Once upon a Time

Rating:
Summary: Delightful book offers much more than just a story
Review: My daughter Amy (who just turned 5) has really enjoyed this book. It's printed on sturdy stock, with cheerful colors made even more vibrant by the glossy finish. When Amy first received it, she enjoyed punching out all the figures and insterting them into their matching slots. There isn't much of a plot, but this is fine because the text is simple enough for preschoolers to memorize, and for early readers to handle on their own. Tonight we had to read the book six times in a row, so that Amy could try a variety of different "stories." This book is definitely a great value!

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, interactive and interesting
Review: Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess storybook that changed every time a child opened it. This short-and-sweet candy-colored board book comes with 36 press-out pieces that let you choose a different picture for each spread, thereby changing the story each time it's read. Because it's really half story and half game, it provides interactive possibilities that never end. It's an absolutely perfect fantasy book for little girls age 3-6 in the throes of the imaginative "princess phase." Learning to read doesn't get any better than this.

Rating:
Summary: PRINCESS FUN
Review: Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess storybook that changed every time a child opened it. This short-and-sweet candy-colored board book comes with 36 press-out pieces that let you choose a different picture for each spread, thereby changing the story each time it's read. Because it's really half story and half game, it provides interactive possibilities that never end. It's an absolutely perfect fantasy book for little girls age 3-6 in the throes of the imaginative "princess phase." Learning to read doesn't get any better than this.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, interactive and interesting
Review: There is something unique and special about this book. As a volunteer who reads one-on-one to preschoolers, I have observed that, when choosing from an array of age-appropriate books, the children, boys and girls alike, invariably choose "Once Upon A Time" as the story they want to hear first. They love being able to make the choices that will make "their story" unique. They expand their vocabulary as they learn to identify unicorns, dragons, and tree houses. They can add to their early reading skills by naming the letters or even reading the words on the cut-out pictures. They learn that when the story is over, it's best to return the cut-outs to their well-marked places so they'll all be ready for the next reading of the story. And, perhaps most importantly, the story becomes a backdrop for thought-provoking conversations such as, "what would YOU wish for if a "magic duck" granted you three wishes?"

This book goes far beyond its fairly simple story and concept. I wish there were more interactive books of this genre for this age group.