Never Touch a Monster!

Never Touch a Monster! — the rule is very clear, and entirely unenforceable

Bumpy silicone monsters on every page, and rhymes insisting your little one leaves them well alone. They will not leave them well alone. That is the whole arrangement, and everybody involved knows it.

Bright, silly illustrations, textures worth prodding, and not a single monster that's remotely frightening.

👾 Monsters, which is rather the point

Most first touch-and-feel books are animals — farm, jungle, wild, repeat. This one isn't, and that matters if your little one already has a shelf full of cows and lions.

Monsters also give you somewhere to go: they're invented, so they can be any colour, any shape and any texture the illustrator fancies. The book is livelier for it.

✋ Something to touch on every page

• Silicone touches throughout, a different texture each time
• Bright, funny illustrations that hold a baby's attention
• Rhyming text, short enough to learn by heart
• Sturdy board pages and a compact 186mm square

😄 Daft in the best way

The rhymes are short and deliberately silly, and they set up what's coming on the next page — which is why toddlers start joining in with the last word long before they can read. Being right, out loud, never gets old at this age.

🛡️ 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 20mm
• Suitable from: birth+
• Written by: Rosie Greening
• Illustrated by: Stuart Lynch
• ISBN: 9781785984280
• Features: silicone touches throughout, rhyming text

❓ Frequently asked questions

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

Are the monsters scary?
Not in the least. They're round, bright and daft — closer to a cheerful blob than anything under the bed.

Does it make any noise?
No — this one is silent. No batteries, no buttons, just bumpy monsters. A sensible bedtime choice.

Will it survive a toddler?
It's built for it. Silicone panels in thick board pages take a great deal of prodding.

Does it make a good gift?
A good one, and a change from another animal book — handy if you're buying for a child whose shelf is already full.

📚 More Never Touch books

This is the one without animals in it. Elsewhere in the range:

• Never Touch a Spider! — creepy-crawlies, and just as silly.
• Never Touch a Dinosaur! — the original, and the one most families start with.
• Never Touch a Capybara! — the unusual one, for a child who has all the usual suspects.

See the whole range in our Never Touch books collection.

Our guides to why sensory play matters and the best toys for babies under 6 months go into more detail.

❤️ 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.