I’ve been reading to my son since before he was born, but one of the things I love most about toddlerhood is that he’s much more involved in the process. He often chooses the books we read, and he loves when he can interact with the book. Seeing how much fun he’s having makes it a lot easier for me to read the same book 17 times in a row!

Here are 5 of our favorite interactive books for toddlers:

My Very First Book of Colors by Eric Carle: I love this unique book from the masterful Eric Carle. Each page in this book is divided in two: the top features a swatch of color and the bottom features an animal drawn in Carle’s signature style. Rather than reading the book in the traditional sense, you and your little are tasked with matching each color with an animal. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to teach animal and color names.

Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt: First published in 1940, this is a true children’s classic. I remember reading it as a child and was so glad to be given a copy at my baby shower. My son really started to enjoy this book around 12 months. He loves to smell the flowers, feel daddy’s scratchy face and, of course, pat the bunny along with Paul and Judy.

Where is Baby’s Puppy? by Karen Katz: We have a handful of books in this series and they are all hits. In this particular title, Baby is looking for the new puppy, but first encounters all of her other pets hiding around the house. The flaps are large and easy to lift, perfect for toddler hands.

Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda: I love the illustrations in this riff on the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs. Interior die cut holes involve toddlers in the story by asking them to huff and puff along with the Big Bad Wolf, and the ending is a sweet surprise.

Zip It! by Patricia Hegarty: The illustrations in this book are so bright and cheerful. Toddlers are introduced to various fasteners: zipper, button, snaps and shoelaces. It’s most appropriate for older toddlers, but perfect for practicing fine motor skills.

Author Bio: Julia Garza

Julia is mama to one very sweet toddler boy. She blogs over at In the Afternoon, sharing good books, fun activities, and everything she’s learning about being a work-at-home mom. You can also find her on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.