The Little Book Club review (March)

        I received my first shipment from The Little Book Club today and I am so glad that I decided to try out this new subscription box. It is probably the most appropriate subscription box for Owen specifically because he loves books so much. The Little Book Club is a new monthly book club that delivers three brand new books chosen based on your child's age. As your child grows older, the books they send become more advanced. For instance, babies receive sturdy, colorful board books while five-year-olds receive books that will help them develop their reading skills. It costs $24.95 a month and is directed at children from birth to age 6. 

     The books are chosen based on popularity and also the recommendations of education and literary experts. They pull selections from The New York Times bestsellers lists, winners of the Caldecott Medal, and recommendations from the American Library Association and the National Education Association. 

     The books arrived wrapped in plastic bubble wrap inside of a really cute cardboard box. I was really impressed with their packaging as they could have just stuffed all the books inside a padded envelope. I am a sucker for pretty boxes. 

       My books were in perfect condition since they were wrapped in the protective bubble wrap. Looking at the top two books, I guessed that the theme was "Cats," but I was wrong. Getting this photo was especially difficult because Owen kept trying to steal the books out from in front of me. 

     I loved that the information card came in a personalized envelope. The package was also addressed to Owen, which I can imagine that kids a bit older would love. 

     I originally thought that there was only one theme per month across the board. Instead, each month has a different theme for each age group. Our theme this month (for a 23-month-old) was "Days of the Week!" Other themes have included: Colors, Dinosaurs, ABCs, and Counting. 

We received two paperback books and one hardcover: 

"Tuesday" by David Wiesner (retail value $17.00): This hardcover book is really amazing. It won the Caldecott Award in 1992 and was an American Library Association Notable Children's Book. The book has hardly any words, but follows a troupe of frogs who soar through the sky on lilypads like magic carpets. I think the book is a little advanced for Owen despite it's lack of words, but the illustrations are beautiful and the story is really original and I know it is a book that he can grow into at some point.

"Cookie's Week" by Cindy Ward and Tomie DePaola (retail value $5.99): This is a super cute little book about the mischevious antics of a kitten throughout each day of the week. I can't help but draw a parallel between this kitten getting into everything and my energetic toddler getting into everything (though he has yet to climb any curtains that I know of.) And of course we love any book that features animals, particularly cats. 

"Today is Monday" by Eric Carle. (retails for $6.99): Everyone loves Eric Carle books and we are no exception. This colorful book features animals eating a different food each day of the week and includes a song at the end of the book. I will have to look it up online to see how it goes. Owen loves the colorful animal pictures. 

      The retail value of the books is $29.98, which is almost five dollars more than the subscription price and much more than the $13 I paid on Plum District to try it out. It's not the most cost effective subscription considering I could get the same books on Amazon for $21.76, minus shipping, but I still like the fact that they come with free shipping straight to my door and are tailored for my child. This book club isn't about getting more value for less money, it's about convenience and exposure to new books we might have never heard about before. I'm sold!

       Owen really loved the books and has been walking around the house all day talking about his "new books." I think that for the most part, they were all age-appropriate or books that Owen may enjoy even more in the future. And I was also happy that we didn't receive any books that we already own. Which is a feat considering how many we already have. Though the company does have a policy where you can receive a discount on your next box if you already have one of the books they send or they will help you donate the book to a child in foster care. That program is also available to subscribers who outgrow books they received earlier in their subscription. 
      I am really happy to subscribe to this new book club. And I think it would make a great gift. We live more than thirty minutes away from the closest Barnes and Noble, so having books delivered to us is so convenient. And while I can get the same books for a little cheaper on Amazon, it is still nice to receive books that are specifically tailored to Owen's age and I don't have to do any research to find them myself. 
       If you want more information, you can visit The Little Book Club HERE.