At what age do infants typically start showing interest in picture books?

Infants typically start showing interest in picture books around 8 months of age. At this developmental stage, babies are becoming more curious about their environment and start to engage with objects in a more intentional way. Their visual tracking skills improve, allowing them to focus on pictures in books and understand the concept of images representing real objects or ideas.

During this period, infants may also begin to reach for books, touch the pages, and exhibit expressions of interest when exploring the colorful images, which fosters a foundational love of reading and early literacy skills. Engaging with picture books at this stage can promote language development, cognitive skills, and even social interactions as caregivers may read aloud and discuss the images, helping to connect words with visual representations.

Research shows that the engagement with picture books can vary by individual child, but around 8 months is a key time when many infants display this interest, indicating a readiness for shared reading experiences.