50 best lift-the-flap and pop-up books for children

These colourful pop-up books and lift-the-flap stories for kids will keep even the most energetic little ones entertained.

Babies and young children can find it hard to focus on a book when there are so many exciting things to explore in the world around them, but these pop-up and lift-the-flap books for children will keep curious minds engaged for hours. Featuring much-loved characters from award-winning authors and illustrators, plenty of surprises to find and bright, colourful illustrations, these books are a joy to read together again and again.

Dear Santa

by Rod Campbell

Book cover for Dear Santa

From the creator of Dear Zoo, Rod Campbell promises bright, bold illustrations on every page with Dear Santa. A favourite Christmas book for kids, little hands can lift the flaps to discover what Father Christmas has sent, complete with a touch-and-feel surprise and a perfect present at the end! 

Pop-Up Pals: Animals

by Dragan Kordic

Book cover for Pop-Up Pals: Animals

Roar, chatter, and trumpet your way through this pop-up animal adventure, designed especially for early years readers. Each pop-up scene shows a different habitat, from the African savannah to the freezing poles, and the incredible creatures that call them home. Children will love spotting the animals and learning the unique facts about each as they explore Dragan Kordic’s illustrated scenes.

Book cover for Pop-Up Planet: Dinosaurs

Pop-Up Planet: Dinosaurs

Dragan Kordic

Book cover for Pop-Up Planet: Oceans

Pop-Up Planet: Oceans

Dragan Kordic

Book cover for Busy Garden

Busy Garden

Leesh Li

Book cover for Busy Garage

Busy Garage

Leesh Li

Moomin Mail

by Amanda Li

Book cover for Moomin Mail

Join Moomintroll as they follow Snufkin’s letters around Moominvalley and discover the surprise waiting for them at the end of Moomin Mail. See where Moominpapa has been on his travels, make Mooninmamma’s pancake recipe, and read a story written by Little My. With illustrations inspired by Tove Jansson’s classic tales and letters to read from all of your favourite Moomin characters, this beautiful interactive picture book would make a wonderful gift for a young reader in your life.

Dormouse has a Cold

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Dormouse has a Cold

Dormouse feels under the weather and needs her friends to help her feel better in time for a trip to the fair. Join the sneezy little Dormouse in this lift-the-flap adventure from best-loved author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Part of the classic Tales of Acorn Wood series, written especially for early years readers, the interactive lift-the-flaps on every page will give children many chances to develop their fine motor skills as you read the gentle rhyming story together. 

Book cover for Squirrel's Snowman

Squirrel's Snowman

Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Hide-and-Seek Pig

Hide-and-Seek Pig

Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Postman Bear

Postman Bear

Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Rabbit's Nap

Rabbit's Nap

Julia Donaldson

On the Farm

by Axel Scheffler

Book cover for On the Farm

From the illustrator of classic children's book The Gruffalo, On the Farm is a bright and colourful board book with gentle rhyming text that little ones will love. Kids can join in the fun on the farm by pulling out the sliders, moving the animals and making all the different noises; quacking along with the ducks, mooing with the cows and neighing with the horses!

Book cover for Puppy, Puppy, PEEKABOO

Puppy, Puppy, PEEKABOO

Campbell Books

Book cover for Duckling, Duckling, PEEKABOO

Duckling, Duckling, PEEKABOO

Campbell Books

Book cover for Moo Cow, Moo Cow, PEEKABOO!

Moo Cow, Moo Cow, PEEKABOO!

Campbell Books

Book cover for Lion, Lion, PEEKABOO

Lion, Lion, PEEKABOO

Campbell Books

Oh Dear!

by Rod Campbell

Book cover for Oh Dear!

Buster's staying with Grandma on the farm. But where will he find the eggs for breakfast? Not in the stable – oh dear! Young children will love lifting the flaps as they turn the pages and follow Buster around the farm. This 40th anniversary special edition is a great gift for all Rod Campbell fans. 

Room on the Broom Touch and Feel Book

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Room on the Broom Touch and Feel Book

Join the witch and all her animal friends in this magical touch and feel book, featuring all your favourite characters from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's Room on the Broom. With a simple text, bright colours and touches to explore on every page, the Room on the Broom Touch and Feel Book is perfect for little hands, and is sure to keep preschool children entertained for hours.

Book cover for What the Ladybird Heard: A Push, Pull and Slide Board Book

What the Ladybird Heard: A Push, Pull and Slide Board Book

Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Who's at the Zoo? A What the Ladybird Heard Book

Who's at the Zoo? A What the Ladybird Heard Book

Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Who's at the Seaside?

Who's at the Seaside?

Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Who's on the Farm? A What the Ladybird Heard Book

Who's on the Farm? A What the Ladybird Heard Book

Julia Donaldson

I'm Hungry!

by Rod Campbell

Book cover for I'm Hungry!

This fun animal story is sure to delight young children, with touch-and-feel patches, flaps to lift and a surprise pop-up ending. The hungry mouse likes eating cheese, the rabbit likes carrots and the monkey likes bananas – but what about the hungry tiger? Are you brave enough to turn the page and find out? With touch-and-feel patches so you can feel mouse's ear and stroke rabbit's fur, flaps to lift and a brilliant pop-up ending. 

In the Jungle

by Axel Scheffler

Book cover for In the Jungle

How many lazy lions are yawning? How many zebras are skipping? Little ones can join in the fun in the jungle by pulling out the sliders, pushing up the tabs and counting all the animals in this bright and colourful board book from much-loved illustrator Axel Scheffler.

Look After Us

by Rod Campbell

Book cover for Look After Us

Toddlers will love lifting the flaps to meet elephants, tigers, orangutans and more in this board book about endangered animals. With bright, bold artwork and a positive message about how to look after our world and the animals in it, this is the perfect introduction to conservation for young children. 

Gruffalo, Where Are You?

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Gruffalo, Where Are You?

A perfect introduction to the classic story for babies and toddlers, this chunky board book features soft fabric flaps on every page. Little ones will love discovering what’s hiding under each flap, while the bright, bold illustrations will keep them enthralled by the story again and again.

Busy Post Van

by Campbell Books

Book cover for Busy Post Van

Push, pull and slide the tabs to follow the Busy Post Van on its daily journey! Join the postal workers as they sort the mail, deliver the parcels and collect letters from the post box. Young children will love playing with this bright, colourful board book with wonderful illustrations, gentle rhyming text and lots to spot and talk about.

Book cover for Busy Football

Busy Football

Jayri Gómez

Book cover for Busy Eid

Busy Eid

Campbell Books

Book cover for Busy Dancing

Busy Dancing

Campbell Books

Eco Warriors

by Nila Aye

Book cover for Eco Warriors

Push, pull and slides the tabs to discover the environmental heroes who are changing our world for the better. Full of fun facts and bright illustrations, this board book will teach toddlers all about Greta Thunberg, David Attenborough and more. 

The Pop-Up Dear Zoo

by Rod Campbell

Book cover for The Pop-Up Dear Zoo

This pop-up book for children is based on Rod Campbell’s classic story, Dear Zoo. With its bold, colourful illustrations and a pop-up zoo animal to discover as you turn every page, The Pop-Up Dear Zoo is sure to become a firm favourite with animal-loving little ones.

The Snail and the Whale: A Push, Pull and Slide Book

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for The Snail and the Whale: A Push, Pull and Slide Book

What happens when a tiny snail hitches a lift on the tail of an enormous whale? Push and pull the tabs to see them head off on an amazing journey around the world, help the snail with her big plan to save the whale after disaster strikes and he is beached in a bay, and then slide out the big tab on the last page to watch them both travel safely away – hooray!

Book cover for Who's Hiding On The Farm?

Who's Hiding On The Farm?

Axel Scheffler

Book cover for Who's Hiding On Safari?

Who's Hiding On Safari?

Campbell Books

Book cover for Who's Hiding In The Park?

Who's Hiding In The Park?

Campbell Books

Book cover for Who's Hiding In The Jungle?

Who's Hiding In The Jungle?

Axel Scheffler

Dear Zoo

by Rod Campbell

Book cover for Dear Zoo

Rod Campbell's classic lift-the-flap book Dear Zoo has been a firm favourite with toddlers and parents alike ever since it was first published in 1982. Little ones will love lifting the flaps to discover which animals the zoo has sent – but will the perfect pet ever arrive? Keep little Dear Zoo fans entertained with these Dear Zoo activities for kids.

Book cover for My First Clock Book

My First Clock Book

Campbell Books

Book cover for My First Body Book

My First Body Book

Campbell Books

Book cover for My First Journey Around Planet Earth

My First Journey Around Planet Earth

Campbell Books

Book cover for My First London Alphabet

My First London Alphabet

Campbell Books

There's an Owl in My Towel

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for There's an Owl in My Towel

This rhyming lift-the-flap book by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb will delight children and parents alike. Little ones will giggle along as they lift the flaps and discover the naughty animals as they thwart the baby’s every activity, including a mole disrupting his breakfast, and an owl borrowing his towel!

Who's on the Broom?

by Julia Donaldson

Book cover for Who's on the Broom?

Lift the soft fabric flaps on every page to meet all your favourite characters from the bestselling picture book, Room on the Broom – perfect for little ones for Halloween! Join the witch and all her animal friends for a magical broomstick adventure in Who's on the Broom? by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, creators of The Gruffalo.

My Stand-Up Farm Animals

by Rod Campbell

Book cover for My Stand-Up Farm Animals

Discover six amazing pop-up farm animals in this fun and interactive book. Young children will love finding out about all their favourite farm animals in this clever pop-up book. Just open up the book to see a different farm animal stand up in the middle of every spread. With easy to use and brilliantly satisfying pop-ups, fun facts, bright and bold illustrations and lots of favourite animals.

Book cover for My Stand-Up Baby Animals

My Stand-Up Baby Animals

Rod Campbell

Book cover for I'm Not Scary!

I'm Not Scary!

Rod Campbell

Book cover for Our Jungle

Our Jungle

Rod Campbell

Meerkat Mail

by Emily Gravett

Book cover for Meerkat Mail

This brilliant picture book has wonderfully witty artwork and a giant postcard flap to lift on every page. Sunny the meerkat lives with his very large family in the Kalahari desert. One day Sunny decides it’s just too crowded and packs his bags. He visits his mongoose cousins around the world, but Sunny just doesn’t quite seem to fit in.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Carousel Book

by Lewis Carroll

Book cover for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Carousel Book

With six pop-up spreads depicting classic scenes from the book, including the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and Alice meeting the Cheshire Cat, this pop-up book is a perfect way to introduce Lewis Carroll’s children’s classic to young readers. Fans of the original story will love spotting their favourite characters in the book’s full-colour illustrated scenes, which have been adapted from Sir John Tenniel’s original artwork.

The Christmas Bear

by Ian Whybrow

Book cover for The Christmas Bear

With flaps to lift, silly scenarios and witty rhymes on every page The Christmas Bear will make little ones laugh out loud. When Father Christmas sets off to deliver presents, poor Bear is left behind, but not for long . . . Follow Bear on his travels as he chases Santa's sleigh through icy seas and snowy forests. Will he make it to Tom's house in time for Christmas morning?