a variety of sea creatures and features.

When your little one presses the buttons, they’ll hear thunder crashing, birds cooing, and boats honking. It’s great for reading together but also a prime pick for independent reading.

There are dozens of books in this Jellycat series, such as a giraffe, elephant, or sheep version! These books feature various textures, including velvety ears and a hairy mane, providing an excellent opportunity for sensory exploration and developing vocabulary. Each story in the series features a silly tail feature that sticks out of the book’s top.

In this book, five little creatures are hiding behind soft, felt flaps. Babies and toddlers find felt flaps much easier to open than stiff, paper ones, making this a great option for your one-year-old.

The beautiful illustrations are exciting to study, and with a variety of creatures, your little one will learn about new bugs. Plus, there’s a special surprise on the final page!

Our little one has read this book so much that it’s literally falling apart! But until then, he loved all the baby animal noises and, in time, started copying them. The button produces a variety of noises, such as a puppy woofing and a penguin chick chirping.

The button is a little tricky for small fingers to press, so we suggest parents help out. If your child likes this book, there are plenty more in the “My First” series.

This book is a hidden gem but a total hit. It features two finger-sized holes that parents can use to wiggle their fingers and pretend to be the baby’s legs. Follow the funny babies as they wake up, eat breakfast, and go through their day.

From the bright pictures to the cut-out holes, this stimulating story makes for a great interactive reading experience with your baby. Before you know it, your baby will be trying to poke their own fingers through the holes too!

Parents who prefer quiet books and toys might want to look away. But from our experience, this book has provided enough laughs to make the chaos worth it! Each page features a lift-the-flap section as the various creatures try to tickle the moose.

The last page shows a little boy who finally succeeds in tickling the moose, and when you lift the flap, get ready to laugh uncontrollably! It’s a wild, noisy, and absolutely hilarious adventure that will have your one-year-old laughing along with you.

This fun silicone touch-and-feel book offers a variety of textures. With each shark in the book having its own unique feel, kids can engage in sensory exploration using their fingers.

On each page, one shark disappears until only one is left. This theme helps them with counting, noticing differences, and of course, fine motor skills!

While lyrical and elaborate rhyming still captivates a baby’s attention, simple rhyming is easier for them to understand. Not only will it capture their attention, but it will also introduce them to basic words such as “tall,” “ball,” and “bee.”

This fun book is also a great introduction to the classic children’s author, Dr. Suess. If you loved him growing up, this is a great one to start with when reading to your baby!

Meet 10 doggies in this funny and noisy counting book. The first page features one dog, on the next, there are two, then three, and so on. Each new dog that appears is a different breed, which will engage young readers.

Plus, this book teaches counting as the numbers one through 10 appear. The charming illustrations are perfect for little babies and parents to enjoy!

One of the most magical aspects of parenthood is looking at your child and wondering all the amazing things they’ll do. This book celebrates the uniqueness that each child holds within them.

Told in a lyrical rhyming verse, the story follows children as they grow and develop. Their hearts are kind, their talents blossom and their parents remind them that no matter what they achieve, they are deeply loved for who they are.

If you’re reading to a group of adorable tots, or have twins, this book is fantastic for reading together. But it’s also just dandy for one-on-one reading time.

It follows a variety of animals, asking the question as to which noises they make. It offers a few wrong answers before you need to lift the flap and reveal the right answer. This book is fantastic for teaching animal noises in a silly and interactive way!

It’s important to learn about different kinds of weather so that you know how to dress depending on what’s going on outside. This book shows different kinds of weather — sunny, rainy, cold, etc. — and highlights the right outfit for each day.

Additionally, it provides fascinating information about UV rays, wind, and clarifies why mornings are colder than daytime. This educational book is captivating and vivid, making it a fantastic choice for tiny tots.

The Little People, Big Dreams series takes kids through the lives of incredible people, including scientists, activists, and artists like Frida Kahlo. Featuring stunning illustrations and straightforward sentences, this book narrates the inspiring journey of Frida from a young girl, through schooling, to when she started painting. This inspirational story will instill boldness and bravery into your child, even at a young age.

This book follows an owl, puppy, rabbit, pig, and bear as they wait hopefully by the window for something amazing to happen. The minimalistic pictures and straightforward sentences are captivating for little ears.

Waiting is an important lesson for kids to learn, and it’s never too early to start! While this book is great for one-year-olds, it’s also useful for older kids, as it reinforces the imporatnce of waiting, even when it can be frustrating.

Learn to count using this interactive board book with lifelike ladybugs. Your little one can feel through the book as they count the ladybugs from one to 10. The adorable bugs and lyrical rhymes are a fantastic and fun way to educate your child about numbers and bugs.

This classic story about persistence and never giving up has been a firm favorite since 1930! It follows a happy little engine who carries toys, puzzles, fruit, and candy over a mountain. When she breaks down, she asks other trains for help, but they all pass by.

Finally, Little Blue Engine appears and takes on the challenge of pulling the little train through the mountains. With repeated affirmations — I think I can, I think I Can — she drives the difficult journey to the city.

This tale as old as time, is a great reminder that your little one can do anything they set their mind to!

Discover the magic of winter in this adorable book which follows Peter, who wakes up to a huge snowfall one morning. Children will enjoy abstract illustrations and vivid colors, which are perfect for cozy reading sessions. Join Peter as he makes snow angels and a snowman, enjoying every moment of this incredible day.

If you’ve not already noticed from our list, we are big fans of sensory books for one-year-olds! Many babies are nervous about different textures, but books like this provide a safe space for them to explore.

In this story, they can feel an elephant’s leather or a koala’s fur as they say hello to a variety of wild animals. With fun rhyming on each page, parents can tell their babies all about the animals they encounter.

We are big advocates for daily reading with your baby! If you aren’t sure what to read, this book includes 30 classic nursery rhymes that little ones will love. Each one looks as though it’s been hand-embroidered onto the page, making for a beautiful addition to the shelf.

Your little one will love popular classics like Twinkle Twinkle, Old MacDonald, and Old Mother Hubbard. Filled with classic songs you can learn together, there’s a fun story for each day of the month.

Start the day with a book! And what’s sweeter than this lovely book about a toddler who says peekaboo to his mother, father, puppy, and other beloved characters?

This book is fantastic for babies because it involves an exciting game of peekaboo while introducing them to words and pictures they’ll soon recognize.

Babies learn from tactile experiences, making this book a fantastic way to introduce them to the alphabet. On each page, you’ll find textured letters that babies can feel with their little fingers. Each letter is paired with a textured object that starts with the same letter, such as “C” for cloud and “D” for dolphin.

This ground-breaking book allows children to trace the letter’s shape and say the name, helping them to understand the basics of the alphabet.

This book follows 10 tiny babies taking part in silly antics, like spinning around and wriggling their toes. Together, they all join in and have fun together!

Your little one can copy the actions, learning new skills and funny things to do. It’s a hilarious book that will have you both laughing from the very beginning.

Meet grumpy Pout-Pout Fish on this deep-sea adventure as he encounters all his friends as they try to cheer him up. Babies will love the gorgeous images and rhyming scheme. It’s even more exciting if you can do funny voices for each character!

In the end, can Pout-Pout Fish’s friends improve his mood? Will their words of wisdom get through to him? Or will he spend the rest of his days stuck with a sad look on his face?

Warning: this book might lead to lots of kisses from your toddler!

Little Leo loves Wednesdays because he attends Baby Time class with his mom and friends. This happy book shows how much fun it can be to get out of the house and spend time with other babies. If your little one is nervous about attending these classes, this book can help show them how much fun it is.

Most babies love water! This easy-to-follow book teaches them where water is and what it sounds like. Follow the river as it moves to the sea or the ocean where the whales live.

This beautifully illustrated book is a calming choice for both daytime and nighttime reading. Despite its soothing vibe, it’s also a great educational experience that teaches little ones how water can take multiple forms.

At this age, your baby will be well-involved with meal times. But feeding a one-year-old still has tons of challenges.  This book teaches little one’s table manners and nutrition.

While babies won’t grasp the concept completely, it’s a great introduction to how to wash hands, use a fork and spoon, and say ‘thank you’. This is a great book to read with your little ones frequently to remind them of the polite way to enjoy mealtime.

While one-year-olds might not be super empathetic (yet), this book can set the groundwork for understanding different emotions. Each page features a baby with a different expression, including happy, sad, surprised, and more.

Can you help your baby understand the various expressions and copy them? It’s an excellent resource to capture your child’s curiosity and spark their interest in their peers.

Meet Jules, the kitten who wants to hug the entire world! He makes a Hug To-Do list that stretches long across the ground. As he wanders through the world, he hugs everyone he meets!

This heartwarming story features lovely watercolor images that will capture your toddler’s interest and inspire them to be affectionate, too. Soon, you might have a chronic cuddler on your hands!