Freya received a number of books for her first birthday which she has been testing to destruction.

Bryn & I chose ‘pop up peekaboo, things that go’ from our recent visit to the Seven Stories bookshop. I like this series of books with it’s bright colours & prominent use of familiar toys to set playful scenes. Each double page spread has a flap hiding a vehicle, which Freya likes to tug, and then pull, until the vehicle is in her hand. It’s a fun book to read with her as she squeals in delight when you lift the flap but not one to be left without some supervision otherwise you could return to a paper massacre.

Peppa Pig Birthday Suprise, is another lift the flap book but with a big red squidgey balloon at the start & end of the book. Freya enjoys lifting the flap, particulary the one uncovering ‘Dine-saw’, I suspect having a dinosaur obsessed brother has had an influence. The story itself, of Peppa desperate to open others presents on their birthday but being made to wait for her own, was ideal for Bryn who struggled with all the attention & presents Owen & Freya got.

Her ’10 little alphabet books’ are the perfect size for her little hands to flick though the pages & occasionally chew on. They are currently her distraction of choice when being changed. The books come in a handy box from which Freya enjoys decanting them, before scattering them around the room for me to trip over.

Freya also received a few cloth books. The Jungly Tails book by JellyCat is in the same series of Fishy tails, perfect for a teething baby. We also have an Usborne book called ‘Frog’ with a squeaker at the end, so far the bunny ears are a favourite for chewing on.

The way Freya treats these provides a good picture of her interaction with books. It often feels like she attacks them with scientific rigour, always pushing & pulling to see how far the books will bend to her will. When not pulling at the pages, she often chews them instead. But there are times when she happily sits for a while, amusing herself turning the pages & occasionally studying the pictures.

The stories within these books are of very little interest, but the mechanics and construction of the books are fascinating.