A bunch of bloggers, not me b/c I'm not cool like that, got together made this cool book (which I totally think the cover of the book is gorgeous) full of activities, recipes, and traditions you can do with your family to make the holiday season less stressful, more meaningful, and all around more fun for everyone.
I was lucky enough to read this book before it's release date, Wednesday November 10th. You can purchase Christmas with Kids: Recipes, Activities, and Crafts for Amazing Family Memories from the editor of the e-book's website, A Whimsical Life and get bonus content of three videos to go along with the book, or you can purchase the Amazon Kindle edition now.
I give Christmas with Kids 3 out of 5 Stars; however, I will state that I am brutal reviewer. I notice things most people don't even think to notice or fret about. However, when you are a librarian and review books ALL the time it is part of the territory.
Frist off, I will again say the cover is gorgeous. Second, I will also say that there were some fun activities, recipes, and crafts that I'm planning on trying. I LOVED the Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt idea: I definitely think it'd make a fun couple's date. Now if only my husband and I could find some friends ;). I also think the extra touches in the Cookie Exchange Party was super cute and made it unique. The blackberry bread pudding recipe sounds delicious and the recipe appears sound. All in all, it is a fun book (that is totally inexpensive) and would make a great addition to a family's holiday traditions.
Now, I did say I'm a brutal book reviewer, and I wanted to stay true to who I am, so I have to give you the parts of the book that lost points for me. I realize the book is full of different bloggers with different writing styles, different photography skills, and detailed instructions, but I would hope in a book the writing and layout would feel more cohesive. I would hope the pictures, and depth of instructions be similar with mention of age activity or craft best for. I would hope the explanation of the text would be similar in style, and the look of the book be similar to really tie the book together.
Overall, the writing seemed unpolished, but I may be the only person to think of that. In regards to layout, I would've liked to have the book more organized and labeled as the crafts section, recipes section, and activities section. I would've liked to have seen the table of contents more clearly define the different sections of the book, and an index would be awesome. One aspect of the book that bothered me, but maybe it is just my computer, is the hyperlinks did not consistently work the way they intended. I was sent to all different sites, and some didn't work. I feel the links to supplemental materials would've been best to have all in the same area.
Some of the crafts, activities, and recipes I was super excited about, and others I could care less about; though I'm not super crafty.. However, I will say I wish the last activity/tradition was awesome and unique (like the Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt) rather than something almost everyone does already (Christmas Eve pjs.).
To be honest, Christmas with Kids is an affordable book with some really great ideas to make Christmas that much more fun with your family.
If you're looking for some Kid crafts or activities to do then this book is a good find. Go check it out.
What are some of your favorite things to do with your family during the Holiday Season?
No comments:
Post a Comment