A few of my children’s favourite things:

• story time with a passionate storyteller (the ability to create a different voice for each character is a bonus)
• evocative, compelling, colourful picture books
• packages in the mail

I’m not sure if Dr Amy Scott realised she was ticking so many boxes when she created Little Bird Readers but in doing so she has made my kids genuinely happy (and the mood is contagious!).

Little Bird Readers is New Zealand’s first children’s book subscription service. The idea first sprouted when Amy was watching a children’s play and one of the characters mentioned a book subscription: “For the rest of the performance I was completely distracted by thoughts of sending books in the mail!”

She shelved the concept for a few years but revived it when she became a mother; reading to her daughter was just the inspiration she needed to get the business off the ground.

“Every month I thoughtfully curate beautiful and engaging books for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and families, and pair them with a literacy development tip card. These tip cards contain simple but effective ideas for things you can do when sharing the book with your child, to help support their reading development, no matter how young they are,” she says.

Along with the tip card, subscribers also get access to the exclusive section on the website, which houses more activities, ideas and articles to help you and your child get the most from your subscription. Amy (a Speech Pathologist with a PhD in Education) utilises her expertise in speech, language and literacy development, to ensure the tip cards and exclusive content are age appropriate and supportive of well-rounded development of essential language and literacy skills.

“Little Bird Readers is not about teaching children to read, rather, I am focused on supporting parents to provide the best early literacy experiences possible for their little birds, to help them grow into confident and enthusiastic readers and communicators,” says Amy.

As soon as Amy reached out to me I knew that I had the answer to many of your Christmas gift dilemmas. Because if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the last few Christmas’s wishing that the gifts could be spread out so as not to be so overwhelming (and under-appreciated) on the day. This, my friends, is the solution!

Once a month for three, six or twelve months, a quality children’s book will arrive on your doorstep addressed to your little one. A personalised note will be attached and each book comes with a tip card so that you, the storyteller, can be inspired to take the story beyond the pages. A subscription also gives you access to exclusive online content so you can be informed about all things literature for little ones.

It’s the perfect gift, in my opinion – expanding imaginations and building libraries, one book at a time.

Amy admits becoming a mother has significantly changed her perspective on children’s books.

“…I now spend so much of my day reading children’s books, and it’s become really important to me that the books I read with Ivy are mutually enjoyable! There are plenty of books out there that she is happy to look through by herself, usually with simple pictures and very few words. But, if we are going to sit down and share a book together, I want it to be something that I think is beautiful, and engaging, and has morals and values that align with my own. Because of this, I am always so careful to choose books for LBR that, along with being developmentally-appropriate, fit these criteria – they must be beautiful to look at, with engaging illustrations, excellent language, and a storyline that feels right.”

Amy’s favourite books (an ever-changing list) for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and older children include:

1. Anything by Oliver Jeffers, with his quirky illustrations and hilarious stories, are great – at the moment we love ‘A Little Stuck’ and ‘The Way Back Home’.
2. Alison Jay’s wordless books (a favourite in our house is ‘Welcome to the Zoo’) are fantastic, as they elicit so much discussion from older children, and younger ones love the detailed pictures that tell their own story.
3. Donovan Bixley is a New Zealand illustrator, who adds a fantastically unique kiwi twist to classic nursery rhymes. His ‘Wheels on the Bus’ and ‘Old Macdonald’s Farm’ are on constant rotation in our house.
4. I love the Iggy Peck, Architect/Rosie Revere, Engineer/Ada Twist, Scientist series for their diverse characters, and fantastic role modelling for kids to explore interesting and challenging career paths, and follow their dreams. David Roberts is one of my favourite illustrators, and his illustrations really bring these books alive.
5. Big Picture Press does an amazing selection of non-fiction books for older toddlers and preschoolers that have absolutely captivating pictures and engaging text. The books are like a trip to the best kind of museum, without even leaving the couch. My favourite two are Animalium and Maps. These oversized beauties are well worth checking out!

This is a sponsored post. Thank you, so much, for supporting the small businesses that so generously support me.