Unlocking the Potential: Exploring the Emerging Subgenre of Interactive Baby Books

Baby books that incorporate textures, movable components, or sound effects have increased in popularity in recent years. I refer to these books as “interactive baby books”. The purpose of this article is to define and characterise this emerging subgenre designed for babies, emphasising their role in supporting cognitive development in young children. To achieve this, my study will first explore the mechanisms used in these books to engage the reader, establishing a taxonomy of interactive baby books. It will then examine how these mechanisms can stimulate cognitive engagement, highlighting the interaction between the book and the reader as a means of generating knowledge. Finally, criteria will be proposed to describe the interactive potential of baby books, providing insight into the design of this book type.