Reading to a 1 year old

[Meepmeeep]

My child has just turned 1. We normally read lift flap (dear zoo etc) and that’s not my... books. They love dragging books about with them but I don’t think they are really interested in being read to. I’m hoping this is normal - they do like turning the pages but but particularly listening to me 🤣

Can I have some recommendations of what books we should be trying to read. We do have some story books but I think they’re a bit too long at the moment.

It's more about developing the habit at this age. My dc didn't seem to enjoy being read to until between 2 & 3. That being said try Each, Peach, Pear, Plum is a good one, the rhyming helps them engage, there's a board book version, We're going on a Bear Hunt is another.

Anything really. At this age it's as much the habit of being sat and read to as what you are reading. I remember reading DS advertising leaflets because they were the closest thing to hand and he found me reading to him soothing.

Agree flap books are good and also anything that is fairly short or has a lot of repeatable / rhythmic text.

DS really enjoyed the sound books so every page had a different button that corresponded to the story on the page

But he only actually enjoyed being read to nearer to 2 years

Books with lots of photos of things they can recognise and point at are good at this age, things like ABC board books, books about transport, animals, getting dressed, going to bed.

Love Each Other [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9888240560/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_stwKFbX3B38RT?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 this]] is a really clever board book

Orange, Pear, Apple, Bear
Monkey and Me
Both by Emily Gravett , the language in both is beautifully repetitive and rhythmic.

The earliest ones my kids liked were
-- ones with lots of animal noises/ vroom vroom sounds (we have one book which is just pictures of things and then only words are the sounds they make)
-- lift the flap - for destructive kids, ones with felt flaps are good
-- ones with a call and answer type motif - we have one where on each page you say 'is he there?' and look under the flap - 'no' (child can join in with 'no').

My DD loved books from before she was one. DS had no attention span for them whatsoever before about 16 months and would rather run around the room or, if handed books, tear them up or chew them :-( but he got there in the end

Love Each Other [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9888240560/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_stwKFbX3B38RT?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 link again]]

I give up! Google “We love each other” by Yusuke Yonzu

So long as you do the voices you can read anything at that age. I was read the newspapers, mine got poetry.
Board books are good because you can let the child hold them not worry too much about durability. It was more about format than content when mine were that age. Although I had a soft spot for "Wow! Said the owl'.

Favourites here at that age included Peepo by the Ahlbergs (lovely lovely book), all sorts of things by Sandra Boynton (Moo, Baa, La La La!; The Going to Bed Book; Happy Hippo, Angry Duck; Opposites; Snoozers), Rhymoceros, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes, and Rosie's Walk. It's just about sitting and listening and looking at the pictures, enjoying the rhythm, rhyme and repetition, learning to turn the pages (of board books).

@Love51

So long as you do the voices you can read anything at that age. I was read the newspapers, mine got poetry. Board books are good because you can let the child hold them not worry too much about durability. It was more about format than content when mine were that age. Although I had a soft spot for "Wow! Said the owl'.

DH used to read cycling magazines to DS. Different voices for different journalists and cyclists. DH’s Spanish/Italian/French accents were pretty funny.

The Book Trust site gives recommendations by age of child, if that helps: www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/bookfinder/

My DS at that age loved the Where's Mr Astronaut/Mr Lion/Mr Owl/Mr Narwhal etc series of books. A year on and he still loves them. They're hide and seek books with felt flaps that have so far proved indestructible!