Books for babies

Manhattan Toy has released lots of new soft books to help babies explore and develop a love of books from an early age.

Suitable from birth, the Bugboo Exploratory Book is billed as ‘a coffee-table book for baby’, and since it contains a variety of different sensory features such as ribbons, crinkly bits, a mirror and rattles, there’s plenty to keep them occupied between lattes.

Priced around £16.50, the large book’s vivid pop art graphics may tempt adults into having a leaf through it too.

For dinosaur fans aged six months and over, the Storytime Dino Adventures book includes the aptly named Dino as an attachable finger puppet, who romps through the soft pages.

Dino’s adventures take him through crinkly and peek-a-boo pages, until he can finally nod off to sleep in his very own storage pocket. This book is priced around £11.16.

Designed in the same style, the Blooming Garden Book is also priced around £11.16. The bright colours of the garden design will attract a tot’s attention, the butterfly finger puppet and sensory features will keep them amused, and a teething ring makes it blooming useful for babies of six months and older.

The two new soft Photo Books are brightly-coloured and can be filled with up to five pictures of family and friends. Offering a floral variation on the classic ‘family-tree’ idea, the Family Garden book includes fun textures and crunchy sounds to engage a baby’s senses.

The My Stars photo book offers the same fun elements including a rattle and teething ring, and can feature all of their favourite characters in a starring role withinin the soft photo frames.

Both the Family Garden and My Stars photo books are priced around £9.99 and are suitable from age six months upwards.