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Review: Personalised books and stories for Christmas time

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Wonderbly. All opinions are our own.

Personalised books are a really special gift to give children at any time of year, but unwrapping one on Christmas morning is always that little bit more exciting.

Story-telling plays a big part in our lives and I love to support new authors with their children’s picture books. As an aspiring new author myself (currently writing my first children’s picture book), I know how hard it is to keep young ones entertained and away from the iPad! However I also know from experience that putting them at the heart of a story and making them feel a part of it, will keep them turning those pages for hours.

Little Tester Approved

The latest books we have received are from Wonderbly and they have certainly been little tester approved. Wonderbly understand that it’s not just about sticking a child’s name on the front cover, it’s about little ones leading their own adventure. Families can create their own character by choosing hair colour, skin tone and gender. Once you have picked out your protagonist, you can then add a personalised message to the inside pages your book. We chose a special message from maman va baba (mum and dad) to add a special Persian touch to ours.

Pick Your Protagonist

What I love about the Wonderbly range is the way they give a new dimension to traditional old fairytales such as Jack & The Beanstalk. Times have moved on and so has Wonderbly thankfully. In this version, Jack, or rather Cyrus, doesn’t kill the giant. Insteadhe uses empathy to help him. Whoever came up with the name of the cow in this story was sheer genius as ‘Belvedere Benson’ brought a smile to little C’s face.

Hard Back And Soft Backs Available

Our little bookworm thinks he’s a minor celeb after being featured not just in the words of this classic, but also in the illustrations too. Mummy’s personal favourite is Cafe Cyrus at the end. The Wonderbly range is available in hard back and soft back and can be gift-boxed for special occasions too. We chose the soft cover version and were not disappointed as it is a sturdy option and stylishly formatted. At £21.99, it’s not the cheapest book we’ve read, but it’s good value by the standards of many other personalised books, and a smash hit with young C. I read it four times at bedtime on the day it arrived. The Wonderbly range is definitely a cut above the rest when it comes to attention to detail.

Looking For A Special Book For Christmas?

Christmas is my favourite time of year for buying children’s books. Among my favourite tales are Shhh Santa, by Julie Sykes and Tim Warnes and Little Reindeer’s Christmas Wish by Alexandra Robinson. However, there’s a new favourite in our house. ‘Cyrus, The Elf Who Saved Christmas‘ written by David Cadji-Newby and illustrated by Josh Cleland. Cyrus loved the idea that elves are really children in this story-book and really took an interest in the tale. It’s definitely a story to empower young children, teaching them about their own strengths and how to believe in themselves. I’m sure we’ll be reading this one for many festive seasons to come too! Wonderbly has 30 titles to choose from, so there is something for everyone when it comes to buying a keepsake. They also ship worldwide to your doorstep.

Special Discount For Readers

Readers of Saffron and Cyrus can also get £10 off their first personalised books when they sign up here. For more good reads, check out our Lark The Shark review here.

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Saffron and Cyrus is a Newcastle-based family lifestyle blog, covering health, wellness, days out, travel, reviews, recipes and more from our family life.
The blog is written by new mum over 40, Aranda, with input from hubby H and son, Little C.

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