I’m a strong believer in early literacy. I started reading board books to both my daughters when they were three months old. We didn’t always get through the whole book (on a good day we read three pages!) but I kept at it until we were able to finish a whole book, and then move on to more and more reading!

These are a couple our favorite lift-the-flap books. Not only do they have sturdy flaps that will never tear off, they have sturdy “action tabs.” They are also touch and feel books, with wonderful textures on a variety of animals. They are like getting three books in one!

Tails by Matthew Van Fleet

This book taught even ME something! One of the animals highlighted in this book is a pangolin, and I had never heard of pangolins before – they are a scaly anteater. There are furry tails, spiny tails, shiny tails, and even a whale tail in this fun book! I loved bringing this book to church with us when both my daughters were babies. This was the page that kept them occupied the longest:

They would touch those shiny, crinkly spots on the peacock’s tail for a really long time. (It wasn’t a whole sermon’s worth of entertainment, but it came close!)

Alphabet comes with an ABC poster with pop-up flaps for each letter. As soon as I put this poster on the wall, my toddler ripped a flap off. The poster isn’t as sturdy as the books themselves, and so I put it away for when my youngest gets a little less rough. (Now, if I can only remember where I put it…)

Alphabet by Matthew Van Fleet

I love the bristly, yellow bees, which have the rough side of Velcro for their texture. There is a huge variety of textures from sticky octopus tentacles to the squishy insides of a clam. And of course, plenty of sturdy flaps for your child to open!

Janna over at The Adventure of Motherhood is hosting “Feed Me Books Friday,” so if you would like to read about more lift-the-flap books, click on her button below!