5 Interactive Picture Books

If you’re looking for a fun book to share with a young reader (or, let’s be serious, just a fun book to amuse yourself with…I read these all alone…), look no farther than this list of interactive picture books! Here, you don’t just read the story; you participate!

Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj

This book is only for cats. That means, if you want to read it, you will have to persuade the cats in the book that you too are a cat! Do enough cat-like things convincingly, purring, napping, swatting at things passing by, and you might be let in on some juicy cat secrets.

Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap, Illus. by Greg Pizzoli

Crunch is a shy dinosaur who likes to hide from loud noises and overly curious readers by hunkering down in the shrubbery. Your job, as the reader, is to convince him you’re friendly and he should come out to play!  Talk to Crunch and model good behavior as you read through the book. He might reward you by putting on a hat and dancing!

Find Me: A Hide-and-Seek Book by Anders Arhoj

A book in the vein of “Where’s Waldo?,” Find Me encourages readers to locate a character hidden in the scenes on each page. Scenes vary in setting and color scheme, giving young (and older!) readers a lot to look at. Even better, if you turn the book around, you’re asked to find a different character, so you can read the book both backwards and forwards. (The back cover is blue with big eyes, for those curious. No words at all on the cover!)

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

In this book, you help a book go through the seasons by tapping, shaking, blowing, counting, etc.  Readers are rewarded with blossoms, fruit, and more.  Vibrant backgrounds can help younger readers learn colors, while slightly older readers can learn about seasons and the life cycle of trees.  (Also very fun for adults, if I do say so myself.)

There’s a Monster in Your Book by Tom Fletcher

Oh, no! There’s a monster in your book, and it looks as if he might even be interested in chewing the pages! Your task is to encourage him to leave, as you prod, shake, talk, etc. to the little blue monster on each page.

Can you think of any other interactive picture books?