I have always loved books. After having kids, my passion for books and reading has become slightly more than an obsession. I have close to 200 books on my Amazon wish list and have probably pinned equally as many books or booklists on Pinterest. Not too long ago, I discovered Usborne Books touchy-feely books and sticker activity books and fell in love. So I was beyond excited to be given the opportunity to write a review about Usborne Books and Fairfield-based Usborne consultant Jen Borreggine.
If you are not familiar with Usborne Books, they create colorful and educational books for children. In 2014, they were recognized as both Children’s Publisher of the Year and Independent Publisher of the Year, and many of their books or book series have won individual book awards. Their books cover ages 0 to 15 and include chapter and non-chapter books, fiction and non-fiction, and several start to read collections. Usborne even guarantees their books for life – so, if your books are “well-loved” (read – eaten or destroyed by little hands), Usborne will replace it for 50% of the retail price. You can purchase their books in some select bookstores, but most of their sales are through individual consultants like Jen Borreggine, where you not only get access to all of Usborne’s more than 2,000 offerings but also get a personalized shopping experience.
Jen Borreggine became an Usborne representative about a year ago and, in speaking with her, I can tell she is just as enthusiastic and passionate about books as I am (if not more so). You can purchase books through her Usborne website, where you can shop or ship directly to your address, or you can purchase through Jen, who has a wealth of information about the products and can offer age-appropriate recommendations. She also offers a number of customized programs such as book-of the month, or quarterly or yearly book subscriptions, where you can specify the age of the child, your budget and she will make recommended selections or, if you like, you can have the recipient select what books they want to receive. Just think how great this would be for a shower, baby, birthday or holiday gift! You can also arrange to have Jen organize a book fair, fundraising program, or just host an in-home Usborne sale.
Speaking with Jen, we discussed my and my girls’ familiarity with Usborne books, what titles we already had, and what interests my girls and what I focus on when selecting book subjects. Cuing off of the fact my oldest is an emerging reader, that I am always on the search for multi-cultural themed books, and that both of my girls are super into building and constructing, Jen selected and sent to me three amazing books for me to check out and review, and all have been a big hit in our house.
- Muddle and Match: Imagine, which is a fun, mix and match board book filled with alliteration. The book pages are split into thirds, so your child can mix up the characters and the story lines for some creative and often silly stories. My oldest loves creating silly stories about Bella, Wilma, and all of the characters in this entertaining book.
- Stories from Around the World, which is a collection of traditional stories (such as Puss in Boots, How the Turtle Got Its Shell, and The Magic Doll). As I am constantly on the look-out for books featuring multi-cultural characters or themes, this was a personal favorite of mine. The book includes 22 stories from around the world that range from 2-3 to 6-7 pages long – the perfect length for a read-aloud bedtime story.
- See Inside Great Cities, which is a BEAUTIFUL flap book featuring famous cities around the world. My girls are both into building and constructing using anything from their blocks, legos, and stacking toys to cardboard boxes, and we have several architecture or engineering-themed books, so this book was a fun complement to those. I have to admit, however, that I might be even more in awe of this book.
In addition to these three amazing titles, Usborne carries the well-known board book series “That’s Not My…” for infants and toddlers, phonetics books for early readers (Bee Makes Tea is a current favorite with my oldest), several Shine-a-Light books (where young readers “discover” additional images by shining a flashlight through the page), those activity and sticker books that I mentioned in an earlier post, and hundreds of more great educational reads!
Are you ready to fall in love with Usborne books too? Contact Jen at [email protected] or check out her website or Facebook page. Mention “Fairfield County Moms Blog” and receive a special discount when you purchase a Book of the Month subscription!
