Review and Giveaway: Board Book Albums CLOSED

My son loves his picture books. One of his favorite activities is looking at family photos. It's a great way to reinforce familiar people and objects, and share stories with him about places we've visited or milestones he achieved when he was younger. But, as most boys toddlers are, he is tough on books. I am always very hesitant to show him our treasured photo albums out of fear that he will crinkle or rip the pages, yank or smudge the pictures, or chew the edges. I knew I couldn't have been the only mom with this problem so I was relieved to come across Board Book Albums.

Board Book Albums are kid-friendly photo albums in a chunky, board book format. These sturdy albums can withstand typical toddler abuse and make photosharing less stressful for parents. Besides the ingenious concept, I was really touched by the story behind Board Book Albums:

In January 2007, when my daughter Lucia was a year old, we realized that she was somewhat behind her peers in meeting certain developmental milestones. In order to encourage her speech development, [our] early learning specialist (who is like a speech therapist, but works with children before they begin to talk) suggested that I find Lucia a photo album to fill with photos of her family, toys, and other familiar objects in her world. When I was unable to find a kid-friendly photo album, I came up with the idea to create a board book photo album.

My hope is that many children will enjoy our board book style photo album. Kids with autism, speech delay, or other special needs may find it particularly beneficial as a learning tool, or just something fun to create with their own favorite photos.

Each photo album measures 7" x 7" and holds up to 20 4" x 6" photos, in addition to a cover photo frame which holds a 4" x 5" photo. Simply slide your favorite photos in through the openings in the top of the pages and voila - baby board book album!

Board Book Albums was kind enough to send me their flagship Take Your Pix album in blue.

I was very impressed with the construction of the album. It was the perfect size for Nate's hands and seemed very durable. No longer do I have to cringe each time he handles our precious photos! The adorable, felt-like "My First Photos" lettering on the cover gave it an alluring texture and the ridges on each page made it easy for Nate to turn all by himself. I had a blast choosing which pictures to include. I decided to start way back at the beginning, to show him that he was once inside my belly, and work my way forward to his first birthday. The pictures couldn't be easier to insert and I like that I can easily switch them to keep things interesting.







I also liked the unadorned pages that give you the option to keep it simple or decorate, if you're the scrappy type of gal. Older children could have fun sprucing up their album with stickers, stamps, markers or other embellishments. Board Book Albums would make a wonderful gift for grandparents or out-of-town family members. You could even use them as a baby shower gift or game, where everyone at the party takes turns writing messages on the pages for baby-to-be.

Bottom line: I would highly recommend Board Book Albums for your baby or toddler - even an older child to craft or gift. Reading is always fun but it's so much more special with your very own face and story.

BUY IT: You can purchase a Board Book Album online at www.boardbookalbums.com (ARV $19.95). There are currently four colors to choose from: white, pink, blue and yellow. But you can vote for the next color!

WIN IT: One lucky reader is going to win their very own board book album in their choice of color!

MAIN COURSE (MANDATORY ENTRY): Tell me how you would use your album if you win. Would you gift it? Keep it simple? Design it as a scrapbook? Get creative! Remember to please leave your email address in your comment if it isn't visible on your profile to prevent disqualification!

SUGAR ON TOP (BONUS ENTRIES): To maximize your chances of winning, you may do any or all of the following. Be sure to complete the above mandatory entry or your bonus entries will not count! Remember to leave one comment per entry.

1.) Follow my blog and/or subscribe via reader or email. If you already follow and/or subscribe, that counts! (1 entry each)

2.) Follow me and Board Book Albums on Twitter and tweet about this contest. You can do this daily! You may use the tweet below or come up with your own.

RT @kris10chumley: Share family photos with your little one and make storytime exciting with @boardbookalbums! http://bit.ly/ds4rig

Just leave me a comment with your tweet link. (1 entry per day max)

3.) Become a fan of Board Book Albums on Facebook. (1 entry)

4.) Sign up for the Board Book Albums newsletter. (1 entry)

5.) Add my blog button and leave a comment with the link to where I can find it. (1 entry)

Giveaway will end on February 23, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Open to U.S. only. Winners will be chosen via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to congratulatory email or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I received a Board Book Album to facilitate my candid review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are purely mine. Your experience may differ.