We ordered this baby books collection boxset for our newborn son because it was on a huge sale and we figured if just one or two of the things were worthwhile it would be worth it. Turns out that this is a really great high-quality set of various kinds of books and cards for reading to young kids. As it turns out, this is very important as latest parenting tips suggest that the more words you say to your baby, whether talking or reading, the smarter they are likely to be. (See the book What’s Going On In There)
I find that the most useful reviews are those that make it more clear exactly what you get when you order something and what makes those things useful or worthwhile instead of some vague notion of how we loved it or our kids played with it for hours, or whatever.
What you get inside of a sturdy cardboard box that can be reused, but is too complicated to close for a young child, is six different types of reading books. One is called First Words and is a standard board book made of thick cardboard. Each page has a single picture and a word (or two words). This is a great way to read to babies who don’t want to sit and listen to actual page text. One page is “Chair” and then “Ball”.
The next book called Colors is a fabric book made of cloth. Again, each page has a single item and word.
The book Baby Animals is a touch-and-feel board book. Heavy cardboard with a picture of an animal where part of the animal is fuzzy or something.
The ABC book is a cardboard board book with a bead filled plastic area that serves as a rattle and two rubber “ears” (the orange and green things on top) that can be chewed on. The book opens up-down instead of left-right like a steno pad, so it is a new experience for some babies who end up looking at it sideways like a “normal” book.
Bathtime has plastic pages that can be gotten wet. Again, each page has one word like Duck.
Finally, there is a set of 10 laminated cards attached to a ring. The ring can be opened but only by an older child. The different sensation of cards as opposed to pages is another new way to interact with pictures and writing. On one side of the car is a numeral with its word — 4 and four, for example — and on the other side is the same number of an object and the name of the object printed on the card.
All six pieces have proven as durable as any other childrens books and the simple pictures and words are perfect for baby reading. The day I watched my son pull out the First Words book and “read” it by making sounds that matched my cadence “chair, ball” … “ehhh, ahhh” I knew that we made a great buy.