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Books for 1 year olds

By 12 to 14 months many toddlers choose a book to share, point to pictures they like and copy animal sounds, the AAP says. Name what your child points to, help them turn the pages, and ask questions they can answer by pointing, like "Where's the doggie?"

Checked October 29, 2026.

By Peabody editors. Something wrong? Tell us.

What to look for in books for 1 year olds

  • Flaps to lift and holes to poke
  • Animals to name and sounds to copy
  • Pictures of everyday things to point at
  • Short lines that repeat

11 books for 1 year olds

Take this list to your library, or print it.

  1. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

    Lift the flaps to see which animal the zoo sent: too big, too tall, too fierce, until the right pet comes.

    Find it on Open Library

  2. Where's Spot? by Eric Hill

    Look under the flaps, one after another, for Spot the puppy.

    Find it on Open Library

  3. Freight Train by Donald Crews

    A train of colored cars rolls through tunnels and past cities, with a color for every car.

    Find it on Open Library

  4. Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton

    A barn dance with a beat you can bounce your toddler to.

    Find it on Open Library

  5. Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

    A friendly truck beeps hello to farm animals who answer with their sounds.

    Find it on Open Library

  6. Jamberry by Bruce Degen

    Rhyming berry nonsense words to bounce along to.

    Find it on Open Library

  7. From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

    Each animal does a move and asks "Can you do it?" Your toddler answers by doing it.

    Find it on Open Library

  8. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle

    Zoo animals and their sounds, in the same pattern as Brown Bear.

    Find it on Open Library

  9. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

    A gorilla takes the zookeeper's keys and the animals follow him home: almost no words and lots to point at.

    Find it on Open Library

  10. Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora

    A toddler plays peekaboo with family and favorite things through the morning.

    Find it on Open Library

  11. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

    Holes to poke a finger through and lots of foods to name, one day at a time.

    Find it on Open Library

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