Toy and Movable (T&M) Books
Subject & Descriptive Cataloging | Children’s and Young Adults’ Cataloging Program (CYAC)
What are Toy and Movable (T&M) books?
The Library of Congress follows special guidelines for works we identify as “Toy and Movable Books.” These are books that contain text or illustrations that can be moved or manipulated, more than in the turning of an ordinary page. They are also called "action books" or "special effects books." Toy and movable books is the general subject heading used for these types of books, so they are easy to find in online catalogs. You may also be able to search by subject headings for specific types of toy and moveable books such as : Textured books; Lift-the-flap books; and Musical books.
This document identifies the differences for CYAC descriptive and subject cataloging of some common types of T&Ms. Publishers continually find new and different ways to present information, especially to children, but the guiding principles should be clear.
Please note that it is often impossible to know at the time of cataloging that an item received electronically in advance of publication as a CIP application will be published as a Toy and Moveable book. CIP data printed in books, and CIP records in the LC OPAC or other sources, may not show the T&M fields. We do attempt to catch these at the CIP Verification stage when we receive the actual published book and review it against the cataloging record.
Note also that T&M books are considered out of scope for CYAC treatment, with rare exceptions. This means they may lack annotations and CYAC subject headings. Expect to see an LCSH heading or headings for the T&M aspects.
Examples of Toy and Movable Books
Examples of typical Toy & Movable books and how to handle them follow. As stated above, not every format can be covered, but the principles are widely applicable.
3-D Books
Books that incorporate three-dimensional images requiring a special viewer (usually in the form of glasses) are true T&Ms. Catalog the book as any other, with a 300 $e for the reader (if included). Add notes as needed to explain what the viewer is, how it is used, and/or the effect it creates:
500 ## $a 3-D glasses (included) reveal dinosaurs hidden in the illustrations.
Because there is no separate subject heading established at this time for 3-D books, use the general term:
650 #0 $a Toy and movable books $v Specimens.
Board Books
Books with cardboard pages, generally quite thick, are board books. Some books, such as those with write-on/wipe-off pages, have pages thicker than paper but are not considered board books. When in doubt, do not consider a book to be on board pages.
For a true board book, there are no changes to the descriptive cataloging unless there is another special feature requiring a note, as in the following examples:
500 ## $a On board pages in the shape of a duck.
500 ## $a On die-cut board pages with clock face and hands appearing through all pages.
500 ## $a On board pages shaped like a school bus, with plastic wheels that turn.
Include the following subject heading:
650 #0 $a Board books.
Glow-in-the-Dark Books
Books with pages that glow in the dark should be cataloged as any other. Include a note explaining this aspect, if needed:
500 ## $a Each illustration incorporates glow-in-the-dark images.
500 ## $a Plastic stars attached to p. [3] of cover glow in the dark.
Include the following subject heading:
650 #0 $a Glow-in-the-dark books $v Specimens.
Lift-the-Flap Books
Books that have lift-up flaps should be cataloged as any other. Include a note explaining the flaps, if needed:
500 ## $a Lift-up flaps reveal clues to answer questions in the text.
Add the following subject heading:
650 #0 $a Lift-the-flap books $v Specimens.
Light-up books
Books that have lights that show through die-cut holes in all pages, a night-light attached to the cover, or other light-up aspects, should be cataloged as any other except for a note explaining the lights, if needed:
500 ## $a Push-button night light attached to extended p. [3] of cover.
Because there is no separate subject heading established at this time for light-up books, use the general term:
651 #0 $a Toy and movable books $v Specimens.
Pop-up Books
Books with illustrations engineered to stand up as pages are turned are called pop-up books. Catalog these as any other books, and include a note about the illustrations, if needed.
500 ## $a Includes pop-up illustration of a decorated Christmas tree.
Add the following subject heading:
651 #0 $a Pop-up books $v Specimens.
Puzzle Books
There are two types of puzzle books: those that are or contain physical puzzle pieces or blocks to be assembled, and those which include word puzzles and similar written materials.
Catalog books that are made of, or include, puzzle pieces as any other books with some slight modifications:
300 ## $a 20 p. : $b col. ill. ; $c 28 cm. + $e 9 wooden puzzle blocks in box, 29 x 28 x 10 cm.
300 ## $a 16 puzzle pieces : $b col. ill. ; $c in box 9 x 9 x 5 cm.
Add a note explaining the puzzle:
500 ## $a Includes removable puzzle pieces that can be assembled into six pictures of Koala Brothers characters.
500 ## $a Consists of 16 puzzle pieces which, when assembled, reveal a fairy tale.
Because there is no separate subject heading established at this time for this type of puzzle books, use the general term:
650 #0 $a Toy and movable books $v Specimens.
Books that contain word puzzles or similar material are cataloged as any other book.
Scented Books
Catalog a book with “scratch and sniff” or other scent effects as any other book, and include a note explaining that aspect, if needed.
500 ## $a "With 7 holiday scents."
Add the following subject heading:
650 #0 $a Scented books $v Specimens.
Sound Panel Books
There are two types of sound panel books. Sound effects books (SEB) and Musical books (MB) are treated differently in terms of notes and subject headings, but the general principles are the same. Catalog these as any other books, and include a note explaining the sound aspect:
500 ## $a Sound panel attached to extended p. [3] of cover is keyed to illustrations in text and produces animal sounds when buttons are pressed. (SEB)
500 ## $a Keyboard attached to extended p. [3] of cover can be used to play lullabies in the text. (MB)
Include the appropriate subject heading:
SEB:
650 #0 $a Sound effects books $v Specimens.
MB:
650 #0 $a Musical books $v Specimens.
Note that the same item may be SEB and MB. When this is the case, include both LC headings and ensure that the note covers both.
Sticker Books
Books with accompanying stickers that are not meant to be used with the book are included in the instructions for Accompanying Materials. These are not T&M. However, some books come with stickers that are required for the book to be used as intended. An example would be an early learning book that invites the reader to find the sticker for the appropriate article of clothing, dish of food, or piece of furniture and place it on the matching illustration. For such books, complete the cataloging as usual and add $e to the 300 field:
300 ## $a 1 v. (unpaged) : $b ill. ; $c 24 cm. + $e 4 p. of color stickers.
Include a note explaining use of the stickers:
500 ## $a Removable vinyl stickers are to be placed on illustrations according to directions in the text.
Include the following subject heading:
650 #0 $a Toy and movable books $v Specimens.
Textured books
Textured books, which contain swatches of cloth or other materials made to “touch and feel,” are cataloged as other books. Add a note explaining the tactile aspect, if needed:
500 ## $a Each illustration includes a piece of cloth to feel.
Include the following subject heading:
650 #0 $a Textured books $v Specimens.
Toy books
There are two types of books in this category: toys that are books and books that are toys. They are treated in the same way. Catalog them as other books, with a note explaining the toy aspect, as needed:
500 ## $a On padded, vinyl pages for use in the bathtub.
500 ## $a On board pages which are enclosed in a backpack attached to a plush rabbit.
500 ## $a On single sheet of cardboard that unfolds to reveal a city scene on one side and a country scene on the other, for use with toy cars.
Include the following subject heading:
650 #0 $a Toy and movable books $v Specimens.
