elvisdo's Full Review: Magnetic Abc Book (26 Pieces)
I've been noticing lately how Little Visdo has a fondness for animals. If he sees an animal that he knows, he will point and make exciting noises. He can say a few animal names and know what sounds they are supposed to make. So it's not surprising that he is playing with a lot of animal-themed toys. His latest craze is putting the right puzzle pieces in the proper place and we have a lot of puzzles around the house for his enjoyment. That's the other thing I've noticed. Where did we get all these puzzles all of a sudden? It's as if they just magically appeared out of nowhere.
Even of greater interest is the type of puzzles that we have for him. A lot of them are simple board puzzles, all of them coming from the Melissa & Doug series. At first I thought these were too basic for him but it really has captured his interest (and it keeps him occupied for a good five to ten minutes if we are lucky). The latest one in our puzzle armament is Melissa & Doug: My ABC Book, a very innovative magnetic ABC book that makes learning the alphabet even more enjoyable.
My first inclination stemmed around the fact that the book can be a bit heavy for a toddler. There are five pages (really ten as two pages are glued together to make one) that make up this book. It is held together with a strong, shoe-lace type string that serves as the book's spine. It isn't bound tightly to allow for the pages to open up yet without it feeling too constrained. Each page features between three to four images, mostly animals that are identifiable through both the text and pictures.
Since there are twenty-six letters in the alphabet, there are, naturally, twenty-six magnetic pieces. Each piece is its own unique shape that fit properly into the correct slot. It also helps that the image of the magnetic is also featured on the page itself so children know exactly where it's supposed to fit. For example, when the magnetic of the monkey is taken out of the book, it's easy to find where it's supposed to be placed as the same illustration is also on the page where the magnetic sits. Even if all the magnets are lost, the book is still readable thanks to the images on the actual page.
The magnets do stay in place but are not ridiculously strong so a toddler cannot take them out. I also thought that meant that the magnets will fall out of place if a lot of roughhouse takes place, but surprisingly they stay put. However, they can be easily misplaced or lost if thrown around, like my son seems fond of doing. I can definitely see this becoming a hazard and recommend that this isn't a book/toy for kids that still like to chew on things.
The illustrations are very reminiscent of the old, vintage drawings from long ago. At first, I thought most of them were actually photographs until I realized these are all hand-drawn illustrations. I actually like the look of it as it shows that some thought and care was put into this product.
Reading along with the rhyming poems while matching the correct objects to the letter makes this a fun and learning process for children.
"Ss is for sun, which gives us light each day "Tt is for tiger, quietly stalking its prey"
The association between the object and letter helps reinforce the familiarity. My son is starting to remember what letter goes with what animal (or object). More than anything right now, he is proud when he puts the right magnetic into the right place.
Melissa & Doug: My ABC Book is a great idea to get toddlers interacting with many different things all at once. They learn the alphabet, they learn how to associate particular items with the right letter, they learn the names of the different animals and objects, and they learn how to put things in the right places. So far, it's a great tool for my son as he loves to solve things and have fun looking at animals. It's the best of both worlds for him.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift Type of Toy: Puzzle
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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