As a mom, my favorite time of day with the kiddos is pre-bedtime. It’s when my kids are clean, calm, and cuddly- just sitting on my lap as I read to them. So it was no surprise that when I initially set up ideas for the blog, that books were on the list. However, I will be honest and say that I had no idea that Usborne would be the subject line.
I am not sure about you, but I know the characters and names of my kid’s favorite books- not necessarily where they came from. So when I attended a craft show last Fall and saw three of our favorite books at Amy’s Usborne booth- I was intrigued to say the least. I introduced myself, bought another book for my oldest son, and then asked Amy if I could learn more about the company (in order to write a blog post). She politely said yes and gave me her card.
Since then, Amy and I have kept in touch and I most recently held my first Facebook Usborne Book Party. My first social media party ever, as an FYI. It wasn’t part of the plan and I was definitely a bit skeptical at first, but it worked out great. I was able to invite family members from all over the US and provide them with a wish list for my boys. A list of almost twenty new must-haves that my kids LOVE. It ended up being a huge win.
Okay, so now that you have some history on how this all came to be, lets talk about the company…
Usborne was founded in 1973 by Peter Usborne, and it currently holds 2000 titles. You may or may not have heard of it due to it’s location. The company is based in the UK- with offices specifically in London. Besides their website, the majority of sales come from individuals like Amy, selling directly to consumers. I, personally, love the one-on-one service aspect just due to how many books there are. Having Amy’s input, along with her passion for the company, is incredibly helpful to a mom like me. I asked Amy why she does this for a living and her answer was quite simple, "Because it takes the boring out of learning.” And she is nothing but right…
If you look at the images below of my son- it’s truly candid. I didn’t ask him to sit a certain way or look at a certain book- I was honestly just trying to keep up with him. He was so excited, engaged, and happy as he went through each one- which is why I am writing this to you today. As a family, we started with three Usborne books and by the end of this month I will have close to twenty. I have heard similar stories from several moms in the neighborhood, and I have a feeling you (yes, you) may just be next!
My hope is that you take a few minutes to check out their website, or email Amy if you are in the Houston area. There is something very special about these books and the way they combine creativity with learning. Clearly, I am a huge fan.
Photography: Merchant Inspired, LLC
