Review and Giveaway: Shushybye Sleepover Surprise CLOSED

After struggling for over a year, we finally developed a successful bedtime routine for Nate. The 4 B's: bath, book, boob and bed. Since we've weaned, we're down to only 3 B's but we've extended storytime to not only foster our bond but to engage his mind before a restful night's sleep (or so we hope!). While Nate already has a few bedtime favorites such as Sandra Boynton's Pajama Time and the old standard Goodnight Moon, we were happy to get the opportunity to add another to our repertoire: Shushybye Sleepover Surprise.

Shushybye is a preschool entertainment brand designed to inspire children to look forward to sleep time and help parents prepare their children for sleep in a fun and loving way that encourages imagination. Shusybye helps create healthful sleep habits for toddlers and preschoolers.

Shushybye is a land in the sky where the Shushies (Snoozles, Dozie and Zeez) make dreams for children, then place them in Shushybye Dream Boxes, which are sent to sleeping children via the Shushybye Train driven by Conductor McCloud. In order to get their Shusybye dreams each night, children have to go to sleep on time for the arrival of the Shushybye Train! If a child is experiencing anxiety over the first day of school or visiting the doctor, the Shushies are there to help. With its colorful characters and imaginative stories, it's no wonder why Shushybye is quickly gaining popularity.

The Shushybye empire includes a television series, Shushybye Baby, which airs on BabyFirstTV and Comcast Video On Demand, DVD, CD's and live concerts featuring original Shushybye songs from the Shushybye Dream Band, toys and audio storybooks. There are even adorable Shushybye pajama sets for children!



In Shushybye Sleepover Surprise, when Dozie bakes her best friends, Snoozles and Zeez one of her famous Sky Pies, they put their heads together to find a way to reciprocate and show her how much they care about her friendship. With the help of two comical Shushies, Snort and Wheez, they all soon discover there doesn't have to be an occasion to be nice to your friends. The book features a glow-in-the-dark cover and includes a read-along/sing-along CD that includes 3 original songs and the entire story narrated by XM Kids' morning personality Kenny Curtis (who also voices all of the Shushies!).

I thought the book was a fun bedtime read, both with and without the accompanying CD. The audio read-along really brought the story to life. Nate was entertained by the illustrations and the message behind the story was very sweet. I thought the book was a little on the long side for a 19-month old, as Nate had a hard time paying attention from beginning to end. He would get antsy about midway through. But I do think it will be great as he grows a little older. The glow-in-the dark cover especially captivated him when the lights went out. We keep our Shushybye book on the nightstand so it's always within reach for naptime or bedtime.



I also had the opportunity to review the album Close Your Eyes by the Shushybye Dream Band. From the title, I expected a lullaby CD but save the last track, it was an up-tempo pop record with a sleep theme. The music seemed to hype Nate up so we chose to listen during the day or at bathtime rather than before bed. I personally didn't find the music to be as sophisticated as other CDs we own. I don't think it's something I'd be inspired to listen to if Nate were not in the room. But Nate seemed to dig it so we'll definitely keep it on rotation. His favorite track was the jumpin', jivin' swing tune, "Pillow Park Rock" but the big band "Snort and Wheez Theme Song" was a close second .



I wish our cable company carried the Shushybye show because I think it's something our family would enjoy. But in the meantime, I think the audio picturebook and CD are great additions to our ever-expanding library.

BUY IT: You can purchase Shushybye Sleepover Surprise ($9.30), Close Your Eyes (ARV $11.68) or other Shushybye merchandise from www.shushybye.com. You can also check out the band's tour dates to see if they're coming to a city near you!

WIN IT: One lucky winner is going to win both the Shushybye Sleepover Surprise audiobook AND the Close Your Eyes CD!

MAIN COURSE (MANDATORY ENTRY): Take a trip to Shushybye Land and tell me something you learned that I didn't mention in my review OR another item from the shoppe that you'd like to have. 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 on Twitter and tweet about this contest. You can do this daily! You may use the tweet below or come up with one of your own:

RT @kris10chumley: Send your preschooler to sleepytown with a Shushybye bedtime audiobook and CD! Ends 3/25 http://bit.ly/bllJCd

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

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

Giveaway will end on March 25, 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: This review opportunity was made possible by the Product Review Place. I received the above book and CD from Cara at SSR Public Relations to facilitate my candid review. I was in no other way compensated for this post. The thoughts and feelings expressed in this review are solely mine. Your experience may differ.