When my little sister was a baby, I was 12 years old and reading to her was one of my favorite ways to relate to her – it was an activity that we both and enjoyed, and it didn’t involve me trying to not break her, which for me was key. As she grew older, I noticed we had read some of the same books so often that I had them memorized, which meant she really liked them. She was a picky kid, so it was a giant stamp of approval for her to like one. Now that I have my own boys (I’m a little older and wiser) and I still know that the ones the boys pick repeatedly are the real winners!
With all the technology around us, there are endless choices of toys for kids. But I still love the old school toys, so I was super thrilled to hear about the Blue Manatee boxes with Baby Unplugged books in them. I went through the process of ordering them, and it was right after my baby’s first birthday (yes, I have been majorly slacking getting this review up), so it was really fun to design the package just for him and include a little birthday note. The ordering was fun for me (and the shipping was super quick), but the real fun came when the box arrived at our house…
As soon as the box showed up, my kids tackled it. It was like they had some super secret kid sense that let them know the contents of said box were for them. So I sat them down on our big chair and let them open it up.
The books were packaged with these little puffs and crinkle paper, which is ALWAYS a big winner with kids. I mean, really, it’s ridiculous how such a simple concept is even more awesome than sliced bread for these guys. Once they were beyond the packing materials, they found the books.
My boys have loved the Baby Unplugged books – both my four year old and my baby! When I read the books, I like how they frequently have pictures of kids playing outside and exploring their world with all their senses. The way the books read in a way remind me of Dr. Seuss books, but that may just be because those were the books my grandmother read to me when I was young. They have a great flow and rhythm, where the words make as much music as they do explain what happens in the book. It’s really neat, and I don’t really mind reading them over and over – at least the first 5 times in a day.
You know how sometimes kids really like something the day they get it and then they never pick it up? Well, the same thing goes with books in our house – the ones that they don’t like as much are read a few times and then end up staying on the bookshelf. But these books – these books are rarely on the bookshelf. Apparently these are the best books we have, because they want to read them every day. It’s amazing. So yes, the entire time that I’ve been slacking on this review, I’ve been reminded of it daily!
The other pretty sweet part of the books is actually the packaging. And not just the crinkle stuff that my boys loved, but the box itself. You know how you can get a baby a gift and the baby ends up playing with the box instead of the toy? Well Dr. Hutton, author of the books, pediatrician, father of 3 and children’s bookstore owner (what doesn’t he do?!) planned ahead for that reality with the Blue Manatee Box. When you order your box, you not only pick the age and occasion for the box, but you also get to pick special instructions on what to do with the box – there’s a range of different box activities, and definitely something for anyone’s kid.
To sum it up – these books are awesome! Check them out for yourself at BabyUnplugged.com!
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Disclosure:Product received for review purposes from Baby Unplugged, all opinions and thoughts 100% my own
It does sound like a neat package to arrive on your doorstep. We’re huge book fans here and even the two who are grown, and one who almost is, talk about the books that were their favorites when they were little tikes.
I think BOTH of my boys would have been more excited about the packing peanuts than the actual books, but I have to agree – books, especially simple ones like this, are the best.
That’s such a cool package! I bet they were so excited to get that!
I have to search for books that are harder for my 7 year old, but are still age appropriate.
What a great package! We have most of those and they are our favs too
Those are really cute books. I can’t even count how many times I’ve read Goodnight Moon.
Thank you for this wonderful, thoughtful review of blue manatee boxes and Baby Unplugged. I’m so glad that your boys had so much fun reading and playing. What a nice family! Cheers and best regards,
Dr. John