Visit my sponsor:

Sophie la girafe, yes, that ubiquitous teething toy, turns 55 years old today! She barely looks a year over … well … who am I to judge the appearance of an even-toed ungulate mammal made of natural rubber? Seriously, what baby doesn’t own, love and maw on a Sophie? Cub received Sophie for his first Christmas, and I even wrote a blog post about how much he loved her on the now-defunct first iteration of this blog. Her legs are perfect for grasping, her snout mimics the shape of a nipple (seriously, that’s on purpose) and she squeaks. And while I knew that Sophie had inspired a few spin-off toys, I didn’t know she was also the star of a whole series of books!

4 Books for fans of Sophie la girafe

While Little Miss definitely loves her Sophie, we haven’t spent a lot of time reading books that are just for her. She’s usually tagging along while Cub and I study his super hero encyclopedias, so rather than identifying cats and dogs, she can probably explain the Marvel Universe to you. Her new Sophie la girafe books are fun for us to read together, and the familiarity of that squeaky giraffe adds to the appeal.

While I had chosen these Sophie books for 10-month-old Little Miss Cub, her big brother is actually a big fan of them. He dug right into Sophie’s Big First Word Book, and I could hear him making up stories about the objects on each and every page. The last page, which features counting, is his favourite. This is a sturdy title with a squishy cover, so it’s perfect for grabby hands and hours of fun pointing out the objects on each page.

This small board book combines the fun of “lift-the-flap” books but with rigid, durable tabs that won’t easily be destroyed by even the most rabid of book monsters. Sophie’s Hide and Seek is a quick read and should satisfy baby’s need for some peek-a-boo!

Sophie and Friends: A Touch & Feel Book had a different texture on each page for little fingers to explore. Who knew Sophie had a menagerie of animal roommates with adorable, French names?

The sounds on each page of Sophie’s Big Noisy Day Book are quick, not-too-loud, and not particularly annoying, so that’s always a plus! I would recommend choosing this title for older toddlers who understand not to tear and yank on flaps. The delicate flaps on each page wouldn’t last long if left in unsupervised baby claws. The sounds are light-activated, so you do have to make sure you’re reading in good light.