Baby books: 12 months to 18 months

This is a wonderful age for books as toddlers soak up seemingly endless information. They enjoy trying out words and sounds, turning pages and looking under flaps. They are beginning to associate objects and pictures with their own experiences, which is why they often like to return to the same books about the park, animals, being with family and so on.

• Bob the Builder: Bob's Amazing Pop-Up Book
• Spot's Big Lift-the-Flap Book
• Bathtime Piggy Wiggy
• Fluffy Bunny and Cuddly Chick Snuggles Springtime

Bob the Builder: Bob's Amazing Pop-Up Book from BBC

Watch your child's fascination as characters she loves including Bob, Spud and Lofty pop out of the page and move as she wiggles this big book. Encourage her understanding of cause and effect as she pulls the tags to make things move, and see how she builds relationships with characters to help them in their search for Scruffy the Dog. Toddlers will love pulling the tags, making things move and seeing  familiar friends in the hunt for Scruffy. £9.99, visit www.bbcshop.co.uk or for stockists tel 0208 433 2236

Spot's Big Lift-the-Flap Book by Eric Hill from Frederick Warne

Loveable Spot and his friends engage young toddlers with this colourful flap book. It introduces animal noises, shapes, colours, opposites and numbers, as well as providing a separate bedtime story for children to listen to after all that mental stimulation. Babies will enjoy looking and lifting the flaps on Spot's learning adventure. £9.99, visit www.funwith.spot.co.uk

Bathtime Piggy Wiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox

This book encourages a vivid imagination. It challenges your children to open the elaborate flaps to see what Piggy Wiggy is dreaming of being while in the bath. This will stretch imaginations to see what else happens near water. £8.99, visit www.littletigerpress.com

Fluffy Bunny and Cuddly Chick Snuggles Springtime

Two unusual furry books for your toddler to cuddle and stroke while listening to the gentle story. Encourages your child to touch the book and promotes warm feelings towards it rather like a favourite toy. Toddlers will love fondling the cover and keeping it close at night. £2.99, visit www.pinwheel.co.uk

 Where to next?

• For more books in this age range see our baby books archive

• Also see this month’s books for babies:

• 0-6 months

• 6-12 months

• 18 months +

• Talk about your baby on our General babytalk discussion forum

• Enter one of our great competitions and giveaways