I have been a huge fan of the personalized books from I See Me! after receiving a copy of My Very Own Fairy Tale for my daughter almost four years ago. My kids have amassed quite a collection of custom books since that time. My daughter is now super excited to read her own name in her books as she learns to read. Thus, when recently offered the chance to review a copy of My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition from I See Me! written by Maia Haag and illustrated by Mark Mille, I eagerly accepted the opportunity.
About
“On October 19, 2014, the news spread far and wide. ‘Did you hear?’ the creatures said, ‘A baby boy arrived,'” begins My Very Own Name. To celebrate the fifteen anniversary of a classic children’s book, I See Me! has updated the design with a limited edition cover and a special letter to the child from the co-creators. In this bestselling book, animals bring letters one by one to spell out the first and last name of the child in rhyme. At the end, the animals celebrate after creating the perfect name for the child. The book has won awards from iParenting, Mom’s Choice, Creative Child Magazine, Benjamin Franklin Award, and HomeSchool.com Award.
Price
My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition currently retails for $34.99. At approximately forty pages depending on the length of the name of the child, the book is a bit more expensive of other books of comparable length. However, other books lack the personalization that My Very Own Name and I See Me! offer. I would definitely pay the current price for a copy for my child. In fact, I have purchased personalized books from I See Me! for my kids. Thus, I rate My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition favorably in terms of price.
Quality
Kids can be rough on books, especially beloved books. The binding of My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition is very sturdy, and the pages are fairly thick. The book has already withstood the wear and tear that my son has put it through. He is still learning to turn paper pages gently, but, despite a few small wrinkles, the book still looks as good as new. I am certain that this book will last for years to come based on the high quality materials and construction. I therefore rate My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition very highly in terms of the quality.
Personalization
Recommended for boys and girls from birth to age 6, My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition allows for personalization of a child’s name, gender, and birthday. The child’s name appears throughout the story. The purchaser can also include a custom dedication in the front of the book. I chose to dedicate the book with “With Love From, Mommy and Daddy, 2016.” I See Me! also allowed me to include a photo of my son on the first page above the dedication, which I think makes the story book that much more special. I also love that the beautifully illustrated animals bring letters one by one to create my child’s first and last names in rhyme. I therefore rate My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition extremely highly in terms of personalization.
Text
“The orangutan offered the letter O by dangling it from his big, hairy toe,” reads one of the personalized pages of My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition. Written for a wide range of early readers (ages 0 to 6), the book features a rhymed text that appeals to little readers and grown-ups alike. I personally love reading rhymed verse aloud to my kiddos because, not only are rhymes more fun to read, but rhyme is also important for early language development. My daughter was also excited to read a book that features her baby brother’s name. She already had her own name book in My Very Own Fairy Tale, so she was thrilled when I started reading her brother’s name book aloud. Children love seeing their names in print, and both kids and adults will enjoy reading My Very Own Name again and again. I therefore rate this personalized book extremely highly in terms of the text.
Illustrations
Illustration Mark Mille began his art career as a child when he first smelled oil paints and kneaded erasers. From a childhood of painting at the kitchen table, his career later found him producing illustrations for major national clients, teaching illustration, and creating original oil and pastel paintings. His award-winning work is now held in private, corporate, and museum collections across the country and abroad. His animal illustrations in My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition are beautiful and whimsical. Children will love exploring the colorful pages as the animals bring letters one by one to spell out the child’s first and last name. The end even includes an animal encyclopedia of many of the animals found in the book. The beautifully illustrated personalized children’s book also helps children to learn to recognize letters as the animals spell. Both my kiddos and I love pouring over the intricate pictures in this book. I thus rate the illustrations in My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition extremely highly.
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Transcription: Hi! I’m Heather from The Parenting Patch. I received a copy of My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition from I See Me! in exchange for my honest opinion. “On October 19, 2014, the news spread far and wide. ‘Did you hear?’ the creatures said, ‘A baby boy arrived,'” begins the book. To celebrate the fifteen anniversary of a classic children’s book, I See Me! has updated the design with a limited edition cover and a special letter to your child from the co-creators. In this bestselling book, animals bring letters one by one to spell out your child’s first and last name in rhyme. At the end, the animals celebrate because they have created the perfect name for your child. Each page of My Very Own Name is adorned with beautiful and whimsical animal illustrations. The end even includes an animal encyclopedia of many of the animals found in the book. The binding is very sturdy and the pages are fairly thick. The book has already withstood the wear and tear that my son has put it through. Celebrate the uniqueness of every child with your own copy of My Very Own Name. If you are a fan of customized books like me and my kids are, then definitely give My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition a read. For more information, please check out my full review on The Parenting Patch.
Final Verdict
As with all the other books from I See Me! that my kids and I have read, My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition written by Maia Haag and illustrated by Mark Mille is already another family favorite. My daughter loves hearing her baby brother’s name spelled throughout the pages. In this bestselling book, animals bring letters one by one to spell out a child’s first and last name in rhyme. The binding is very sturdy, the pages are fairly thick, and the book has already withstood the wear and tear that my son has put it through. I look forward to reading my son his personalized name book again and again as he grows. If you are a fan of personalized books like me and my kids are, then definitely give My Very Own Name 15th Anniversary Edition from I See Me! a read.
For more information or to make a purchase, visit the I See Me! website. In addition to books, I See Me! also offers lunchboxes, puzzle, coloring books, placemats, stickers, and growth charts. You can also follow I See Me! on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+ or sign up for emails for promotions, discounts, and updates.
Image Credits
‘My Very Own Name’ 15th Anniversary Edition from I See Me! Book Review © 2016 Heather Johnson
Cover of My Very Own Name © 2016 Heather Johnson
Dedication of My Very Own Name © 2016 Heather Johnson
First Pages of My Very Own Name © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Page of My Very Own Name © 2016 Heather Johnson
Letter in My Very Own Name © 2016 Heather Johnson
