In a magical garden of flowers and berries
there lived a group of beautiful fairies.
They arose and stretched in the morning sun.
A very important day had begun.
Back in February, I was approached by I See Me! Personalized Children’s Books to write a review of My Very Own Fairy Tale in April. My Very Own Fairy Tale is the company’s book of the month for April. Additionally, the book has won multiple awards including a Mom’s Choice Award, a Family Choice Award, and a Creative Child Magazine book of the year award. As a mother and librarian who loves books, I immediately and without hesitation said yes. I received a personalized copy of My Very Own Fairy Tale in exchange for an unbiased review.
About the Book
According to the information sent to me about the company, I See Me! strives to provide the highest quality and most personalized children’s books available. The book company’s mission is to increase self-esteem in children through personalized books that celebrate the uniqueness of each child. The goal of the books available through I See Me! is to show children how unique and special they are as individuals as well as to teach children how to spell their names and to help build vocabulary skills. As a mother who recently earned her master’s degree in linguistics, I am highly appreciative of a book company that focuses on skills such as vocabulary and spelling.
My Very Own Fairy Tale is written by Maia Haag and illustrated by Joyce Patti. In the book, flower fairies bring letters one by one to spell out the first and last name of your daughter. At the end of this beautifully illustrated story, the fairies crown your daughter as their fairy princess. According to the I See Me! website, this book is recommended for little girls up to age 12.
My Opinion
When I first received my copy of My Very Own Fairy Tale that I had personalized for my daughter, my first reaction was that I thought the cover and illustrations were beautiful. The cover is decorated with a fairy princess throne surrounded by flowers, plants, and fairies. The colors are brilliant. My daughter especially loves staring at all the green on the cover because her favorite color at the moment is green.
On the front page of the inside of the book is a personalized dedication that I picked out for my daughter that reads:
This book was made especially for
Poppy Johnson
who arrived on December 12, 2011
Love Always,
Mommy and Daddy
Other dedications are also available. I chose “Love Always,” but other wordings include “With Love From,” “For Our Very Special Fairy Princess,” and “I Love You!” Parents and other gift givers can also chose dedications for special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, baptisms, and other holidays and events. I really like not only that the books are personalized with the name of my child but that I can also personalize the dedication to make the book a little more special. For example, after I received my copy of My Very Own Fairy Tale, I ordered a God Loves You! Personalized Book to give to my daughter for her baptism. For the dedication, I chose “On Your Baptism Day From.”
Turning to the first page of the story, I discovered that each page is just as beautifully illustrated as the cover. I love all the bright colors, and so does my daughter. When I read her this book, she just sits and stares at the pretty pictures. I really love the uniqueness of each fairy. The fairies in this story are unlike any other fairy that I have seen in any other book.
As I began reading My Very Own Fairy Tale to my daughter, I was pleased to hear that the story rhymes. Rhyming is so important for language development. Plus rhyming is just fun! I especially like some of the more unique rhymes not found in other stories such as blossom with awesome and advice with nice. I can also already tell that my daughter picks up on the words that rhyme because she seems especially interested when I read this book out loud to her.
My favorite part of My Very Own Fairy Tale is that in the story the fairies chose their fairy princess by spelling out the letters in the my daughter’s name. A different fairy makes a suggestion by listing a positive quality that begins with each letter in her name. For example, for N, the fairy says, “If you’re asking me for my advice, let’s choose my friend who’s really Nice!” and, for O, the fairy says, “This Observant girl sees it as her duty to admire the world’s delicate beauty.” Each characteristic is positive and empowering for a little girl.
Finally, at the end of the book is a glossary of the fairies in the book entitled “The Fairy Patch” that features sixty-two fairies. Next to a picture of each fairy is a description of the plant that she represents. As a mother with a flower name and a daughter with a flower name, I really appreciate all the additional information about the plants and flowers featured throughout the story, which makes the book educational as well as a just plain fun and positive story for little girls.
Final Verdict
I really like My Very Own Fairy Tale. My daughter and I give the story four thumbs up. In fact, as I said, I liked this story so much that I have already bought a second I See Me! personalized book for my daughter. I look forward to reading this book with her again and again. If you are in the market for a special gift for a little girl, I highly recommend My Very Own Fairy Tale.
- UNIQUELY PERSONALIZED STORY – This story includes the child’s first and last name, birthdate, photo of the child and the sender name(s) for the dedication page and an illustrated Fairy Patch featuring 62 fairies with interesting facts about their flowers and berries.
- PERFECT FOR BIRTHDAYS, BABY SHOWERS, AND HOLIDAYS! – This personalized story is a lasting keepsake for new baby girls through age 8.
- YOUR CHILD IS THE MAIN CHARACTER – Fairies celebrate your child’s special traits by spelling her name, and crown your child their fairy princess!
- HIGH QUALITY – This 44-page (on average), 9 by 11-inch hardcover book is perfect for girls ages 0-8.
- SHOP WITH CONFIDENCE – Your order will be made with a commitment to premium quality and the recipient will love it! Our goal is to uphold your reputation for giving distinctive, personalized gifts that deliver smiles of joy and laughter.
For more information or to make a purchase, visit the I See Me! website.
Disclaimer
The Parenting Patch was provided product sample(s) to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of The Parenting Patch only. The compensation or sample has no bearing on the opinions stated in post. A product was provided by the company mentioned in the review or the PR agency representing said company.
Image Credits
‘My Very Own Fairy Tale’ from I See Me! Book Review © 2016 Heather Johnson
Cover of My Very Own Fairy Tale © 2016 Heather Johnson
Dedication of My Very Own Fairy Tale © 2016 Heather Johnson
Illustrations of My Very Own Fairy Tale © 2016 Heather Johnson
Illustration of My Very Own Fairy Tale © 2016 Heather Johnson
The Fairy Patch of My Very Own Fairy Tale © 2016 Heather Johnson