Books for a 1 year old

[Iwanttobeagranny]

Does anyone have any recommendations for good books for a 12 month boy please? I'm looking for books that I can read to him to start getting into a bedtime story routine, although I think they probably won't hold his interest for long at the moment? This is for a foster child so I don't think he has many books already. Thank you x

what about spot (the dog) books? My 18 month old loves them and has for a while. Also "whose stripes", "whose bottom" etc.

We're going on a bearhunt
Peepo
Guess how much I love you
Goodnight moon

Dear Zoo, Spot. Peepo baby. Mine also loves anything with Peppa (she loved Peppa from the books before she had seen it on telly).

Maybe a touch-and-feel, like the "That's not my..." series, so he can get involved?

Lift the flap books-postman bear and a few others in a series. Board books about the farm, the seaside etc. It's really about looking at pictures and talking about what you see at this age. There's a lovely Peekaboo lift the flap series that I have recently seen. There's also some large nursery rhyme books suitable for this age. Later, towards age2, there's busy town/airport/farm etc-lift the flap/interactive books. ( I love children's books!!)

Wibbly Pig is another one worth a look.

Any Julia Donaldson books. Tyrannosaurs drip is my favourite I think, you can get a set of ten for £10 on amazon

I love the babylit series. They have classics in baby versions like Hound of the Baskervilles, Pride and Prejudice, jabberwoky etc.... All board books so last.
Worth a Google.

Cat and Fish. Brown bear brown bear. Goodnight Moon.

Dear Zoo

At that age any kind of story is over their head - that's not to say you shouldn't read them but some can be a bit long. Anything v simple and short with nice illustrations. Books with animals/transport/familiar things to name/make noises for will do. The That's Not My... series are great for this age. Or what about a TV tie in if he might have had more TV exposure than books? In the night garden/Peppa etc might be familiar? Mick Inkpen has done nice short books if you want more of a story.

Zog by Julia Donaldson is a favourite of my 6 month old dd (and her 10 yo cousin) a dragon becomes an air ambulance :)

Orange Pear Apple Bear
Monkey and Me

Both by Emily Gravett

Toddle Waddle - Julia Donaldson

Dd has 2 sets of books. She is allowed access to her board books throughout the day - she loves peppa (can be found in the pound shop ), that's not my..., and any lift the flap type books.

She has paper books for her bed time stories. We like wibbly pig, anything by Julia Donaldson , she had books of songs and classic fairy tales. She especially loves ones with good rhythm and rhyme.

I'd suggest going to the library and try a selection first

I had to Google baby Jane Austen. Only on mumsnet

Dr Seuss - the rhythm captures attentions. Especially Mr Brown Can Moo as funny noises to giggle at.

Dear Zoo
The Smartest Giant in Town
We're going on a bear hunt
Gruffalo
Stick Man
Super worm

Anything with flaps, repetition, rhyme, silly songs/noises or buttons to press

I found 1 a difficult age for reading to my wriggly boy - we read to him since 3m old but around 12 months was a blip of particular wriggly-ness! It gets better as their attention span improves and they get into the routine. Even if you read a few pages or the same book every night it's good!

If you're looking to build up a collection check out the Book People (They do packs of 10-12 good books eg Peppa Pig, Julia Donaldson etc for £10-12)

Books with noises, rhythm & pop ups (but not flaps - mine ripped them off constantly)

baby Jane austen. Although my 5 year old came over from the picture book section of the library with as you like it the other day & we had to have it, so you never know

On the wiggly issue - I read while dd splashes in the bath - I get a captive audience! !

A simple ABC book, with pictures.

Dear Zoo
Each Peach Pear Plum
Peepo
The Jolly Postman
Hairy Maclary (and all in the series)
Giraffes Can't Dance
Lost and Found
One Ted Falls Out of Bed
Hippos Go Berserk
The Very Hungry Catterpillar
I Love My Mummy
I Love My Daddy
The Baby's Catalogue
I'm Not Scared
Barry the Fish with Fingers
Clip Clop
The Rainbow Fish
Rosie's Walk
Guess How Much I Love You
Alfie Gets in First
Some Dogs Do
Tickle Tickle
Room on the Broom

My 3 DC loved all these books and I could probably recite about half of them word for word right now!

I particularly loved reading anything that rhymes and anything by Janet and Allan Ahlberg - such beautiful stories and gorgeous illustrations.

Never really got into 'gimmicky' books. We were given some of the 'That's Not My' books but their appeal was fairly short-lived compared most on this list.

"You Choose" is a lovely book - not much to read but lots of pictures to talk about and choose his favourites and your favourites and talk about why you like them. and it will grow with him. My 12yo DD still enjoys a sneaky "You Choose" (and so do I).

Dear Zoo is really lovely

While they are not great literature, dd absolutely loved In The Night Garden books, at that age.

Rumble in the Jungle was also great. We still rock it out occasionally, now she is nearly 4. I still know it by heart. ("there's a rumble in the jungle, there's a whisper in the trees, the animals are waking up and rustling the leaves... Etc etc)

There's some great recommendations on this thread, we've actually just launched a page called Best Baby Books with a few ideas taken from threads similar to this one. Books for two year olds, three year olds and beyond are on their way too. Hope you find something you like :)