Our Favorite Interactive Books About Trains

Get Onboard with These Fun Reads

Can’t pry your child away from their wooden train toys? Want to ignite their love for reading, but typical train books don’t hold their attention for long? Whether you’re traveling away from their beloved train toys and can’t take them all with you, or you want to spend some time curled up together reading about their favorite pastime, these interactive books appeal to little locomotive lovers everywhere.

Shine-A-Light Books: One of these unique Shine-A-Light series books comes with a focus on trains, and kids love it. Grab a flashlight (or hold it up to a light) and let the hidden image appear. Each page offers a different shadow picture to enhance these nonfiction books. From types of train cars to what’s inside someone’s luggage, the hidden surprise will enchant readers of all ages.

Steering Wheel Books: These big books include a steering wheel built right into the cover. Kids can push the buttons when indicated in the short text on each sturdy page. Or they can steer in either direction with the plastic steering wheel made just for little hands. While these books don’t store easily on shelves, kids love the buttons, sounds, and hands-on experience they offer, so get ready to read this one over and over again.

Wind Up Books: Each of these thick books comes with a small windup toy included. Even better, the sturdy pages have tracks built right in! Kids let the train loose on its journey and watch as it travels over the book. It helps to have the book on a level surface, but kids don’t seem to mind the occasional derailing. With three different tracks and lots of good content in between, this book will delight any train driver.

Look Inside Flap Books: If your child is ready to take a closer look at everything about trains, they will love these detailed books. Each page has loads of small text packed with information. Open the flap to reveal even more details and words. Some flaps even have another flap hidden inside, while the train book covers how a steam engine works and much, much more.

Lift and Look Books: If you have a child who loves flaps but isn’t quite ready for the detailed explorations of the Look Inside series, this train book will give them all the thrills with larger text and less detail. Kids can hunt down the teddy bear hiding on each page, as well as peek inside a train station. Each page features multiple flaps paired with a few sentences to keep kids coming back for more.