Barbara Houghteling is co-partner of Birthday Keepsakes, an online baby keepsakes website. When she came up with the idea for a personalized storybook, her daughter Jana, then a senior in high school, read her mom’s verses and decided she could do better. The Houghtelings worked with an artist to create the illustrations that accompany the rhymes, and recently The Perfect Name For You was published.
I received a copy of The Perfect Name For You for my 5 year old son, assuming he’d like it, but I wasn’t expecting him to completely fall in love with the book. Like most kids his age he just loves seeing his name on just about anything, and to have it printed on his own picture book is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Having read a multitude of alphabet books, many of them using animals for each letter, it’s always refreshing to see a new twist on the genre. To celebrate the child’s birth, each animal brings something for each letter in their name – the moose brings an A for antlers, the lion brings an M for mane, the ant brings a P for picnic. There are multiple animals for each letter, so even though my son’s full name has 5 As in it — first, middle and last are all used — there were no repeats. Adding to the fun is a ladybug that can be found in each picture, and at the end is each letter of the alphabet brought by a different animal. My son loves to go through that list and point out the ones included in his book.
The Perfect Name For You is a wonderful gift for a new baby or preschool-aged child that will be cherished for years.
Birthday Keepsakes is offering a free personalized storybook to 1 winner, US or Canada only. Please leave a comment below and the winner will be announced on in this weekly book giveaway column on Monday February 6.
- The winner of House of Secrets is #26 Christina Gould.
Nancy is happy her son loves his name as much as she does. She writes about her 2 boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.
This would be a perfect gift for my niece’s birthday next month! What a great idea!
My little ones would enjoy this at bedtime.
Would love to win this one!
What a nice book.
I would love to win, so I can share the book with my preschool class!
I would love to give this to my brand new nephew! Thanks for the chance!
What a great keepsake! This would be perfect for my daughters 2nd birthday! Thank you!
I have a nephew who would *love* this book.
I would love to take this to school and read to the kids.
i would love to win this
What a wonderful idea. The illustrations look detailed, also.
I would love to win this for my son! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
This is such a cute idea! I’d love to have one made for my new daughter. We spent so long deciding on the perfect name for her.
these are such a cute idea for a book
What a great book?! I love personalized books and so does my daughter. Thank you very much for this wonderful giveaway!
THIS WOULD MAKE A GREAT GIFT FOR MY NEPHEW, THANKS!
We LOVE books! This is too cute!=)
love this book- excited about your giveaway- thanks!!
would love this for my son
nannypanpan at gmail.com
I love these books. I was thinking after Mister Man was born that writing the perfect story about his name would be a great book idea… but I never did it. Good thing someone else did? 😉
my children love books! i would love to get this for them
I’d love to win this give away. It sound like a book my son would love.
Would love this for my daughter Mikalah. Her name is spelled very different and is hard to find things with her name.
My boys kamaal and alijah don’t see their names at all so I know they would love this. heck, i would have loved this as a child being that my name is just a color
What a good book.
this is a great idea! inspires me to read to my son more
My nephew Charlie would feel so special to see his name in a book!
My daughter would love this. She loves to read
what a great giveaway! i know several kiddos who would love this
what a wonderful keepsake for my little guy!
annae07 at aol dot com
My son would love this!
Thank you!
Please enter me. thank you.
Jesus loves you!
This book sounds adorable! My daughter would absolutely love it and so would I.
this is too cute! id love to have this for my son!
Our son Jarrett is just learning to read and would loveto see his name in a book,,,,,,,,,cute keepsake 🙂
soudns lie a really neat book being a former teacher i love kids books and both my kids love books
Oh what a beautiful book!
Such a sweet book to read to the little one’s.
It sounds like a great book. I’d love to share it with my little one!
my son would love this
I really like getting my grandkids personalizes gifts. A book would be great for an upcoming 5th birthday. Thank you for telling us about it. Glad your son loved it.
I would love this.
What a fun way to get kids pumped up about reading! Either one of my kiddos would love this!
This sounds like a wonderful personalized book. Thanks.
This would be a great book for my daughter.
Our grandson would really enjoy this story book.
Perfect for my godchild!
my sons bday is next week, this would be a cool surprise for him
Cute book
Would love this for my youngest grandson–Zion Promise (I wonder what they’d do with the Z?)
Thank you!
My kids would love this! Thank for the giveaway!
Margaret
singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com
Would love this for my daughter!
So cute
what a great book and very special to the one that would get it.
My stepson’s name is very different and he sometimes gets upset because it is so different. I’d love to have this book for him!
My daughter’s name is unique in spelling, what a special way to celebrate her!
I have a friend who has a new baby born in December and I would love to have this for her! Thanks!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Great giveaway, my son would love this
My girls would love this!
I would love this for my son’s 3rd birthday coming up. He loves to read and would love a book that is just for him.
My kids would love this – such a neat idea!
Would like to win for my son, thanks.
Great gift book!
this would be a perfect gift for my grandaughters birthday coming soon
vlbelk(at)hotmail.com
Love to win this for my nephew. : )
I know some little one’s that would love this.
What a special book! My best friend is pregnant with her first child – I’d love to give this to her!
Many thanks for this unique book.
My daughter loves to read and this would be so cute to give her!
Sounds like a great addition to a child’s library!
my family is full of creative names so when we had a book made for us as kids we were amazed by it!!! My sons Cadel and Dashiell will have the same issue!
This sounds like a great book – my daughter, Lorelai, has yet to see her name in a book!