Never Touch the Farmyard Friends

Never Touch the Farmyard Friends — except in this book

Five squishy silicone touches, cut right through the cover so little fingers find them before the book is even open. Count down through the farmyard — five, four, three — feeling each animal as you go.

The counting rhymes do the work quietly. Your little one is following a countdown, touching as they go, and learning what five feels like rather than just what it sounds like.

🐄 Counting that starts with touching

Numbers mean very little to a toddler as words. They mean rather more when there are five bumpy things to press, one at a time, and one fewer on every page.

By the end of the book they've counted down to one without anyone calling it a lesson, which is the only way counting sticks at this age.

✋ Five touches, die-cut through the cover

• Textured silicone touches, each one different to the last
• Die-cut through to the cover, so they're there from the moment it's picked up
• Gentle countdown rhymes to read along with
• Sturdy board pages made for repeated prodding
• A compact size that suits small hands and fits in a bag

👶 Made for sharing

This is a book that works best on a lap. One of you reads, the other presses, and somewhere along the way the animals get named, the colours get pointed at, and the counting happens almost by accident.

It's a favourite with children who seek out textures, and an easy one to reach for when you want a few quiet minutes together.

📏 Book details

• Format: touch-and-feel board book
• Pages: 14
• Size: 210 x 176 x 13mm
• Suitable from: birth+
• Written by: Alice Fewery
• Illustrated by: Stuart Lynch
• ISBN: 9781805444695
• Features: five textured silicone touches die-cut through to the cover, countdown rhymes, counting to five

❓ Frequently asked questions

What age is it for?
From birth. Tiny babies enjoy the textures and the rhythm of the rhymes; the counting starts landing somewhere around eighteen months and keeps giving from there.

Does it make any noise?
No — this one is silent. No batteries, no buttons, just textures to find. A relief at bedtime, and rather welcome in a quiet waiting room.

How high does it count?
To five, counting down. That's the right first number range for a toddler, and five is plenty to be getting on with.

Are there more counting ones like this?
There are. Our Never Touch the Animals Gift Set is four books in exactly this format — wild animals, funny animals, dinosaurs and sharks, each counting down from five. If this one has gone down well, that's the obvious next step.

Are the touches sturdy?
Yes — silicone set into thick board pages, built for the sort of pressing this kind of book invites.

Does it make a good gift?
A very good one. It's a regular choice for grandparents buying for a first or second birthday, and the touches make it obvious what to do without any instructions.

📚 More Never Touch books

This is the counting one, and the quiet farmyard one. Close relatives:

• Never Touch the Animals Gift Set — four more counting books in this same format, boxed up as a gift.
• Five Little Ducks — the same counting idea set to the song everyone already knows.
• Never Touch a Noisy Cow! — the farmyard one with sounds, where every animal makes the wrong noise on purpose.
• Never Touch a Dinosaur! — the original, quiet, with a different texture on every page.

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.