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Okay, So I have been seeing book box subscription posts all over and they had me absolutely swooning. Packages through the mail? And they contain books? Yes please! Just the thought makes my book nerd heart skip a beat! So I started researching a few and decided that Story Box would be a perfect one to start with because they deliver not one, but two high quality picture books/board books and they contain extension activity ideas that go with the book. In fact, one of the creators of the Story Box is a nationally certified speech language pathologist. Her “bio” information on their website states this about her:
Holly is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist working with toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary students that have communication and literacy disorders. Using books, shared reading, and parent involvement are crucial elements of Holly’s professional philosophy. Through The Story Box, Holly gives families access to a greater selection of children’s books, and she makes sure to select books that facilitate learning and are fun for families.
Being a former teacher myself, that totally won me over. So I contacted them asking for a box to review and they sent one my way!
When our box arrived I was SO excited! It came in a nice box to keep our books safe and it looked so inviting. The hard part was waiting for my kiddos to get up from nap time so that we could open it up! I am so bad at waiting for surprises. (Also, it is so great that this box had a book for each of my two kiddos, look at the picture below to see how anxious they were to get their hands on them! <haha> )
After nap my oldest was SO excited to open his “present” and my littlest couldn’t help but be inquisitive. The Story Box has several package options (more on that at the bottom of this post) and we got the Family Package. Inside it included one picture book, one board book, a tip card with a reading “Challenge of the Month”, and a Parent Guide for the picture book with outlined language concepts and extension activities. We absolutely loved it! My little guy couldn’t be happier and my little gal had a blast! She even loved playing with the crinkle paper confetti. Confetti turns everything into an instant party, these people at the Story Box thought of everything!
The picture book in this box was “Chu’s Day” by Neil Gaiman and we are already in love! My little guy’s favorite part is the page where Chu the panda finally lets out a giant “Aaaah-choooo!” The illustrations are bright and colorful with a definite circus flair to match the story. Its a beautiful hard-cover book that we will read over and over again.
The board book in this box was “In My Meadow” by Sarah Gillingham and my little gal thinks its the greatest. Our favorite part is that the bunny in the middle is a finger puppet that can be wiggled throughout the story. I love how this encourages my baby to be more engaged and I adore her tiny little hands and how they reach out to grasp it.
Then there is the Parent Guide, oh the Parent Guide, it is SO wonderful! It is part of what makes this book box stand out against others in my opinion! It is indexed based on age so you can find the right language concept tips that will work best for your child. In addition to the language tips there is an extension activity for each age group (ages 1 through 2nd graders). The one that it suggests for my 2 1/2 year old is to make a lion mask. It includes simple, brief instructions and this is an activity that goes along with the story. We just got our box, so we haven’t done it yet, but it is something that he would definitely enjoy! All of the other ideas are also super simple and easily applicable. They don’t take a bunch of prep-work or time. Perfect!
Okay, so by now I’m sure your wondering how much it all costs and how it works. They have three different box subscription packages and each box has different subscription offers (month-to-month, 3 month, or 6 month). The three different packages (with the month-to-month price) are as follows:
Board Books Package ($14.99): “This package is appropriate for ages 0 to 2 1/2. The Board Books Package includes two board books per month and the monthly tip card.”
Picture Books Package ($19.99): “This package is appropriate for children between the ages of 2 1/2 and 6. It contains two picture books and a parent guide.”
Family Package ($17.99): “This package is appropriate for families with children in both age ranges. This package includes one picture book, one board book, the tip card, and parent guide”
And I saved the best information for last! Are you ready?! Here are the three best parts:
- A portion of each subscription fee is “used to purchase and donate materials to benefit children with disabilities and children from low-income families”. How neat is that?! Love these guys!
- Shipping is always FREE!
- I have a coupon code that they gave me to share with my friends and followers!! Just enter BOOKMOM at the checkout and you can save 15% off of your first subscription!
Now is the time to do your happy dance! Give them a try! You and your kids might just love book mail as much as we do! Plus it will help build up your child’s library. 🙂
Click on the link below to subscribe for either monthly, 3 months, or 6 months. Don’t forget the coupon code BOOKMOM at checkout for 15%off!
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