Never Touch a Capybara!

Never Touch a Capybara! — you mustn't, so naturally you will

Bumpy silicone capybaras on every page, and rhymes telling your little one very firmly not to touch them. Which is, of course, an invitation. That small bit of rule-breaking is what keeps them turning the pages.

A simple idea done well: interesting textures, silly rhymes, and the most agreeable animal in the world on every spread.

🦫 Why a capybara?

Because they're the world's largest rodent, improbably calm about absolutely everything, and small children find them fascinating. They've become a bit of a favourite lately — and unlike another lion or another elephant, this one is new to most toddlers, which makes it worth asking about.

A book that teaches your little one a word you didn't expect them to know is a small pleasure worth having.

✋ Something to touch on every page

• Bumpy silicone touches throughout, one capybara at a time
• Textures that change from page to page, so there's a reason to keep going
• Funny rhyming text, short enough to learn by heart
• Thick board pages and a compact 186mm square that suits small hands

😄 Rhymes built for the fortieth reading

The rhymes are brief, daft and made for saying aloud. They also tell your little one what's coming, which is why the same book survives being read every night for a month — the anticipation is half the fun, and knowing the answer never spoils it.

🛡️ Built for the treatment it will get

Silicone set into thick board is a hard-wearing combination. These come through a great deal of daily handling still looking respectable, which isn't true of every book on the shelf.

📏 Book details

• Format: touch-and-feel board book
• Pages: 10
• Size: 186 x 186 x 19mm
• Suitable from: birth+
• Written by: Cara Jenkins
• Illustrated by: Stuart Lynch
• ISBN: 9781836427872
• Features: bumpy silicone touches throughout, rhyming text

❓ Frequently asked questions

What age is it for?
From birth. Babies are in it for the textures long before the words mean anything; the joke of being told not to touch lands from around a year.

Does it make any noise?
No — this one is silent. No batteries, no buttons, just bumpy capybaras. Which makes it a sensible bedtime choice.

What actually is a capybara?
The world's largest rodent, from South America, and famously unbothered by anything. Rather like a very large, very relaxed guinea pig.

Will it survive a toddler?
It's built for it. Silicone panels set into thick board pages stand up to a lot of determined prodding.

Does it make a good gift?
A good one — and a slightly more interesting choice than the usual farm or jungle book, which matters if you're buying for a child who already has a shelf full.

📚 More Never Touch books

This is the unusual one. If it goes down well, the rest of the range is familiar territory done just as nicely:

• Never Touch a Tiger! — wild animals, and rhymes that are good fun to read aloud.
• Never Touch a Sleepy Lion! — a gentler, sleepier one for the end of the day.
• Never Touch a Monster! — the daft one, for a child who'd rather have a monster than an animal.

See the whole range in our Never Touch books collection.

❤️ From our family to yours

Carefully chosen products for babies, toddlers and parents. Browse more baby books and the rest of the Make Believe Ideas range — free UK delivery on orders over £25.