Baby & Toddler
Pre-K
Growing Reader
8 Interactive Books to Captivate Your Restless Reader
by Janssen Bradshaw
If you have a child that struggles to sit still through a book, an interactive book might be just what you need to help make reading more enjoyable for both of you.
These books are perfect for involving your squirmy little one in the reading experience and holding their attention for more than a mere page or two.
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You Are a Lion!
Also available from:Introduce your little one to yoga with amusing animal poses. You Are a Lion! encourages them to squawk, bounce, and stalk like the animals they’re imitating, too. Encouraging both the flexibility and focus required of yoga as well as their own spunky creativity and energy, this is a must-have for fidgety kids.
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This Book Is Magic
Also available from:What better way to inspire young readers than a little book filled with big magic? From the creator of the Hello, World board book series comes a playful read that invites children to tap their noses and say magical phrases to explore the inner world of this dazzling book.
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Animalphabet
Also available from:I truly can’t get over the beauty of this picture book. And unlike the alphabet books already in your collection (you can never have too many!), this one includes a fun guessing element and clever hints hidden behind cutouts and page-folds. An absorbing read by the bestselling author of Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo.
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There’s a Dragon in Your Book
Also available from:This participatory book will have your audience of young readers stamping, blowing, and flapping. Why? Because there’s a baby dragon in your book, of course! Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. And it’s an absurdly cute dragon, so really, what’s to lose?
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Don’t Blink!
Also available from:For restless readers at bedtime, give Don’t Blink! a try. A wide-eyed owl challenges readers to keep those eyeballs open — bedtime can’t come around if they never close their eyes, after all. But with each accidental blink comes a turn of the page, and there are only so many to go! Don’t be surprised if this book-slash-staring-contest becomes part of your nightly routine.
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Where Are You?
Also available from:For fans of Press Here, debut author Sarah Williamson delivers a whole new way for the littlest readers to learn their up/downs and over/arounds. A little green snake is in search of its friend, a little pink snake. Readers will join a lively game of hide-and-seek across a great wide park full of friendly inhabitants.
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Green Eggs and Ham: A Magnetic Play Book
Also available from:As if Green Eggs and Ham wasn’t interactive enough — the first memorized story for so many children — now it comes in the form of a magnetic play book so they can act out the story, or make up a new one of their own. Complete with an attached resealable case, this one’s extra handy for reading on the go.
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Follow the Trail: Baby Dinosaurs
Also available from:Perfect for pre-readers refining their motor skills, this prehistoric addition to the Follow the Trail series demands attention with glittery, tactile paths and adorable baby dinosaurs finding their way back to their parents. There are even phonetic spellings to help you — er, your children — pronounce the dinosaur names. (Tuojiangosaurus?! Pardon me?)
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High Five
Also available from:The creators of the family-favorite Dragons Love Tacos (and its equally hilarious sequel) are back at it with a ridiculously fun guide to high fives. Including stretches, silly lessons, and good-spirited competition — and capped off with totally original neon illustrations — this book is a guaranteed hit with your energetic reader.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2020.