Interactive Picture Books

Does your child struggle to pay attention during a story? Are you looking for a book to get them more involved in reading? An interactive picture book is a great option because it invites the reader to participate in the story. 

Sometimes this is done by adding elements that your child can physically interact with such as different textures, flaps, sounds and puppets. Great examples of these books include In My Jungle by Sara Gillingham, Kisses, Kisses, Head to Toe! by Karen Katz and That’s Not My Puppy by Fiona Watt. These stories can also help your child develop their fine motor skills. 

Other times the reader is asked to help out with the story. In Little White Fish by Guido Van Genechten, the reader is tasked with helping Little White Fish find his mommy. There is a sea creature on each page, and the reader must decide if that is Little White Fish’s mommy. I Spy Pets by Edward Gibbs and Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson are also both great examples of this. 

In some books, the reader might need to complete a certain task. In Don't Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup, the readers are asked to do things like sing Tiger a lullaby and pet her nose to make sure she doesn’t wake up. Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter and Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson also have special tasks for the reader.

Finally, some interactive picture books get the reader to make choices about what happens in the story. In You Choose Fairy Tales and You Choose In Space by Pippa Goodhart, the reader chooses characters, homes, accessories, friends and elements of the plot. This can get children excited and engaged in the story, and it means that the story can be different each time it’s read. 

Reading interactive stories with your child is beneficial in so many ways. Being involved in the story can help with comprehension, and interactive stories also promote imagination and decision-making skills. 

If you’re interested in checking out some of the interactive stories mentioned above or want to find more, check out our Interactive Stories booklist.