Review, Reader Discount and Giveaway!: Life's Building Blocks," Storytelling Zaki"

Again, my good friend Michelle and her adorable daughters have helped us out! Here is her review of "Zaki" and "Life's Building Blocks":


We are normally quite practical when it comes to buying toys for our two children, so when I was asked to try out some items from Life’s Building Blocks I was excited. Included in the box of goodies I received was, “Storytelling Zaki,” six chapter books, and six activity books. My children were itching to dig in immediately, but with the craziness of the holiday’s I made them wait. Every day for two weeks all I heard was “when can we play with Zaki????” Finally I relented and pulled everything out. They listened to Zaki sing “Zaki’s Song”, and to the six stories which featured each member of the Spruce Street Six. Zaki tells short stories and has fins on his back which change colors when the kids are in situations where they should stop, slow down and think, or go for it! My kids understood the concept, and while my 5 year old was interested, my 7 year old was not. Zaki is recommended for children ages 3-6, however I don’t know that a 3 year old would understand the significance of the stories.

Click Read More below to see the full review!

My 7 year old quickly claimed the chapter books as her own and sat down to read “The Big Mistake.” The books are designed for children ages 6-11, and discuss different moral dilemmas as the members of the Spruce Street Six face difficult situations. Unfortunately, my daughter rapidly lost interest in these books and hasn’t picked them back up. When I questioned her, she said that they talk about all this stuff at school and she’s on vacation and doesn’t want to think about school right now. Fair enough.

The activity books are also designed for children ages 6-11, and are fun for my 7 year old. She has worked on them off and on and seems to enjoy the various crossword puzzles, word finds, and writing activities.

Now for the formal review, each of four stars:

Functionality: ** - These items are well designed and the overall concept is good. After reviewing the product, I think that it might be better suited for someone putting together a home-schooling curriculum.

Cost: *** - Zaki sells for $30 which is about average for a talking plush toy. The chapter books and activity books retail for $5.99 each which is very comparable to other books and activity books we have recently purchased from Amazon.com.

Overall Rating: *** – While my children weren’t super excited about the products, I think they would serve a very useful purpose in the right setting (i.e. a school or daycare). My daughter attends a private school and I plan on sharing my experience with these items with her 2nd grade teacher.

The winner of the Life's Building Blocks set was Amanda! Congratulations to Amanda and many thanks to all who entered.

One lucky reader will win a Life's Building Blocks prize package which includes Zaki, the chapter books and the activity books. To enter, visit the Life's Building Blocks website and find the names of the Spruce Street Six kids. Send us an email to contest.kidbuyproducts@gmail.com with BUILDING BLOCKS as the subject and the names of the Spruce Street Six in the subject. We'll choose one winner at random. All entries must be received by midnight on Monday, January 19th, 2009. Please read our giveaway rules here.

If you're interested in Life's Building Blocks for your children, you'll also be happy to learn that you can receive 20% off all purchases over $15 at http://www.lifesbuildingblocks.com/ with the discount code kidbuy20.