Category: Product Reviews

July 19, 2019 Karen 22 comments

Kitty Irvine got in touch to ask if I would review her book. The front cover is glossy and shows the characters who appear in the book. The story is all about the magical land of Willowwood snug. It follows twins; Tippy and Tilly who are excited about being big enough to start going to…

June 15, 2019 Karen 29 comments

http://www.facebook.com/michelleningbooks/This fantastic children’s book is written and illustrated by Michelle Ning Lo. The front cover is really bright and colourful making it appealing straight away. Inside is an animal alphabet; not only is the text written in rhyme (making it even more fun and easier for any early readers to predict the next word-giving them…

June 9, 2019 Karen 28 comments

Mrs Wordsmith sent volumes 1 and 2  of these children’s sticker books, which also help with children learning to read. Each of the books has 10 pages of bright, colourful round  stickers; which as a former early years practitioner, I know will appeal to children.   The books have a space for each sticker with…

June 2, 2019 Karen 23 comments

Tiny tree books sent this lovely book, which explores a child’s imagination; it is full of diversity. The book also challenges gender stereo-types; as Millie, the girl in the story pretends to be a fire fighter just like her dad .   This wonderful daddy/daughter story is written by Ryan Crawford and Kayla Coombs.  …

May 31, 2019 Karen 22 comments

Best learning sent this great educational toy. The whack and learn mole  will teach children the alphabet, numbers 1-12 and colours while also developing hand-to-eye co-ordination and dexterity; all whilst having fun. When a child age 6 months upwards whacks the mole on the head he can start playing and learning. There are  different modes:-…

May 23, 2019 Karen 30 comments

Forelock books sent the following:- THE HORSE WITH BIG HAIR: This colourful children’s picture book is written by Sally Burrell, it tells the tale of Buckle, a horse with a messy mane and tail. The other horses and children laugh at him because of this, but Buckle doesn’t mind because his owner loves him just…

May 18, 2019 Karen 19 comments

Tiny tree children’s books sent the following:- BINX LOST IN FRANCE   This is the second Binx book that I have reviewed, Binx the Jinx was equally as good as this one. The story is written in rhyming text- my favourite.and is printed clearly enough for early readers to attempt reading for themselves. It is…

May 10, 2019 Karen 30 comments

When I was sent this hardback children’s book to review, I could tell straight away  that I was going to love everything about it. The front cover gives a wonderful  clue as to what is inside. The book is written in a sensitive way that children will be able to understand; from explaining about the…

May 4, 2019 Karen 18 comments

This wonderful hardback children’s picture book is perfect for me to review, as I have a granddaughter , called Katlyn, she spells it a little differently (without the e) most people in England spell it Caitlin. The book is written by Kerri.T. Collins and the beautiful illustrations are drawn by Marcia Adams Ho . The…

April 19, 2019 Karen 17 comments

Best learning materials sent this lovely book, which helps to develop logical thinking, creative and imaginative skills, a love of music and helps with children’s concentration. Open the bright front cover to find a book of 10 favourite , well known children’s songs; such as row, row, row your boat, twinkle, twinkle little star ,…

April 13, 2019 Karen 16 comments

Austin Macauley publishers kindly sent the following children’s books for review: THE DUCK TRAIL Is written by Steven G. Matthews. It tells the tale of Drake the duck who doesn’t listen to his mother and gets into an unfortunate situation. The text is written in a poetic nature and the illustrations are bright and colourful…

April 5, 2019 Karen 15 comments

This colourful, hardback children’s interactive book is fantastic. The inside cover explains clearly how to use the book, which even arrived with the batteries included! The book features 12 different animals; from a camel to a tiger . Every page has colourful illustrations and some text explaining about each animal. The unique thing about the…

March 16, 2019 Karen 23 comments

Tiny tree publishing sent the latest instalment of the animal alphabet books. All  of the  books are written by Kaley Owen and the wonderful illustrations are by Graeme Harding. The books have rhyming text; my absolute favourite for children’s literature. GINA THE GIRAFFE: Gina is very forgetful and the other animals make fun of her…

March 8, 2019 Karen 11 comments

When I agreed to review this publication I was expecting a thin magazine to drop through my letterbox, I was pleasantly surprised when a proper book came.   The zine was started by Emma 4 weeks after having her daughter, Isabella. Emma self publishes the zine which is all about motherhood, self care and well…

March 1, 2019 Karen 23 comments

Looksee checklist got in touch asking me to review their pocket edition as they thought it was a good fit for my blog theme. Basically the handy spiral bound  wipe clean  book contains 13 checklists to monitor children’s (age 0-6) development and help them to grow. There are clear instructions  on how to use the…

February 8, 2019 Karen 20 comments

Taste ‘n’tell is a series of 10 books designed to help children who are fussy eaters to eat more fruit and vegetables   The unique thing about the taste’n’tell books is that each book has a clever plastic pot with a lid  to put samples of the food for children to try. Book 1- discovering…

January 26, 2019 Karen 21 comments

This fantastic children’s picture book is written by Anna Crichton and illustrated by Siobhan Barlow. The book is inspired by Anna’s own dog, Zara. The story is written from the prospective of the dog and cleverly explains  how the dog feels when she is crowded by children in the playground. It also explains how to…

December 29, 2018 Karen 18 comments

My son, Leigh and his family went on a pre-Christmas break to Finlake holiday resort. Finlake is in Newton Abbot  on the edge of Dartmoor situated in 130 acres of stunning Devon shire countryside and not far from the sea. On arrival Leigh said that  the park looked neat and tidy, with some seasonal decorations…

December 29, 2018 Karen 11 comments

When Best learning materials corp asked if I was interested in reviewing one of their products, I chose my spin and learn steering wheel because this appealed to my expertise as a former child minder. On opening the box I immediately saw a quality toy which would provide hours of fun and learning. The wheel…

December 8, 2018 Karen 19 comments

Snow in the garden is written and illustrated by the wonderfully talented Shirley Hughes. Shirley Hughes has always been one of my favourite children’s authors, I read her books to my own sons and to the children that I used to child mind. Snow in the garden is her latest publication, it is a hardback…

December 2, 2018 Karen 18 comments

This children’s book is written by Tanya Preminger and the illustrations are by Elettra Cudignotto. It tells the story of an 8 year old boy who lives for football, especially Lionel Messi, his favourite player. When he struggles with school work and self confidence , his belief in the sport helps him to work things…

November 17, 2018 Karen 23 comments

Creative steps is a fantastic publication full of  fun craft and activity ideas  that encourage children to learn through play. In the 4 issues that I was sent there are no fewer than 250 ideas! Each magazine is glossy with a bright, colourful front cover. Magazines which are typical in this genre  usually only cater…

November 9, 2018 Karen 16 comments

Walker books sent this beautiful hardback children’s picture book. Little (and some not so little boys) everywhere will love this book. Inside the front cover is a diagram of the little digger pointing out the different parts. Little digger feels left out when a bigger digger arrives on the building site, until big digger gets…

October 27, 2018 Karen 18 comments

Bangon books got in touch to ask if I would like to review one of their personalised children’s adventure books. As I am passionate about children’s literature after years of working as a registered child minder I agreed.     I chose unicorn Oo (as a Christmas present for my granddaughter, Katlyn) who is 9….

October 13, 2018 Karen 28 comments

My 6 year old granddaughter, Sophia loves unicorns so much that she asked  if instead of having presents for her last birthday, could she have her hair coloured rainbow colours so she could be a unicorn. When “In The Book” asked if I was interested in reviewing one of their personalised children’s books and I…

September 29, 2018 Karen 21 comments

It may seem a little strange that a blogger who predominantly writes posts about parenting/child minding tips and advice to write a jewellery review! But with Christmas on the horizon  and everyone, including myself looking for presents that are a little different, it seems like a great idea. Each item of jewellery made by Sappho…

September 14, 2018 Karen 31 comments

When I heard that babyled spreads were looking for a blogger to review their products and it was agreed that I should do it .I contacted  a friend, whose daughter I used to child mind, for help. Sarah is following baby led weaning with her son, Cove, who is 9 months old. Baby led weaning…

September 7, 2018 Karen 31 comments

Debbie got in touch to ask if I would review her strength cards , after the success of my earlier review of my mood stars (for a friend of Debbie). She sent me a box of 24 cards and a cute session bag to keep them in. . The cards are:- playful, graceful and socible;…

September 1, 2018 Karen 30 comments

Walker books sent this delightful children’s picture book. A first book of the sea is written by Nicola Davies.   It is a hardback book full of heartwarming poems about the sea; from blue whales to plankton, there is something for everyone, I love this book because children will be delighted as they recall holidays…

August 17, 2018 Karen 22 comments

When Wendy got in touch to ask if I would review this product I agreed instantly as it looked like a great resource for early years settings  and as I was a child minder for many years, I know about such things. My mood stars were invented by Wendy White  a former registered child minder…

July 13, 2018 Karen 23 comments

Since suffering a stroke just over 11 years ago, which has left me disabled. I have never been out alone, always going with my husband, sister or friends. I feel it is now time to ‘bite the bullet’, be brave and venture out alone. To do this I needed a bag that I can use…

June 2, 2018 Karen 25 comments

When oxotots asked if I would review the 2 in 1 go potty , I once again asked family friend, Ann to assist with this . Ann who has 3 young children says the oxotot 2 in 1 go potty is the only toilet training item that parents/carers will need. It is light weight and…

May 20, 2018 Karen 23 comments

Walker books sent the following children’s books for me to review: WHERE IS LITTLE FISH The first thing that struct me about this delightful board book is the quality. It has flaps for children to lift when trying to find Little fish. I have come across lift the flap books before, usually the flaps are…

May 13, 2018 Karen 19 comments

Tiny tree have kindly sent these books for me to review. Dash the dolphin, Frank the flamingo and Esme the elephant are the latest 3 books in this instalment.All three are written by Kaley Owen and Graeme Holding has drawn the bright,fun illustrations, the books are written in rhyme which regular readers of my blog…

April 7, 2018 Karen 26 comments

This delightful book is written by Cheryl C. Malandrinos and illustrated by Jack Foster. The book is fantastic as not only will the bright illustrations appeal to children but it also has a moral – it teaches children how to stand up to bullies. With the help from an older friend, plus the belief that…

March 4, 2018 Karen 25 comments

When easyread time teacher asked if I would review  a children’s wall clock I agreed instantly as I could tell just by looking at a photo of the product that it was going to be great. The first thing that struct me when the parcel arrived was the simple instructions on the front of the…

February 24, 2018 Karen 20 comments

Halia Rose sent me this elephant teething toy in plum to review. The first thing that struct me when I opened the box was how cute it looked. The toy is made from silicone therefore is hard wearing and should stand up to a dish washer or baby sterilising solution. It has a hole just…

February 13, 2018 Karen 13 comments

I was sent this children’s paperback book by Tiny Tree children’s books. Framed is written by Margrit Dahm. The thing that I noticed when I started reading  this book is the quality of the paper used it is such a thickness that I thought I had turned more than one page. The story is a…

January 20, 2018 Karen 23 comments

It may seem a little strange for a blogger who says that she writes parenting/ child minding tips and advice to write a review of dog treats, my reasoning is that a family isn’t complete without a dog, in my opinion. Recently we learned that a certain brand of dental chews that we had been…

December 3, 2017 Karen 18 comments

This book is just as it is described in the title – magnificent. It will appeal to both adults and children who have an interest in exotic birds. The illustrations by Narisa Togo are truly breath taking, plus she gives some information about each beautiful bird.   Older children will find this book an asset…

November 26, 2017 Karen 13 comments

Pipity have kindly sent me 3 of their new activity books to review. ANIMALS   This, as the title suggests consists of activities that are animal related, from making an elephant using your finger as a trunk to tiny bugs, there are also pictures to colour and a birthday card to make. The  thing that…

November 19, 2017 Karen 17 comments

This paperback is written by Katy Segrove and illustrated by K aterina Vykhodtseva, it basically tells the tale of animal friends who want to put up a Christmas tree together, at first they can’t agree on what to have but it has a moral that if they stay positive and work together they will find…

November 11, 2017 Karen 16 comments

Boolino sent me this remarkable book. The first thing that struck me when I looked at this book was the paper torch at the back . The book is hard back and spiral bound which makes it easy to read while using the torch because the pages stay open. The front cover is quite striking…

November 4, 2017 Karen 17 comments

Another book sent by Walker books. This delightful picture book  is educational as it explains what the natural world gives us in a simple way which will appeal to young children. The front cover is bright and kept quite simple. Inside are wonderful illustrations by Toni Yuly who has also written the book, the pictures…

November 1, 2017 Karen 28 comments

This wonderful book was sent to me by Walker books. Pick a pine tree is written by Patricia Toht and Jarvis has illustrated it for her. The book is just perfect for this time of year, as it describes the excitement we all feel when putting up our Christmas decorations, it begins with choosing a…

October 27, 2017 Karen 11 comments

lThis is the first installment of the pasta kidz and petz adventure stories, which are written by Byrony Supper and illustrated by Julien Bray. The front cover is glossy and has vibrant colours. The story tells of an inventor and his assistant. The text contains some nonsence words which will appeal to children ( at…

October 22, 2017 Karen 14 comments

This is the latest book sent by Tiny tree children’s books. Ilias’mountain is written by Lilian  Kars and illustrated by Steffie Padmos. It is quite a large book which is impressive to look at with a striking front cover picture. The inside cover has a picture of rocks, giving a  clue as to what is…

October 14, 2017 Karen 19 comments

These cute little books are the latest that Tiny tree children’s books have sent me. The books in this series are written by Kaley Owen and illustrated by Graeme Holding. AMOS THE ANTEATER t ells the moral of treating others in the way that you would like to be treated, it is written in rhyme…

October 7, 2017 Karen 14 comments

This delightful book is written by Russ Brown and illustrated by Jamie Cosley.   The story is basically about a child who is struggling to concentrate in school, he says because there are monsters stopping him from doing his work. The other children don’t want to socialise with him as they think he is strange….

October 1, 2017 Karen 13 comments

This is another book from Tiny Tree children’s books. Portia the pear is written by Nicola Hulme and illustrated by Elena Mascolo. The story is a new take on the ugly duckling fairy tale, Portia starts life feeling that she is not as good as the other fruit in the orchard, but her confidence slowly…

September 24, 2017 Karen 23 comments

I was sent this book from Tiny trees children’s books. It is written and illustrated by Michelle Hird. The story is about moving house and settling into a new place, which may help children going through similar. Regular readers of my children’s book reviews will know that I love a book that is written in…

September 23, 2017 Karen 15 comments

I was sent this book by ichild. It is just the sort of activity book that I would have found really helpful when I was working as a registered child minder as many of the activities relate to the early years foundation stage (E.Y.F.S.) which are personal, social and emotional development, literacy, maths and understanding…

September 3, 2017 Karen 25 comments

When Suziew asked me if I would like to review a second of her children’s books I immediately said  that I would, as I was impressed  by the previous one she sent me, Things Evie eats. This time the book she sent is titled Better buckle up. It is a brightly coloured paperback suitable for…

July 20, 2017 Karen 7 comments

I was sent this book by Boolino . It is written by Jackie Marchant and is illustrated by Loretta Schauer, this paperback will appeal to children around the ages of 7-11 years and has an inviting front cover, which is mainly in red.   The book has 194 pages but the way the story reads,…

July 8, 2017 Karen 9 comments

I was sent a complimentary bundle of activity booklets from ichild. They consist of Twirl woos   based on the cbeebies weekday television show this booklet has a variety of educational activities for a younger child to do with an adult plus a colouring page  that your child could  can do without too much supervision….

June 11, 2017 Karen 15 comments

I was sent a set of 4 books named The dinosaur detectives to review from Boolino . Each book is a paperback written by Stephanie Baudet and tells an exciting adventure had by Matt  the son of a palaeontologist, who gets transported back  to prehistoric times.   The books describe the dinosaurs and will defiantly…

May 20, 2017 Karen 12 comments

Boolino books sent a set of 4 Toddlyworld books for a review, these brightly coloured board books are suitable for ages 2-5 years and come with an accompanying audio compact disc. These books feature Toddly and his teddy bear, Toddlybear, the books I received are titled Summer, Spring, Numbers and Stars and each tell  a…

May 18, 2017 Karen 13 comments

When Suziw got in touch to ask if I would be interested in reviewing one of her books I jumped at the chance as I have been a fan of children’s literature since falling ‘in love’ with the Gruffalo  while I was a registered child minder.The things Evie eats is written by Suziew and has…

April 28, 2017 Karen 22 comments

This picture book is written by Caroline Baxter and illustrated. by Izabela Ciesinska When Boolino books got in touch and asked if I would be interested in reviewing this book I knew by reading the title that I defiantly wanted to write the review. This book will appeal to early years settings, especially child minders…

February 25, 2017 Karen 10 comments

When oxo tots got in touch and asked if I would review some of their products, I immediately enlisted the help of family friend called Ann and her 14 month old daughter; Arya. Sippy Cup Oxo tots sent me their tall sippy cup; suitable for 9 months plus It is priced at £7.60. This has…

February 25, 2017 Karen 9 comments

Acropats come in packs of 16 pieces. They are made of stiff foam, and come in four different colours: red, green, yellow and blue. I asked three children; 2 girls and a boy who were aged between 4 and 11 years to help with this review. The product manufacturer recommend that they are not suitable for…