Here are some great reasons why I love these books:
- They have more pages, and more pages means they keep kids busy (and happy) longer.
- They offer more detail and more challenge. The graphics inspire critical thought (Is this a silly thing to find in the supermarket or not?) and the red lens that looks like a magnifying glass makes kids feel like Sherlock Holmes as they search for secret items.
- There are mazes, hidden items and pages where kids can compare two almost-identical pictures and find the anomalies. It is more than just wiping water on a picture.
- Like the originals, the pages dry quickly and can be used over and over. It seems like kids would get bored after the first run-through, but children can enjoy the “reveal” and the sensory play of water on a page for a long time after they have solved all the puzzles. If you are at 30K feet and your kid is getting restless, this could buy you a bit of time without having to resort to screens that they will insist on for the rest of the (expensive) trip. Genius.
- Oh, and the pen is easy to grasp, and it develops a mature pencil grasp with repeated use. Yeah!
I think these would be terrific holiday gifts. If you are looking for more gift ideas, read Automoblox: For the Discriminating Preschool Gearhead and Melissa And Doug Tape Activity Book Is Reusable Fun for some other good toys that build skills while having fun!
