2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 1 book toward her goal of 285 books.
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2023 Reading Challenge

2023 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 5 books toward her goal of 265 books.
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Book Review: Story Bug Personalized Children’s Books

If you, like me, have a child/children with names that are not common in the vernacular, or are spelled in a way that is less common, you know the devastation that is a child who can never seem to find “their” name in a book. Ditto if you have a child/children (again, like me) who never seem to quite find themselves in the characters they encounter.  Or if you have a reluctant reader, who can’t seem to find any characters that they can relate to on their own. Personalized story books are a fabulous solution to these challenges, and Story Bug is a fabulous source for that solution!

I was contacted by the company to ask if I ever reviewed personalized books. I reported that I had not but would be happy to, and I was invited to order several books for review. My obligation-free review copies were provided directly by Story Bug.

About Story Bug

(Taken directly from their website)

According to new data recently released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, reading and language arts test scores among children are the lowest they’ve been in decades across the board. And though the pandemic did contribute to a sharp decline in more recent years, this downward trend had already been happening pre-COVID, leaving younger generations struggling to catch up.

Concerned with the reality of this crisis, Dads Brendon and Michael knew they had to do something to flip the script, to turn the page, and to open up a new chapter. And just like that, eureka! This daddy duo dreamt up the brilliant idea to create personalized children’s books that allow little readers to not just tag along with characters but rather lead the charge and be personally part of the narrative.

But it wasn’t until Brendon and Michael witnessed the wide-eyed wonder on their own kids’ faces that they knew they had discovered something truly special. Using their fingers to trace letters that spelled out their names and point out their likeness, their children were thrilled to feel included in the stories they were reading.

You see … StoryBug books aren’t only for teaching early learners how to read, spell and string together sentences. They’re about spreading joy, empowering the imagination and immersing children in make-believe realms where they themselves are the heroes, turning every “once upon a time” into a personal journey of discovery. Designed to foster deeper connections with both the child and the reader, boost self-esteem, increase confidence and plant the seeds of possibility, our custom made-to-order books build anticipation, capture hearts and encourage a love for reading that can last a lifetime.

Personalized not only with your child’s name but with his or her physical appearance too, StoryBug adventure books are digitally rendered using state-of-the-art patent-pending AI technology. Watch your child’s eyes light up and their curiosity unfold as they hang on to every last word! Order your custom kid’s book NOW to inspire dreams and create memories that’ll stick around long after the final page is turned.

My Review

The Ordering Process

I found ordering my books quite easy and intuitive. At this time, there are limited options available as far as the customizations, in the interests of keeping things simple. I did have a difficult time getting the hair right for half of the books I ordered. I was informed that the company is working on this, to cover more hair types as well as colors and styles. Ditto the eye and body shapes, so do know that these additional options are coming. One of the books I chose – the space feature – allowed for two children, which was a fabulous way to expand the customization.
I really loved that I could personalize a message inside each book and found the variety of topics and themes offered to be nicely varied across interests. My only challenge there was in picking one topic for each book! The checkout process was straightforward and on the whole I found the website to be intuitive and easy to use.

The Books

The books themselves are very cute. The drawings are colorful and complex with a lot of detail. The customizations turned out exactly as I imagined they would based on my experience during the ordering process. The stories are straightforward in their messaging and offer positive and inspirational adventures and life lessons. The print is large and easy to read and the designs are super fun and visually appealing.

The hardcovers are large, like standard children’s picture books, and the paper is sturdy and of a nice quality also. These will definitely hold up to much love and rereading!

Story Bug Vision

The company’s vision is perfectly in line with my own, when it comes to children’s books and reading, so I felt it worth including here:

“With StoryBug books, reading goes from a chore to a cherished pastime and part of everyday life. Inspired by the critical need to address the decline in literacy rates among children, we curate personalized page-turners that resonate with little ones at a personalized level. By incorporating their names and physical depiction into our stories, we’re empowering kids to step into worlds where they can be brave, kind, curious and entirely themselves.”

For More Information
You can check out Story Bug’s complete line of books online here!  Questions may be addressed to the company here.

 

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