Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | My Very First Book of Words | 1974 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 2 | My Very First Book of Numbers | 1985 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 3 | My Very First Book of Shapes | 1985 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 4 | My Very First Book of Colors | 1985 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 5 | My Very First Book of Food | 1986 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 6 | My Very First Book of Motion | 1986 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 7 | My Very First Book of Growth | 1986 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 8 | My Very First Book of Touch | 1986 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 9 | My Very First Book of Heads and Tails | 1986 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 10 | My Very First Book of Animal Homes | 2007 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 11 | My Very First Book of Animal Sounds | 2007 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 12 | My First Busy Book | 2015 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 13 | My First Peek-a-Boo Animals | 2017 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 14 | My First I See You | 2018 | Eric Carle | Buy |
| 15 | My First Busy World | 2019 | Eric Carle | Buy |
Eric Carle’s My Very First Book series began in 1974 with My Very First Book of Words and grew over the following decades to cover colors, shapes, numbers, food, motion, animal sounds, and other foundational concepts. Each title uses Carle’s signature tissue-paper collage artwork alongside a split-page format that invites toddlers to actively participate rather than simply listen.
The books are sized for small hands and built as sturdy board books. The matching format rewards trial and error, making them popular with parents and educators looking for a child’s earliest independent reading experience.