Jingle bells Batman smells... but this book doesn't! (Snappy Sounds: Christmas)

Member Name: karalouk

Product:	Snappy Sounds: Christmas
Date:	30/08/09 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A fun and festive book with fab illustrations, words, pop ups and sounds.

Disadvantages: Want more pages, can only really get it out at christmas.

'Snappy Sounds Christmas' is a christmas themed book by Happy Snappy and is created and illustrated by Derek Matthews. It was first published in 2005 by Templar Publishing.

If you haven't heard of Happy Snappy then you have been missing out (if you have young children anyway) - they have a fabulous collection of pop up books, noisy books, felt books, snap cards, sticker books and giant pop up books.

I had never heard of 'Snappy Sounds Christmas' until it was given to my daughter by a family remember at her first christmas.

The book is hardback and has a very durable cover. The cover is also very bright an eyecatching, and manages to cram all things christmas on to it - santa, reindeer, a stocking, christmas tree and a snowman! The book is about an inch and a half thick and is quite heavy. It also has 10 pages and every time you turn a page you are greeted by a two page christmas spread with giant pop ups and festive sounds (there's no need to press any buttons, the sounds work automatically). Each page has a small paragraph of writing which is really cheery and rhymes. Down the side of each page are a list of things which can be seen across the pages and their name underneath to help teach youngsters - eg. snowflake, sleigh, teddy bear.

The first and second page has a snowman pop up with lots of animals (Happy Snappy use animals instead of humans) playing, throwing snowballs, building snowmen and sledging in the snow. The pages are complete with rhyming words and a 5 second rendition of Jingle Bells.

The third and fourth pages have a pop up of Santas sleigh being pulled along in the sky by his reindeer. There are clouds, stars, tree tops and rooftops in the background. The pages are complete with rhyming words (the word 'sleigh bells' is highlighted in capital letters) and the sound of sleigh bells.

The fifth and sixth pages have a pop up of Santa going down a chimney. Other things on the pages include reindeer, stars, moon, rooftops, a stocking, teddy bear and snow. The pages are complete with rhyming words (the word 'ho ho ho' is highlighted in capital letters) and a sound clip of Santa saying ho ho ho.

The seventh and eigth pages have a pop up of a christmas tree covered in lights and decorations. Other things on the pages include a fairy, presents, holly and lots of animals gathered around the tree. The pages are complete with rhyming words (the word 'bells' is highlighted in capital letters) and the sound of a bell.

The ninth and tenth pages have a pop up of carol singing children (animals of course) and an adult standing behind them holding a lantern. Winter clothes, snow, holly and a snowman are also featured on this page. The pages and the book is complete with rhyming words (the word 'carols' is highlighted in capital letters) and a 10 second rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

My daughter absolutley loved looking through this book last christmas and now she has more understanding of christmas she enjoys it even more - I can't wait to sit down and read it with her properly this christmas! The illustrations are brilliant and the sounds are excellent and gives the book quite a unique touch. It's totally unisex and will be enjoyed by both little girls and boys. This is also a great book for teaching children about different things to do with christmas (though not in the Jesus sense!) - Santa, Santa going down the chimney, flying reindeer, christmas carols, christmas trees, bells, presents etc. Overall this is the perfect book for the run up to christmas.

The books RRP is £9.99 which might sound steep to some but I think it's a reasonable price to pay for a quality books (particularly with pop ups and sounds). You might be able to find it cheaper if you shop around. It is currently on sale at Amazon.co.uk, WHSmith, Waterstones and from the Templar Publishing website.

The book states on the back cover that it is not suitable for children under 36 months, this is probably due to the battery compartment. I think 'Snappy Sounds Christmas' would best suit children 6 years and under, but the pop ups are quite delicate so it's probably best to keep an eye on them.

I would definitely recommend this fun and festive book to anybody that has young children or as a nice little christmas present.

Summary: Great book for little ones over christmas.