25 Best Books for One Year Olds to Help Developing Their Skills

Books can be the perfect tool to develop sensory and motor skills for babies who are just turning one year old. It promotes the development of visual scanning, fine motor, gross motor, self-regulation, and many more. Finding the best book for one-year-old that is great for their development is essential for every parent.

There are tons of books for 1 year old you can choose from, online or in a regular book store. If you are too overwhelmed because of the too many choices available, we’ve got you covered. Here you’ll find 25 thoughtful lists of the best books for one-year-olds covering various topics, from the ordinary coloring book, set of books with fun activities, and even books that are made of fabric. Check the list below.

1. Plant a Tree Personalized Book

Plant a Tree Personalized Book

Books with colorful illustrations must be the best ones for your toddler because a kid around that age is more interested in color than text. This book has illustrations with your choice of character. Each book includes a map where the seller plants a sapling on behalf of your child. Make your child feel the story by adding personalization with your child’s name and character.

2. Behind The Magic Door

Behind The Magic Door

Behind The Magic Door” will make your child the star in their very own personalized story. Every book is crafted especially with the child’s name as the main character, so each one will be different from the others. It has rhyming verses with full-page color illustrations, perfect for your child’s first birthday gift where they start to learn through stories.

3. Now That You Are One Personalized Book

Now That You Are One Personalized Book

Give this book on the day your baby turns one year old to let them know some interesting facts about their age. These could be the best books for one-year-olds that promote bonding activity as you learn together with your baby. On the back, you can also find some fun activities such as a coloring page, spot the difference, and a word search.

4. My First Birthday

My First Birthday

Mark the special day when your child turns one year old with this “My First Birthday” book. It’s highly personalized, you can add your child’s name used throughout the book. It features an original story with customizations on the entire page. The simple text and colorful illustration make this title a suitable gift for your child’s birthday.

5. One, Two, Three Bilingual Children’s Book

One, Two, Three Bilingual Children’s Book

Some parents might start introducing dual languages from a very young age. This one is definitely the best book for one-year-old to teach languages through stories. With a simple storyline, kids will learn how to count from 1 to 10 both in English and in French, and also new words and sentences in both languages. The book has round edges and thick paper, perfect for the little hand. 

6. Personalized ABC What Can I Be

Personalized ABC What Can I Be

You can start to introduce reading to your toddler with this personalized ABC book. It’s a great way to introduce color and alphabet to your baby as well as spark their imagination about the future. The book has many colorful illustrations of various job titles with a little explanation, perfect for one-year-olds who prefer images rather than text. You can also personalize the cover with the baby’s name.

7. Little Park Ranger Baby Board Book Set

Little Park Ranger Baby Board Book Set

Short books with thick pages, little text, and colorful illustrations are the best ones for one-year-olds as it’s easier for their fingers to turn and hold their attention. This book has all of them: it’s short with thick pages, colorful illustrations about the national park with short description text. Each one focuses on a different aspect of the environment—water, land, animals, or plants. Introduce them to the beauty of nature from a young age.

8. Baby Astrology Board

Baby Astrology Board

The “Baby Astrology Board” introduces the traits of their astrological sign in a colorful way with some fun illustrations that are easy to follow for a one-year-old kid. This one would be an excellent kid’s reading from an astrology-minded parent who loved to learn along with their baby. 

9. Personalized M is For Me

Personalized M is For Me

This book helps you to introduce the alphabet to one-year-old babies while inspiring them with some positive traits. Instead of using common words, each alphabet is written with an illustration of positive personality traits such as S for Smart or T for Talented to inspire them while learning with their parents.

10. Personalized Monster Town Adventure Book

Personalized Monster Town Adventure Book

This is another excellent reading for a one-year-old that comes with personalization. The book tells a story about some characters that are dealing with different emotional feelings. It helps our little ones to understand that it’s normal to experience emotions while also learning how to process them. For the personalization part, you can add their name to the book’s title.


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11. A Collection of Stories for 1-Year-Olds

A Collection of Stories for 1 Year Olds

Share some stories with your boy or girl toddler with this lovely title. The book features stories and nursery rhymes with enchanting illustrations filling every page of the book such as the tales of The Little Red Hen and Five Little Ducks, or the sweet nursery rhymes, Itsy Bitsy Spider and Hey Diddle Diddle. This is definitely one of the loveliest books for a one-year-old to explore more stories thanks to its beautiful illustration.

12. “My First Book of Shapes, Number and Letters Coloring” Book

“My First Book of Shapes, Number and Letters Coloring” Book

For your baby who just turned one year old, a book can be a great tool to introduce them to numbers, letters, and shapes. Get your boy or girl this book to teach them about numbers, letters, and shapes through coloring. The lesson learned while coloring will be more memorable!

13. 1 Year Old Coloring Book 

1 Year Old Coloring Book

A book with coloring activity is a great tool to teach and improve your child’s pencil grip through some fun activities. This book is specifically designed for preschool preparation activity learning with 292 pages and a variety of cute animals, thick and thin lines drawing to be colored on. It’s a great way to let them develop their imagination.

14. “UNIH Baby Soft” Book

“UNIH Baby Soft” Book

Unlike the others, the “UNIH Baby Soft” book helps infants to develop their fine motor skills through a cloth book. It’s filled with cloth-based pages all over the book for the soft feel yet durable and sturdy sensory toy. The title features 10 learning activities such as matching the Velcro-color shapes, practicing on the zipper snaps and buttons, telling time, and others.

15. Activity Book 1-Year-Old Sizes Edition

Activity Book 1 Year Old Sizes Edition

An activity book would be the best one for one-year-olds when they’re ready to understand the shapes and sizes. This 40-page book includes coloring activities to help parents introduce the basics of shapes and sizes through the fun illustration. Let your kid develop their imagination through color while learning the shapes and sizes.

16. Toes, Ears, & Nose!: A Lift-the-Flap Book

Toes, Ears, & Nose! A Lift-the-Flap Book

This book would make help parents introduce the body part to a one-year-old. It’s filled with colorful illustrations and fun rhymes such as “Inside my boots I’ve got toes, and beneath my scarf is a…,”. The lift-the-flap book is specially designed for a baby to help them discover their body parts, such as ears, nose, toes, and more!

17. Sea Animal Fabric Cloth Book

Sea Animal Fabric Cloth Book

A lift-the-flap book is an interactive way to let your children play and learn at the same time. But, instead of being made of paper, this “Sea Animal” is a type of lift-the-flap book made of vivid color fabric all over the pages for your children to explore. The flaps on each help your baby develop their motor skill by practicing turning the page and moving to the next one. Definitely, the best title for a one-year-old that can help them learn and play.

18. Poke-a-Dot: Old MacDonald’s Farm

Poke-a-Dot: Old MacDonald’s Farm

Another interesting interactive book for one-year-olds is this Poke-a-Dot pop-up! It has 20 pages filled with interactive stories and a pop-up button to press and “pop” on every page. The dots make different clicking and popping sounds depending on how they’re poked. This will bring joy to your children while developing their motoric skills. 

19. Stomp, Wiggle, Clap, and Tap: My First Book of Dance

Stomp, Wiggle, Clap, and Tap: My First Book of Dance

You might notice that a toddler has tons of energy to move and dance. Through this title, you can channel their bunch of energy into a movement to help them develop balance, coordination, and control. This one could be the best book for one-year-olds with fun illustrations and informative text of every movement and dance. 

20. My First 101 Words Padded Board Book

My First 101 Words Padded Board Book

This book would be the best one for a one-year-old to get your boy or girl on the right track for better speaking and motoric development. This “My First 101 Words” has a full-color photograph to provide real-world images and context to introduce important first concepts for your one-year-old baby. It comes with a padded cover which the little hands will find easy to grip and hold. 


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21. Mighty, Mighty Construction Site Sound Book

Mighty, Mighty Construction Site Sound Book

An audiobook is the best choice for one-year-olds to develop their hearing, sensory, and motor skills with an interactive sound. This type of interactive learning helps your 1-year-old baby to perceive through the sound while finger trailing on each page of this Mighty, Mighty Construction Site. It brings them to the mighty—and sleepy—sounds of a busy construction site. It includes a soundbar with five fun sounds that lend interactive fun to the book.

22. Einstein Box For 1 Year Old Book Set

Einstein Box For 1 Year Old Book Set

You can also consider getting the toddler some educational toys that come with some books, just like this “Einstein Box set”. The set comes with educational toys and books including puzzles, art and craft, memory games, and 2 tear-resistant stories that teach about animals and family members. All of those educational items will provide hours of screen-free activities to develop their motor and cognitive skills. 

23. Musical Rhymes Book

Musical Rhymes Book

This is another musical book that you can consider the best choice for one-year-olds. The “Musical Rhymes” features engaging nursery rhymes and cheerful pictures with easy-to-turn pages. It also has piano sounds with the five colorful piano keys that introduce colors and instruments to your baby boy or girl.

24. Pop-Up Peekaboo

Pop-Up Peekaboo

Pop-up is such an interactive tool for a 1-year-old baby to play and learn at the same time. Pop-ups with interesting and colorful objects such as purple unicorns like the one on this “Pop-Up Peekaboo” will excite the baby. This book encourages a toddler to join a purple unicorn as she searches for a friend through the fun lift-the-flap pages.

25. Time to Pee! By Mo Willems

Time to Pee! By Mo Willems

Since your baby has turned one year old, it’s the perfect time to introduce potty training. This “Time to Pee!” is the best title for your one-year-old! It’ll help parents give the big picture of potty training and encourage the kid to start using the toilet properly. This book lets them embark on a new journey of potty training with supportive sign-welding mice!


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Are books a good gift for a 1-year-old?

Books are considered good gifts for one-year-olds to help the babies develop their motor and sensory skills through colorful illustrations as well as interactive pages. It’s such a versatile gift that you can give to everyone, from a child to the old one.

What should I teach my 1 year old first?

For a child who is just turning 1 year old, you can start to teach them early literacy such as the shapes, sizes, or names. Don’t forget to include communication and social skills development by interacting more with them rather than giving more screen time with a smartphone.

What is the best book to give to a 1-year-old baby girl?

When your boy or girl turns one year old, it’s the perfect time to introduce them to skills development through books. The book with coloring activity or Einstein Box set can be your choice as the best books for one-year-olds. You can also get the one that includes training such as this Time to Pee!

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