My son is just coming up for three months old and we were keen to introduce him to books as early as possible. We have tried reading him various books but there is one that stands out as his favourite, the Baby Touch Peekaboo book always conjures a smile.

There are lots of stories suitable for kids of all ages but babies have very short attentions spans and so if you can find a book which offers some interactivity and which isn’t too long the baby is more likely to engage with it and enjoy it. The Baby Touch Peekaboo book is produced by Ladybird. It is a large hard board book which makes it very durable and the pages are thick so they can’t be damaged by sticky hands. It is a very colourful book with a range of characters and designs and it encourages your child to learn and interact. It is also perfect for sharing and talking about and makes an ideal book for reading through with your child.

Each page has a number of animals or people on the left hand side who introduce themselves to the baby. On the right hand side there is an opening panel for the peekaboo aspect and a hidden friend waits behind the panel. Each page also has a baby somewhere on it and we always stop to wave to the baby. Behind the final opening panel there is a mirror so the last baby to wave to is the baby reading the book.

The other great aspect of this book is that it provides a number of different sensations for the baby to experience. There are ridges on the rainbow, a furry tummy on the cat, a sparkly, rough helicopter, a spotty, shiny octopus and various other bits and pieces of material for the baby to touch as you read through. This stimulates their imagination and encourages some interactivity which makes them more interested in the book.

You can read through the book quite easily in five minutes so it is easy to enjoy before their attention starts to wander. Evidence suggests that babies like the repetition of the same story over and over because being able to predict what will come next is enjoyable and reassuring. We have been reading the Baby Touch Peekaboo book to our son each day and he seems to enjoy it more and more each time.

It can certainly be quite difficult finding books to engage babies. If you read them a longer story such as 101 Dalmations they simply don’t have the attention span or understanding to really enjoy it. Something like the Baby Touch Peekaboo is great as an alternative to a traditional story book. It is quick, fun, interactive and stimulating and as your baby learns to predict the action they will enjoy it all the more.

The Baby Touch Peekaboo book is available direct from Ladybird for £7.99. It is recommended for babies from 0 up to toddlers as old as 3 years old.