10 Best Books for 1-Year-Olds
Updated 15 September 2020
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Author
Daniel is our primary content producer here at TheToyZone. He is a big kid at heart and a self confessed geek. His mission is to find toys that kids will treasure, researching and writing about toys he wants to play with himself.
You might think it’s too early for a one-year-old to start enjoying the wonderful world of books. But you‘d be wrong. Reading to children early can help them learn words, develop their attention span, and stimulate their imagination. It‘s never too early to start reading to a baby, so a book makes the perfect gift.
That said, choosing the right book to give a baby can be a tough task. So we looked into it and found the 10 best books for one-year-olds. We read reviews from real parents and picked only the books that they recommended most. We removed any books that have fake reviews. Here‘s what we came up with.
1First 100 Words: A Padded Board Book
Learning to read and recognize simple words is important for a child's development and this book provides one-year-olds with 100 easy words for them to start learning. Each word is paired with a beautiful illustration to help them attach meaning to letters more quickly.
What we love
- All of the words are essential and easy to recognize
- Each word is paired with its own illustration
What We Don't Like That Much
- Part of a series, but each book is sold separately
2Where's Spot?
Where's Spot? has been a popular book for many years and it was just recently reissued with brighter and more vibrant illustrations. This book comes in board form, which makes it easier for a one-year-old to grip and turn the pages.
What we love
- Made from high-quality board material, which is better for smaller kids who may still put things in their mouth
- It has 22 pages of engaging story and beautiful illustrations
What We Don't Like That Much
- The flaps used in this book could be thicker
3Llama Llama Red Pajama
This engaging story follows a llama and his journey in getting ready for bed. Each book is made from high-quality board material, which makes it excellent for one-year-olds who can be rough with books.
What we love
- The story is engaging
- Each page has beautiful illustrations
What We Don't Like That Much
- This book is part of a llama series but it is sold separately from the others
4Sheep in a Jeep (board book)
With this book, kids can escape into a world of fun with a family of sheep and their journey in their beautiful red jeep. It is full of rhymes and beautiful illustrations that help to capture a child's imagination and pull them deeper into the story.
What we love
- This book can be purchased in hardcover and board form
- The illustrations are beautiful and engaging
What We Don't Like That Much
- The font could be easier to read
5The Goodnight Train
With this board book, one-year-olds can go on an adventure train ride through a magic land full of leaping sheep, ice-cream clouds, and mermaids. Each page is beautifully illustrated with soft colors that make this an excellent book to help soothe them into sleep at bedtime or nap time.
What we love
- It has an engaging story
- The story is designed to help resistant sleepers snuggle up
What We Don't Like That Much
- This book is part of a series, but each book is sold separately
6Moo Baa La La La
This is one of the best books for one-year-olds because it not only provides an interesting storyline, but it also is beautifully illustrated. The story is engaging and it comes in board and kindle form.
What we love
- Each page has an engaging story and beautiful illustrations
- The book has 14 pages
What We Don't Like That Much
- The board form could use thicker board material to make the book more durable
7Where Is Baby's Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap Book
With this book, kids can enjoy an interactive learning experience while reading an interesting story about a baby learning about where their belly button is. This is a flipbook and it uses a peek-a-boo experience. The lift flaps are made from high-quality material.
What we love
- This book is full of beautiful illustrations and has an engaging story
- It has a total of 14 pages with peek-a-boo lift flips
What We Don't Like That Much
- The board this book is made from could be thicker
8Peek-a Who? (Lift the Flap Books, Interactive Books for Kids, Interactive Read Aloud Books)
Many books are excellent for one-year-olds but this is one of the best because it provides an entertaining and interactive reading experience. It contains various rhymes and peek-a-boo cutouts that center around the word "who".
What we love
- This book comes in board back and hardcover
- It has with 10 pages of interactive rhymes and activities
What We Don't Like That Much
- The pages could be thicker to make them easier to grip and turn
9Baby University Board Book Set: A Science for Toddlers Board Book Set (Science Gifts for Kids) (Baby University Board Book Sets)
This set includes four books that are focused on different fields of science. They can help to nurture children and teach them basic science that will last them throughout their years.
What we love
- Each of these books is made from high-quality board material
- Each book follows a different type of science
What We Don't Like That Much
- This set of books goes well with other sets, but each set is sold separately
10Oh Dear!: A Farm Lift-the-Flap Book (Dear Zoo & Friends)
Each page in this book follows a child and her engagement with some of the most popular farm animals. Although it is a board book, it has easy lift-a-flap areas that reveal the different farm animals in the story.
What we love
- The book has a total of 18 pages
- The book is made from high-quality board material
What We Don't Like That Much
- The flip flaps could be thicker for better durability
