Top 10 Books for 1 Year Olds
There are so many books out there. It’s hard to know which ones are best for your child!
You can stop searching. We compiled our favorite books for 1 year olds right here.
This page contains affiliate links. We will receive a commission on qualifying purchases using these links.
Books for toddlers should be engaging!
We pulled together our favorite interactive books for 1 year olds. These age-appropriate books get toddlers excited about reading because they incorporate sounds, textures, participation, and more!
If you’re looking to add some new books to your toddler’s bookshelves, these won’t disappoint!
Take a look at these books, why we love them, and how we would read them with toddlers!
01. Best Touch & Feel Book for 1 Year Old
One of my favorite books for sensory engagement and communication! We love this book.
It’s a large, sturdy board book with different textures on every page. Some illustrations have raised surfaces, some have soft parts to feel.
One of the best parts about this book is you can continue reading it as your child grows! Work through the rhyming ABC’s and learn as you read together.
02. Best Book to Get Your 1 Year Old Moving!
This book involves movement and sounds to keep your toddler interested! Have your toddler practice finger isolation by pressing the buttons on each page to hear the music.
There’s a simple movement on each page to dance with the dinosaurs. Stomp, flap, twirl, and dance together as you read this book!
This is a great toddler book to read and incorporate music, movement, and imitation.
03. Best Book with Sounds for 1 Year Old
See, Touch, Feel: Roar: Sensory Book
Sound books encourage toddlers to stop and wait for the sounds. Let them try to imitate what they hear! Sound buttons allow your toddler to practice finger isolation which is a milestone that comes around 15 months of age.
I love all the books from this sensory series! Roger Priddy books are always winners.
This book gets toddlers excited about reading because it incorporates sensory elements, sounds, and movements. It works on language development and motor skills while having fun!
Imitate animal sounds, label animals and colors, encourage your toddler to touch and feel each page. There are so many engaging elements in this board book!
04. Best Short & Sweet Book for 1 Year Old
This book is one of my absolute favorite books for 1 year olds! It’s repetitive and has a surprise on every page.
It’s short, sweet, and engaging. Because it’s not wordy, it can keep your toddler engaged from start to finish!
When you read, see if your toddler can finish the sentence. It’s the perfect book for imitation!
This is definitely a must-have on your toddler’s bookshelf.
05. Best Book for Imitating
I love this book for imitating and practicing sounds with your little one! It’s a book that allows for more interaction with your toddler.
The bright, colorful animals each have an exclamatory sound to make. “Chirp, moo, bow-wow-wow.”
The sounds are more motivating because they’re easy to say. Don’t forget to pause after you model the sound and give your little one a chance to imitate!
06. Best Book for Working On Finger Isolation
Poke-a-Dot - Who’s in the Ocean?
Finger isolation is the ability to move one finger separately from the rest. Think about pointing…that’s finger isolation!
This fine motor milestone comes around 15 months of age. So, it’s great to practice with your one year old.
I love Melissa & Doug Poke-a-Dot books because they’re great for practicing finger isolation. When your little one presses the dot, it makes a fun POP sound!
Because your 1 year old has something to do on every page, it keeps them engaged. The book provides opportunities to count, imitate, and label nouns.
07. Best Book Series for 1 Year Olds
This series of books features many of the elements we look for in a book for 1 year olds. There are lots of animals to choose from throughout the series.
Touch and feel elements allow for sensory exploration and engagement. The storyline is short and sweet while using repetition with phrases.
I love these books for language learning. Model the functional descriptive words repeatedly. Make sure to pause while reading and let your little one try to imitate you!
These sturdy board books are a perfect size for little hands to enjoy!
08. Best Classic Board Book
Eric Carle books are great! The Very Hungry Caterpillar is such a classic that toddlers are bound to love.
There are so many ways for toddlers to learn from this book. Talk about the foods the caterpillar is eating, the days of the week, counting, and more!
Make it more interactive for your 1 year old by getting some play food out and munching along with the Hungry Caterpillar!
09. Best Book with Sliders for 1 Year Old
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Slide & Find
We love this board book! The sliders make it fun and interactive while working fine motor skills, too!
Have your little one open the book by themselves and start the story on the page they open to. Practice using their pointer finger as they slide the small sliders on each page back and forth.
10. Best Rhyming Book for 1 Year Old
It has a storyline, but only contains short phrases and rhyming words that keep your little one engaged.
The pictures tease what comes next, making it fun to read! My son loved this board book.
Rhyming books are great books for toddlers because they build on memory and attention span. They encourage participation and language learning!
Looking for more?
We curated a list of the best books for babies and toddlers so you can read every day!
