A Great Reminder that “Quirks Can Be Perks” in “Perfectly Maggie” Bedtime Story

*Disclaimer* I received the items in the post for review (from Perfectly Maggie®). All opinions are my own. The post may contain affiliate links.

We have gotten into a bedtime story rut lately. My 2-year old has maybe 40 books and asks to re-read the same ones over and over. And over… (if I have to read about Elmo playing hide and seek one more time, my eyes might just roll out of my head).

So, both my husband and I were thrilled when the “Perfectly Maggie: A Sleepytime Story” by Meg Maguire book set arrived at our doorstep. TWO NEW ORIGINAL STORIES! (GET LOST, ELMO!)  And not to mention, an adorable plush Maggie dog!

A couple of notes on the main book’s story – it is very sweet, has engaging illustration, and is well-written, but is also long. It took us about 10 minutes to read the book out loud straight through, which was about five more minutes than M had the patience for in our first reading. But I will say that she was engaged for longer than usual because she’d point to Maggie in the book and then to the matching plush and was just tickled that she had the dog in her hands that were in the story!

My overall impression – this is an inspired book for kids and the gift set has everything you need for an updated, entertaining, and enriching bedtime ritual.  While I initially thought M might be a bit too young for the long story, I read that according to a recent study by the University of Washington, self-awareness and self-esteem are already established in children by AGE 5*. So, it is never too early to check in with the kiddo on their feelings and help them feel empowered!

It is extra reassuring that this book was written by Meg Maguire who worked with a child psychologist and pediatrician and totally gets why this is an important message to get to our kiddos, and early. It also won the Creative Child Award’s 2017 Book of the Year Award! So you know Maggie and her Kind More Kennel crew are doing something right!

The bonus pop-up book was also a big hit. The plush and books (with some summarized pages to help with attention span) combo is our new “Elmo” but it is a refreshing change and makes reading 5x before bed much nicer! Maggie’s message that “quirks can turn into perks!” drives home self-acceptance and kindness in a palatable way that encourages sharing words and feelings.

“Perfectly Imperfect” could be our new family motto, and in turn has helped M, my husband, and myself enjoy bedtime story time again.

*Source: http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/11/02/childrens-self-esteem-already-established-by-age-5-new-study-finds/