I recently received a new set of children books that are launching in Canada by Twirl publishing. Twirl specializes in unique, interactive books and games for kids, although they are fun for all ages (seriously, they are recommended for ages 0-80). I have to say, I was immediately impressed.  It was evident that these children books were different than any that I have ever seen.  I can bet that these will become classics that every child will have in their library.  Actually, strike that.  Some of these books are so nice you will probably put them out on your coffee table for all to see.  I’m not kidding.  The books are big, bright, nicely bounded, made of high quality, educational and fun.  What else could you want from a book?  Here’s my review of each individual book.

The Ultimate Book of Vehicles – Having two very boyish boys, my little ones automatically gravitated to this book. There are more than 100 vehicles beautifully illustrated and over 60 flaps, rollers, swivels, pop-ups, pull-tabs and more. Your kids can learn all about the vehicles used in a construction site, for city maintenance, for demolition, agriculture, travel and more.  I liked it because I was able to use learn those all-important construction machine names that I often have to name when we’re walking down the street.  It’s really a win-win for all of us.  This book is recommended for kids ages 3+ and that’s a good thing because some of the parts that swivel are very delicate and can be ripped and pulled out if it gets into the hands of someone younger (trust me, I know first hand).

Presto Change-o! – Another fun, big board book. Each page includes a  picture of a drawing with some moving flaps.  Move them around and your little ones will discover a friendly creature.  A hat that turns into a bird, a Teapot that turns into an Elephant and a rocket that turns into a Penguin.  Each page is accompanied by a short paragraph describing both the object and the animal.  While this is a board book, I would not recommend giving it to your kids who are too young as the movable flaps come off easily.  Even my 3 and a half year old son accidentally removed some of them.  This book is too nice to wreck so make sure you hold it and move the parts and put it out of reach.  

My First Color Dominoes – This board book is cute, small, bright and teaches your little ones all about colours.  The best part, it comes with a game of dominoes that your kids can play with (large hard board dominoes). While the book was fun for my younger son, my older son loved playing with the dominoes over and over again.

Jojo’s First Word Book – Unlike the typical “first” word books, this one is made of high quality and includes a nice fabric handle so your little one can carry it around (it is on the heavier side).  The book is divided into 4 sections as follows: People (i.e. body parts, family members), Home, Out and About & Animal Friends. Each section is filled with shiny pages full of objects and their names.  While I loved every part of this book, my youngest son was only interested in the animal tab.  A Tree for all Seasons – This book, while short (only 3 pages long), is beautiful, bright and shaped like a tree. As the title states, it’s a story about the four season that highlights how tress might look in winter versus summer and what might be found on the tree throughout the seasons. I would highly recommend this book as a newborn gift. It’s a perfect addition to anyone’s children’s book collection.

Giveaway

Together with Raincoast Books, one lucky Mayahood reader will win all five Twirl books valued at $93.  Enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter below (please give it a few seconds to load).  Contest is open to Canadians. Contest ends Tuesday May 13, 2014. Good-luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feel free to view this 1 minute video where all 5 books are demonstrated with kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPU7H-KpFt4