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Best Interactive Books For Kids 2015 | 3D Pop-Ups, Movable Parts & Creative Ideas

Updated on February 1, 2015

Entertaining & Interesting Books for Children

The absolute best way to encourage kids to become more enthusiastic about reading is to increase interaction and provide them with sensory interest such as things to pull, open and spin! I know from personal experience that the books I read the most as a child were the interactive books where there were ways to add to the book, move parts around or a prop of some kind was included.

The books below are suitable for a wide variety of children, from toddlers to early teens. Some are reading books and some are more educational kits, but they all allow a mix of reading and interaction, to keep a child's interest for longer and to promote enjoyment of reading.

I hope you find the selection helpful :)

Image from Amazon (see below for details)

The Pop-Up Mice of Mr. Brice | Ages 3 - 7

I think the number of 5-star Amazon reviews says it all, with many people naming this book as a childhood favorite.

The Pop-Up Mice of Mr. Brice
The Pop-Up Mice of Mr. Brice
This charming and sweet book for young children introduces you to 26 mice characters, each with an individual talent and personality. Each mouse illustration has an associated surprise action you can produce by using different movements such as opening pop-ups, lifting flaps or sliding pull/push tabs - for instance, one mouse has a great talent for playing the trombone! Sure to keep little children thoroughly entertained, this book is a classic tale and would make a lovely gift too.
 

The Jolly Postman | Ages 5+

Talking of childhood favorites; this book was mine (and I still have my copy after 20 years!) The illustrations are lovely, and I think my favorite thing is the miniature letters found inside, which I find to be very cute :)

I really think that this is a book that can be appreciated by both children and adults, especially as there is always some amusing detail to notice in the drawings .

The Jolly Postman
The Jolly Postman
First published in 1986, this British story has since been re-published as a larger version and has sold millions of copies and won prestigious awards. The book took 5 years to complete, which shows the care and thought that has gone into it, and the detail is impressive. The idea of the book is that a postman delivers various cards and letters to different fairytale characters at different addresses. You can interact with the pages by taking the letters and cards out of in-built envelopes, with each of these hand-written snippets containing bags of color and personality. A joy to read.
 

Doodle Journal | Ages 8+

For artistically-minded children, you can't go wrong with a journal specifically dedicated to fun doodling. Klutz are well-known for inspiring young creative minds, and this is a very good (and 5* star rated) example.

Doodle Journal: My Life in Scribbles
Doodle Journal: My Life in Scribbles
Full of mini exercises and doodle prompts, nobody will get stuck for what to draw in this journal! In case you're worried the inside will start plain and dull, worry no more; every page has been made super pretty with lovely colors and patterns. All-in-all, this book creates a brilliant setting for letting your imagination run free. And I'm sure kids would love the cool gel pen that comes included with the book too!
 

Drawing for the Artistically Undiscovered | Ages 8+

I own a few Klutz brand books and my favorite two are this drawing book, and the watercolor painting book. Not only are these art books suitable for both adults and children, but this one is illustrated by none other than Quentin Blake who illustrated my Roald Dahl childhood favorites including the BFG and Matilda!

Drawing: For the Artistically Undiscovered
Drawing: For the Artistically Undiscovered
Fans of Roald Dahl books are bound to recognize the unique and expressive drawings of Quentin Blake, which are scattered throughout this book, and provide fun and quirky imagery as well as inspiration and prompts. Ideal for older kids, the book has tips and amusing sketching exercises to help any aspiring artist practice and progress. And as a bonus you get a sketching pen and watercolor pencils included (red and black), plus the pages are nice quality for drawing and painting on.
 

The Wheels on the Bus | Ages 2 - 8

Another 5* rated (and very popular) book for your perusal now, and this one features moving parts including opening doors, swishing wipers and sliding windows. It's a much-loved classic that has been around for over 20 years and has been enjoyed by nearly a million readers.

The Wheels on the Bus
The Wheels on the Bus
Entertaining, lovable and colorful, the story of this book follows the lines of the famous 'Wheels on the Bus' song that most kids will know....along with the fun hand actions! The illustrations are beautiful and inviting, and you will find something new to look at every time you read the book. Endlessly fascinating for young children.
 

Lift the Lid on Mummies | Ages 4+

I've always found the subject of Ancient Egyptians very interesting, and like most kids it's the gory and gruesome bits that are the best! Not only is mummification gross but it is also fascinating and intriguing, which is what makes this mummy book kit much more fun than regular educational activities.

Lift The Lid On Mummies
Lift The Lid On Mummies
The paperback book gives you the history and facts surrounding the process of mummifying people in many different countries around the world (not just Egypt), with mummy types including ice mummies and bog mummies. The practical activity part provides you with everything you need to carry out a ritual mummification on a plastic doll; you remove the organs first of course and put them into jars, before wrapping the body in gauze, attaching lucky amulets and finally burying. Makes learning really fun!
 

The Jolly Christmas Postman | Ages 5+

Following the huge success of the original Jolly Postman book, this Christmas version followed after a few years and has gone on to become very popular too. I might be biased because I love it so much but I think every child should own the Jolly Postman books!

The Jolly Christmas Postman
The Jolly Christmas Postman
This heart-warming book is Christmas themed and centers around a cheerful postman delivering festive mail to a variety of fairytale characters on Christmas Eve. You can take the mini messages out of their envelopes to read the amusing contents, plus there are even adorable newspapers and postcards to find too. Delightful!
 

Toy Story Pop-Up Book

The Toy Story movies have been a runaway success in cinemas, with a brilliantly original story idea and a glimpse into the unknown world of what toys get up to when we're not here!

This pop-up book is not like the usual type; instead, kids can treat it more like a group of theater sets and interact directly with the pages rather than simply browsing.

Toy Story: An Interactive Pop-Up Book and Beyond!
Toy Story: An Interactive Pop-Up Book and Beyond!
Inside the book are 4 different double-page spreads, showing scenes from all three of the movies with impressive paper engineering mechanisms. Also included are little stand-up card models of the main characters of the movies, which you punch out of the pages. This allows children to create plays using these little stand-up models as puppets to act out storylines and adventures. Great for the imagination!
 

Amazing Dinosaur Discovery | Ages 4 - 7

Dinosaurs create a sense of wonder and excitement for most kids, and this book is a brilliant way of exploring the world of dinosaurs whilst learning along the way.

Magic Color Skeleton: Amazing Dinosaur Discovery
Magic Color Skeleton: Amazing Dinosaur Discovery
The main character of the book is a young boy who is walking around a dinosaur museum with his dad, looking at all of the monstrous dinosaur skeletons. The magic of the book is in the pull-tab mechanisms; making the dinosaurs come alive by transforming the bones in the museum into pictures of the real thing. And each of the dinosaur pictures is accompanied by fun facts about their diets, sizes and built-in weapons, so it's educational too!
 

Uncover the Human Body | Ages 8+

The human body used to be what I was interested in as a kid, so this would have been right up my street!

(Note: If you like this type of book layout, then there are also books available for animals including dogs, cats, sharks and dinosaurs.)

Uncover the Human Body: An Uncover It Book
Uncover the Human Body: An Uncover It Book
This book is a detailed but easy-to-read guide to human anatomy for kids, with 3D plastic body parts embedded in the pages so that you can see what exactly the notes and facts refer to as you go along. Such a good idea for visual learners. The different systems of a human body are covered, including the nervous system, the skeletal system and the digestive system, and each time you turn a page a new layer of the plastic body organs are uncovered, allowing you to clearly see how it all goes together. Very clever construction.
 

A Look at a Few of the Above Books

Did you have a favorite book as a child?

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