Life
It is possible to read The Cat In The Hat from cover to cover without ever activating anything above your thalamus, but not as much fun. Still, I get it: doing all the voices can be exhausting. Enter: interactive children's books that make your kid do a lot of the work.
These books beg you and your tot to wiggle, slap the pages, shake the book, choose an ending, and create their own creatures. These aren't mere lift-the-flap books (although those are still great!) These are the interactive books of your dreams. They'll happily compete with the TV. If your child enjoys calling out the Super Letters in Super Why or jogging along with Bo On The Go, if they beg for just 10 more minutes of Minecraft, whip out a book by Henré Tullet and go to town, and remind them just how fun reading can be. The End. (BONK) (I didn't want to say that.)
Parenting hack: save a book or two like these for those times when you are sitting in a nice restaurant or a crowded waiting room with your wiggly kids, begging them to stop screeching or poking each other — this way they can poke and cajole a book instead.
1
'Let's Bake A Cake' by Anne-Sophie Baumann, illustrated by Helene Convert
Let's Bake A Cake by Anne-Sophie Baumann ($14.99, IndieBound)
Bake a cake with your tot without all the mess. With this book, you can add the ingredients, mix the batter, and decorate the cake, just by moving some tabs around. Cracking the eggs is super satisfying.
2
'I Have An Idea' by Hervé Tulle
I Have An Idea by Hervé Tulle ($17.99, IndieBound)
The latest interactive book from the author/artist behind Press Here and Mix It Up. Visually explore what it's like to have an idea, catch it, and make it real.
3
'Abner And Ian Get Right-Side Up' by Dave Eggars, illustrated by Laura Park
Abner & Ian Get Right-Side Up by Dave Eggers ($18.99, IndieBound)
Interactive and a little bit meta, Abner and Ian know they are in a book. And they know they can't get down to the story until you help orient them the right way. Your kid will need to shake and tap the book to continue on.
4
'High Five' by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
High Five by Adam Rubin ($19.99, IndieBound)
From the author and illustrator of Dragons Love Tacos, your child gets to enter a high five tournament. Kids will have a lot of fun high-fiving the various contestants within the pages. You'll definitely get requests to read this one over and over, and many many hand slaps in the hours in between.
5
'Dinnertime' by Jan Pienkowski
Dinnertime by Jan Pienkowski ($7.99, IndieBound)
This is a pop-up book classic! Animals with snapping jaws hunt for a dinner. No animal is safe, because a bigger, hungrier animal is just a page flip away.
6
'Make Me A Monster' by Mark Rogalski
Make Me A Monster by Mark Rogalski ($14.99, IndieBound)
Starting off with that adorable green face and big eyes, kids open tabs to add monstrous features. You end up with an adorably, intricate monster.
7
'All Aboard! The Airport Train' by Nichole Mara, illustrated by Andrew Kolb
All Aboard! The Airport Train by Andrew Kold ($9.99, IndieBound)
What little kid doesn't go through a train phase? Count and unfold and peek through windows, hunting for details in this fun board book. Seeing this book unfold into a long train is deeply satisfying
8
'Meanwhile' by Jason Shiga
Meanwhile by Jason Shiga ($16.95, IndieBound)
This graphic novel puts the reader in charge. Picking a path through panels and pages, the endless possibilities make this book perfect for re-reading and re-playing.
9
'Chapter Two Is Missing' by Josh Lieb, illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Chapter Two Is Missing by Josh Lieb, illustrated by Kevin Cornell ($17.99, Amazon)
This picture book starts out with a mystery as the words wander off and readers are left with a crime to solve!
Out October 29, 2019 from Razerbill.
10
'The Book with No Pictures' by B.J. Novak
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak ($9.39 Amazon)
This book has NO PICTURES. Only words. And whoever is reading the words has to do WHATEVER THOSE WORDS SAY. Right?
Put yourself at the mercy of the tot forcing you to read this sneaky book, and try not to crack up when you have to read something super silly, just keep a straight face and a cool temperature as you read about a hippo named BOO BOO BUTT.
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