Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book Review

My little J loves his books. If there is one other thing he loves more, it is sticker books. There is something fantastically soothing about trying to peel off a sticky-backed picture, handling it carefully as you try not to get it stuck to your clothes or the furniture and balancing it on your fingertips as you flick the book to find the right place to stick it.

One other thing J loves, perhaps as much as sticker books, is jigsaws. Unusually for a nearly 4-year old, the child can spend hours (I exaggerate, but definitely a good few minutes) pondering over the orientation and fit of jigsaw pieces.

Imagine his delight then, when Animals by Little Tiger Press came in the post for him to review. Animals brought together his two favourite pass-times, sticker books and jigsaws, in one snazzy carry-box. It was a surprise for me too, for you don't really expect a cardboard carry case when you are looking to review a book. But having a chunky jigsaw as a companion means that the sticker book too gets housed in a lovely container.

Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book

Needless to say, J was taken in by the bold and brightly coloured animals printed on the box. See how we got on with the unboxing of Animals in my little video. 

I was expecting him to make a dash for the jigsaw, but J opted to tackle the Animals sticker book on a priority basis. It is a colourful little book with a centre sheet full of re-usable stickers. The pages are wipe-clean, so little ones can not only peel and stick stickers, but can have a go at squiggling all over the book as they try to draw animals in their habitats.

That is actually what the sticker book is all about, wild animals in their natural habitats. So you have penguins on icebergs, camels in the desert, lions in the jungle and so on. It serves as a novel way to introduce the concept of habitats to little minds. Of course, don't expect them to give in to logic, not when they are four years old. So we had a zebra on an iceberg and an elephant in the deep blue sea just because J wanted them there. It could be a while before he decides to stick them where they belong. That's imaginative play, I suppose, so I intend to go along and encourage it.

Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book

After making sure all the animals had been properly housed, J turned his attention to the jigsaw puzzle. I must say I am very impressed with the make and quality of this particular jigsaw. The pieces are chunky and made of thick cardboard. They look sturdy enough to withstand repeated use at the hands of a pre-schooler. The colours are vibrant and the pictures are really quite cute. The 36 piece puzzle spreads to around 1.5 feet by 2 feet when complete.

Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book

J was intent on solving the puzzle all by himself, and managed to get it done with very minimal parental supervision. The concept of this jigsaw is similar to that of the sticker book. It depicts a variety of wild animals in their natural habitats. There are labelled pictures along the edge, so little ones can have a go at sounding out letters and reading as they go along.

I have only one small issue with the packaging. The picture of the completed jigsaw on the box is rather small. Although J refuses to use a picture to guide him when he tackles a jigsaw, there are many of us who do like a little help when choosing our pieces. A slightly larger sheet in the box would be great. Nevertheless, the striking colours of the small picture means that it does stand out enough to serve as a guide after squinting my tired ageing eyes.

Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of 'Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book' for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.