When we’re on the road (whether we’re going to the grocery store or driving across the state), I always pack books as entertainment. Toys are nice and provide some diversion, but – books! Ah, wonderful books! – they provide wonder and education and new surprises on each page.
“Dictionary” style books are an especially good pick for traveling because there are so many things to see and point out and talk about on the pages. The Busy Baby “First 100…” series (by Make Believe Ideas) is a great example of this kind of book. We have “First 100 Words,” “First 100 Animals,” and “First 100 Things That Go“…and all three feature vivd photographs, playful colors, and the corresponding words in handwriting-style font.
My daughter loves to point out the pictures as I ask questions, “Where is the pig?” or “Where is the baby who is bending over?” I like the books because they allow me to “teach” my daughter basic vocabulary words in a way that is fun for both of us.
Books in the First 100 series can be purchased on Amazon.com for approximately $6.99 each.
WIN IT! One winner will receive all three books from the Busy Baby collection that are highlighted in this review. To enter, leave a comment on this post prior to Monday, July 14 at midnight (don’t forget to follow the rules). * Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.
*UPDATE* The winner is #128 Jackie H. Congratulations!
We have somethinga bit simular but not nearly as extensive. I remember reading over them with Nicky and Zane…and likely will withthe new baby. I’d love to read an extensive one like the ones you reviewed ;)
We just completed a car trip this past weekend that was about 3 1/2 hours each way. We borrowed a portable DVD player for peace of mind but never had to use it once! My son was either sleeping or paging through the 10 books I brought along. These books look great for car trips.
these look perfect for my oldest. He is always thumbing through books, especially in the car.
thanks!
PS: I am excited to meet you at Blogher in 10 days!
Looks like some great books. I think it’s so important to have lots of books in your home. We use the library a lot but sometimes we just don’t get to it. I love having a large stash that my kids can grab and get whenever they want. Their books! Thanks.
These would be great for long plane trips. Thanks!
It’s so funny you would mention that about books.
I feel the same way!
My best girl friend is due any day now with her first child. She had gotten some hand me downs from her cousin, and some of them were these cute cloth books. She gave them to me to give to Goodwill. I snatched them up!
She doesn’t understand how important books are to kids. I can give my daughter a toy, and her attention span is evident, If I give her a book or a magazine, she will sit for half an hour babbling to the pictures and asking me questions. (At least I think they are questions, they have a lilt at the end so I’m assuming it’s what she’s trying to do.)
I hope my friend will learn, and if not, he has all the time with me to learn a love for the written word!!
this would be great for our church bag!
I love this. Please count me in. I feel a kid can never have too many books.
Hmm, these would good for the flight we’re taking this summer.
Can a child ever have enough books?!
I got something like that for Jayce at the library one time and he. loved. it.
I’m blessed with a boy who loves books, probably due in part to the fact that I bombard him with them every chance I get. Needless to say then, I’d be thrilled to add these to his collection.
I just bought a small board book of animals yeaterday,you can see the little brain starting absorb everything. I like how these books show actual pictures and not drawn illustrations.
Great idea for the car! Been looking for something for those long drives.
We too love books in the car. These look like great “teaching” books that my 18 month old would really like (animals especially!)
we travel lots by car to and from our families which is about 4 hours away.
i always pack an entertainment bag that sits in the back seat between the two kids so they both can reach into it. but i would have to agree, the books i pack almost always keep their attention the longest.
i have never seen these books. what a great idea!
my son has recently discovered our “where’s Waldo?” books.
These would be great for our little one.
We love books around these parts! Thanks for the giveaway!
I’d love to have these for a trip we’re taking across country next month. Our little guy would probably look at them over and over the whole trip.
calvin’s favorite picture book has photos of objects and words. these “advanced” books offer more photos and more vocabulary options. i remember when I was 2, my mom identified objects and their names in a picture book similar to these. i’ve never forgotten that book. i’d love calvin to have the same memories when first learning word and picture association. thanks for the contest, stephanie!
What a boon for long summer trips!
My son is almost 2 and still not saying a whole lot, I think this would give him the little “push” that he needs to get more into it and stop being so lazy about learning. He really loves books so this would make for some great quality time & learning time.
This sounds like a great way to introduce words to babies.My dd is 10 months old and finally getting into books.I would love to use these books to increase her interest
My 2 year old loves to read books. These are the kind of books she could sit there by herself and “read” or cuddle with mommy to read. Love all the bright colors.
these would be great for our next trip
My baby’s favorite word is ‘agua’ which means water. :)
These books would be great for my daughter. Thanks so much for the opportunity.
Count me in!
These would be great for my little boy!
What great books for the little one.
I love books for kids and these would be wonderful to have at our home.
This would be perfect for great friend, a new mom. THANKS for great contest!!! :)
I’m lucky enough to have three readers, who love books!! My oldest is into young adult books like Stephanie Meyer, my 9 yr old is going through the Erin Hunter books and my 4 yr old is just starting so we’re doing the classic easy reader books at the moment. I love these that you’ve talked about though, they look bright and colorful!!
I would love these for my great-grandchildren! They look like something they could use for a long time.
wow
These books look incredible. What a way to help a child learn to read!
My son loves looking at books and since my parents live 7 hours away, these are a must-have for the long car ride! Thanks! chrisandamyward at comcast dot net
My 2 year old grandaughter is fascinated with the names and sounds of animals right now. She would love the animal book!
These would be great to start teaching my foster child.
My daughter would benefit from these books. They are great!
this would be great for my grandkids…great giveaway
Very, very cool! I’d love to have these to start working with my son!
My husband and I are both enormous book lovers, and adore the opportunity to pass that love down to our daughters. My older daughters love all kinds os story books. For our baby – I agree that these types of books are fabulous! They both entertain and teach so, so much! It has been fun seeing our baby’s big sisters love to look at books similar to these with her, remembering them from their own babyhood! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway/contest!
These look great for Silas. Enter me please.
Perfect for my new grandson Luke.
I have a new grandbaby on the way; these will be great. Thank you!
I love this one
Reading is so important. I think its great that these books are out there for parents.
Very nice prize.
These books look great.
You can never introduce books and learning too early. Great prize.
gkstratos@ yahoo.com
I’d love this for my friends’ baby.
These books would be great for both of my boys. My oldest is going to start pre-school this year he would love these. Thanks for the giveaway!
These would be perfect for my nephew!
I though I was leaving a comment about these books but I was on the flashcards comment page. Oops! I was saying how I like how they have realistic pictures. :)
This would be perfect for my daughter!
I was just looking at these book in the store the other day. They are wonderful, please enter me!
Our books keep getting worn out and in need of replacement. Could use these.
these looks great !
i would give them to my mum who watches children during the day :)
This would be helpful with my daughter
Looks like a neat set of books! I’d love to win!
Great prize that I would LOVE to win!
My daughter is just now getting into pointing to objects and it is so rewarding to see her face light up when she points at an object. We clap and cheer and make a big deal every time. These books would be great!
Put me down as another life long reader who wants to pass it on to the next generation. The books in this giveaway are a perfect way to fire curiosity and simultaneously give a sense of achievement. Thanks for choosing these as a giveaway.
Nice prize!
love to win for my grandson
I’d love to win these for my baby (due in October). These look really cute.
These are wonderful books
I would really like to win these book as not only are the words there but also pictures which help kids tremendously. Thank you
like to win this
Our daughter is expecting her second child and some fresh, new books would be fabulous!
I’m always on the look out for anything to make traveling easier for the kids.
I think this would be perfect for my youngest grandson. My dd would love reading it with him and teaching him new words.
Great Prize !
This would be so much fun with my new granddaughter :)
I too give my son a book in the car. First the book was for chewing, but now he will look at the book and be entertained, until he tosses it. Anyway, it would be nice to add more books to my son’s collection.
Perfect books for toddlers!
I would much rather have my children read books in the car than to plug in dvd player and let them veg. What great books!
These would be perfect for car trips and sleepovers with Grandma
These books look great! I’m a teacher, so I have TONS of elementary-aged books, but my collection is definitely lacking in the baby books department! :) Thanks so much!
Seems like we are in the car all the time (despite gas prices!). These would be great to have along.
these would be so perfect for our trips this summer. my daughter is learning about animals, and trying to strengthen her vocabulary and these would be so perfect to help with that
reading books just before bedtime is my favorite part of the day
books help shape a love affair with words and ideas. the sooner you introduce them the better
These books would be great for my oldest but would be even better for my youngest. It would be great to teach her with these books, thanks so much for such a great opportunity!
These would be great for my nephew who is behind on his speech. It would really help him get at the level he should be at or even help him excel. I would love to give these to him for his birthday or Christmas.
love this idea!
This would be very useful!
Thanks :)
sweet
These books would be perfect for my granddaughter!
Thanks.
These would be helpful in keeping my daughter quiet during church.
These look so fun. My oldest had books similar to these and he loved to look at them in the car when he was a toddler. I found them the other day and the edges are all chewed on…..I can tell which ones were the favorites, either torn, colored or chewed on!
yay I love coffee.
have not seen either of these, they look great!
can always use new books in our house
I Love these books, they are fantastic, they look just the thing for my daughter.
I share your views about these types of books- my son loves his truck book- we’re on our third copy!
These are such nice books. They’d be great to have for long car trips or having to sit at the doctors appointments to keep the little ones entertained. Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the picture dictionary style books, they can be used for so long. I bought one for my nephew when he was learning to talk, then a different one when he was learning to read, and a yet another different book (1000 words this time!) for when he was taking speech classes. Its a fun, laid back way to learn SO much.
love these books
This is a great giveaway! You can never have too many books, and in the world of ‘learning letters/numbers/animals’, I’m finding that there are sooo many options to choose, it boggles the mind. Thanks for the recommendation and your experience with these particular books!
I can’t get enough books for my twin girls…they love the bright colors and these are great!
These would be great for my little granddaughter Lily! Thank you for the giveaway!
Super idea for car trips!!!
These books look wonderful! Books are the best! Good luck to everyone!
Sheesh. Are you in my head about what to pack for this trip or what?? : ) I guess it’s the vacation season except for us, with twin toddlers, this is a major first adventure. I’m so scared. These books would be perfect. Then again, we have two of these kinds of books and they do LOVE them. Great idea!!
My daughter is just at the right stage for these now
I love to keep books in the diaper bag, these would be perfect.
This is so amazing! I’d love to win! Thanks for the opportunity!
I just love these type of books. They would be great to help teach my 2 year old. Thanks for the chance to win!
My daughter would go from one picture to the next wanting to hear what it was called. This is a great collection of books and she would have loved it. Now I can share it with my other ones though!
I would love to win these for Tristan!!
As was best said in those old Saturday morning PSA’s “Reading is FUNdamental”. I began reading to my now 4 year old son and he LOVES books over TV. GLTA!
This would be a great diversion when the child is a little hyper and just needs something to help wind them down. It distracts them enough to not realize they are now minding the rules
Hi again! I’ve considered writing books for babies and toddlers and of course, like so many ideas – some of mine have been done.
I think I’d use this book for the same purpose. We are just about to move to Pensecola – the transfer to a base there is my husband’s, we’re just waiting for call telling us exactly when. This would be great. I think the baby and I will likely fly out there, but just in case…!
And it would be great for short trips/TDY’s. If he winds up having a lot of them, the baby and I will likely go on some. Robert seems to like trips, he doesn’t get too thrown off track by changes to his normal day.
These books are fantastic. You have a load of adorable learning products. I would appreciate being entered in your delightful drawing. All is appreciated…..Thank you, Cindi
My son would love these. I get so excited after i read the book a couple times then he points to the picture and says the word.
Wait, did you say these are good for long trips? Oh yeah, please sign me up!
I would love to win these for my nieces daughter whom is 19 and expecting her first baby in oct of 08. She has many people supporting her and i want her to know that i also support her. I also love sunsets and photography and would like to send you my recent pics from vacaville ca, They are so beautiful.
thank you
auntie keli
You can NEVER have enough books for your children, what a great prize
please count this new again grandpa in
enter me
My son absolutely adores books! He is constantly flipping through books all day long! These would be great for him to look at to help him learn! Thanks for the opportunity!
The perfect gift for my granddaughter.
The kids would love these books! Thanks for the great giveaway!
I’d love to win these for my son. We’d have fun reading through them together.
I also love the dictionary style books. SO many pictures to look at!! One of my favorite things about these books in particular is that they contain REAL photographs and not just illustrations. Sometimes it’s hard to find real pictures in kids books.
This seems like the perfect style book for long car rides! We are in the middle of one right now as we move back up north and might be taking another one soon. I really appreciate the great pictures in this series!
My grandbabies would absolutely love these. I really love how well they take care of their books. When my kids were little i would find a lot of ripped pages.
Could really use to put in a gift basket. I got a new granddaughter in Feb., have a niece due this month, 2 friends, and 2 stepsons ( one a set of twins) all due this year. Please enter me, thank you
Great books! This is exactly the kind of book that my daughter is interested in right now.
I already know my sons favorite…”Things That Go”
These look like really great books-thanks.
My kids would love these—and the kids I work with too!
I area with the person who said you can never have enough childrens books….
just to cool
These would be a lot of fun for my daughter.
way cool!!! thanks for offering it!
great books i think my nephew would love these
What great books! These are exactly the kind of first books that all children love, and they help them learn new words so quickly. I would love to win these for our new little niece who will be turning one this month – what a great 1st birthday present!
Great books–what a fun way to learn!
Nice selection of books!
My son loves to read!! This would be great!! Yhanks for the chance!!
These were the type of books my kids loved when they were babies – would love for my SIL
Books are the most important thing you can give any child.
Thank you for your contest.
My daughter always loves to read books! Thanks for the contest!
indyfree07@hotmail.com
I can give this gift to my niece.
herry123_us@live.com
These would be perfect for plane trips!
This is great!
I know my son would love the book of animals and my daughter could “read” the pictures for him. We’re big supporters of our public library and all it’s books. Thanks for a delightful giveaway!
I’m looking forward to sharing the world of books with our little one — these would be a great place to start!
I would love to win this~
Great for our upcoming road trips!
This looks like a wonderful book. Both of my kids would enjoy this.
What a great book to add to a collection. Great contest!
great for my grandson.
Thanks for the contest! I’d love to win these books for my baby.
enter me please and thank you.
Great books!
Cute books – I would give these to my nephew!
What wonderful books for concerned mommies and others to assist in the development of their children. I want to win these!
My granddaughter is only 7 weeks of age, but her aunt is sure she will need these soon! :)
My son is 21 months and surprises me with new words everyday. He’d enjoy these books. Thanks!
Wow I love these books. They would be great for both my kids. I have one turning two next month, and one who is only 8 months old. What a great find these are. Thanks for the contest.
I am having my baby this tuesday. He is my first one. And I need all the help books can give me!!!
My son who is 10 months is starting to talk, this would be great.
Please enter me :)
This is something that could keep my son’s attention for quite awhile and that is a really good thing!
Please enter me
What a great idea for books for the little ones just starting out! I can think of atleast 2 moms I could share this with and would benefit from the books! Thanks :)
Both of my boys love to look/read books while in the car. These look like they would be wonderful for the road trips that we have scheduled this summer and early fall.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Sweet niblets!
this would be great for my 17 mth old!!great!!
These books look great and I would love to share this with my baby.
This would be great for my nephew!
I might have to read this on our next trip
My little granddaughter would love this book!
As an elementary art teacher, I LOVE picture dictionary books. When kids associate an image with a word, they learn words better and faster.
ty 4 the great contest!would be nice 4 my grandkids!
Words open up the world for young ones. my girl will love these.
Please enter me into the contest. Thanks!
These look like a great book for kids!