Pop up books are a fun and interactive reading experience that can help boost toddler reading skills and their interest in books. Toddlers love the big, bright pictures that pop up books are known for. They also turn dull illustrations into 3D visuals that delight toddlers and help expand imaginative thinking. Using pop up books will help teach your child how to visualize what they are reading, which is an essential life skill. Check out our recommendations for best pop up books for toddlers.
A Pop-Up Book Of Nursery Rhymes: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up By Matthew Reinhart
Nursery Rhymes are a great way to connect with your child over stories that have been passed down through generations. This pop-up book of nursery rhymes is a hardcover board book that includes phenomenal paper engineering to bring dimension through six different pop-up fairy tales. The book even contains mini-books within that have their own pop-ups.
Pros:
- Six different nursery rhymes with their own pop-up spreads
- Mini stories also included nested within
- Hardcover board book
- Best Pop up Book of 2016 Online Winner
- Amazing Craftsmanship
- Detailed 3D Illustrations
Cons
- Only 12 pages
- Pop-ups are made of thin paper that could be easily damaged by toddlers
This book includes very intricate and beautiful illustrations that will delight your toddler as they get to know some of the oldest stories in our culture. Nursery Rhymes are also a great way to start teaching basic vocabulary, and you can also use the pop-ups to tell your own stories or work on labeling objects.
The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings by Anna Llenas
Toddlers may be little, but their feelings are huge and The Color Monster book is a great way to start exploring what those feelings mean with your child. The pop-up illustrations in this book explore emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear, anger, calm, and encourages young readers to be talking about how they feel in constructive ways. The brightly colored pages and simple illustrations are easy for toddlers to understand and process, and you’ll have so much fun talking to your little ones about the monster colors they are experiencing.
Pros
- Starts conversations about emotions and feelings
- Bright and colorful illustrations that are easy to understand
- Relatable content that toddlers can process
- Pop-ups on every page
- Hardcover board book
- 20 pages long
Cons
- Some of the popups are full spread, but most of them are smaller 3D popups rather than whole scenes
- The manufacturer recommends this book for ages three and up due to choking hazards that can occur if your toddler tears the pages and pop-up pieces
Talking about feelings with your toddler can help reduce the number of tantrums and tears they experience. This is a great book to encourage open communication and help your little one understands the new emotions they are feeling.
Sesame Street Ready Set Brush! A Pop-Up Book by Che Rudko
Every toddler loves Elmo, Big Bird and the rest of the cast of Sesame Street cast, but not every toddler loves to brush their teeth. Parents know how important oral hygiene is, but getting those valuable lessons through to our children can be challenging. The Sesame Street Ready Set Brush! Pop up book is a great way to get even the most stubborn of toddlers to understand why we brush and make them excited to stand in front of the sink with their toothbrush.
Pros:
- Relatable characters that toddlers see on Sesame Street
- Makes brushing teeth fun for toddlers
- Bright, colorful pages
- Hardcover board book
- Moving parts that toddlers can interact with
Cons:
- The book has moving parts within the pop-ups which cannot be fixed if the pages or parts are ripped
- Only 12 pages
The Sesame Street Ready Set Brush is a great way to encourage your little one to enjoy brushing their teeth. If you’re struggling with the brushing routine with your toddler, try reading this book together in the bathroom where they are expected to brush their teeth. Many parents have seen remarkable improvements in their child’s routine after reading the book just once!
Disney Princess: A Magical Pop-Up World by Matthew Reinhart
If you want to introduce your toddler to the magical world of Disney princesses, the Disney Princess Pop up world book by Matthew Reinhart is the perfect introduction. This pop-up world includes 11 Disney princess stories including Belle, Snow White, Ariel, and Rapunzel with more than 27 pop-ups and large scenes. The 3D scenes are engineered to immerse your child in the world of princesses and fairytales.
Pros:
- Designed by paper engineer Matthew Reinhart
- Large pop-up scenes with impeccable artwork
- 27 popups
- 11 princess stories total
- High-quality hardcover
Cons
- Only five pages total
- A bit expensive
The Disney Princess pop-up book is recommended for children 5-8 years old, but toddlers as young as one-year-old will love looking at the big, colorful pages, and fantastic scenes. The pages are designed with thick paper and encourage children to touch and explore without ripping and tearing. This pop-up book is an excellent introduction to fantastical world of Disney.
Smithsonian Kids: Digging For Dinosaurs by Jaye Garnett
What child hasn’t been fascinated by dinosaurs? Digging for Dinosaurs is a durable board book with brightly colored illustrations and pop-ups that introduce your children to dinosaurs and paleontology. Smithsonian Kids is a great series to follow that teaches children about the world and history, and Digging for Dinosaurs is interactive, which kids love. Have fun with sliding tabs, spinner wheels, flaps, and more to work on fine motor skills while learning about sea reptiles, fossils, and dinos.
Pros:
- Interactive board book
- Sturdy and durable
- Pronunciation guide
- Real-life photos
- Bright and detailed illustrations
- Perfect for preschoolers and toddlers
- Works on fine motor skills
Cons:
- This book is more fact-based than story-based
If your toddler loves to interact with the pages while you read and they love dinosaurs, Digging for Dinosaurs is a great pop up book to read. The story is limited, but your toddler is sure to be fascinated by the 12 pages full of activities and new things to learn about dinosaurs. Smithsonian Kids is a great series to use to teach your child about the natural world.
There are hundreds of different pop-up books that will engage your child’s imagination, build vocabulary, work on fine motor skills, and help them develop a love of books, reading, and learning. No matter which of the best pop-up books for toddlers you choose to add to your library, the important thing remains—you are reading to your child and interacting with them through the magical world of books!
