Custom Made for Kids publishes the personalized hardcover children’s book, The First Adventures of Incredible You,a  rhyming story of YOUR child’s everyday experiences – playing in the park, going to a sporting event, and being with their family and friends. Click here to see the virtual book tour.

Custom Made for Kids was founded by two Sarahs, Sarah Riley Headrick and Sarah Foreman Rivera. Their friendship began at a weekly suburban playgroup and turned into a business venture when they realized that the gifts that they most enjoyed giving and receiving were personalized and had special meaning for the recipient’s family. Their first personalized children’s book is The First Adventures of Incredible You. Custom Made for Kids also offers gift certificates and custom bookmarks. It would make a great baby shower, birthday or holiday gift.

When the Sarahs, as I like to call them, approached me about doing a review, I was hesitant. I’ve seen so-called customized books at craft fairs – cheaply bound laser printed books obviously produced at home or the local Kinko’s. But knowing how easy it is to self-publish books these days, I thought I’d give it a try.

I went to their website and took the virtual tour. The illustrations were gorgeous and the story captivating. I loved the rhyming text and knew my daughter Lucie would adore a story featuring herself and her family. So, I decided to make a book as a gift for her fifth birthday next month. I went through the ordering process, which was easy. Just make sure to give some thought to your answers and TRIPLE check your entries. Check out is through Yahoo Store. After my order was placed, I received several email updates.

I received my book on time and was thrilled with the story, the gorgeous illustrations, the quality of the book, and the personalization. The only criticism I can offer – and it’s a small one – is that playing at the beach isn’t a universal experience for landlocked kids. (We live in Colorado.) I put in the name of a pond near us, but it didn’t quite work since the pond doesn’t have a beach where we could make sand castles as shown in the book.

The cost for The First Adventures of Incredible You is $32.95 plus $5.95 for standard shipping (and $2.22 tax for Illinois residents). The book’s quality is excellent and you can’t tell that it comes from a small business rather than a large children’s book publisher. The book features high quality paper, hard cover binding, and full color printing. While $40* does seem like an extravagant amount to spend on a book, you are not just buying a gift but something that your family will cherish. In fact, I’m sure that The First Adventures of Incredible You will become a family heirloom to be passed down from generation to generation.

Use checkout code feast15 (all lowercase please) for a 15% discount. The code expires on March 15, 2008, the last day to get your order in for Easter.

*My book was free as are all of the review copies I get from publishers.

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