Bella's Birthday Book -- A Princess Primer

I spied this book, A Princess Primer, over a year ago when I was shopping for a birthday gift for my niece, Bella.  Perhaps I'm not all grown up yet, but I like this princess book, and I'm not even a girly girl..... well, not much of one, anyway.

Last year, I thought A Princess Primer might be a little too detailed, and I ended up choosing Fancy Nancy for Bella's sixth b-day. But this year, I'm very excited about giving Bella A Princess Primer for birthday number seven.  It's a beautiful book, with interesting, engaging page layouts and interactive, delicate details.  It's kind of like a pop-up book, but not a pop-up... there are little envelopes to open and the book is full of surprises and treasures.  

Which makes me think it's a perfect birthday book for a special seven year-old in our family.

Happy Birthday Bella!  

A Princess Primer
Fancy Nancy

What to bring to a "no gifts" children's birthday party?

A)  Nothing.

B)  A favorite children's book!

Many parents feel anxious over "no gifts" birthday parties, feeling unsure whether it's really OK to not bring a gift.  While I feel it is perfectly fine to honor the party host's request, a great alternative to showing up empty handed is a gift of a favorite children's book.  

Children's books are my gift of choice for many occasions, and a child's birthday is a great time to add to the birthday boy or girl's reading materials.  There are many wonderful books available, and birthdays are a great time to choose something special, like a beautiful pop-up book, a book with great illustrations, or one of your family's special favorites.

Need inspiration to help find the perfect book for a birthday gift? Consider the birthday child's interests, and check online for some great kids' books blogs and Web sites. Have fun!

UPDATE:  Here's another great option for a no-gift party -- a musical greeting card.   They are a lot of fun!  

Color Surprises - a pop-up book

Look at this beautiful pop-up book, Color Surprises, by Chuck Murphy. It's gorgeous -- a simple book that shows a basic square of each color on every page, then.... surprise! .... the square reveals an intricate pop-up of a beautiful animal. Want to know some of the surprises? Green snakes, orange tigers, pink flamingos, black-and-white penguins, a yellow chick, purple butterflies..... they are all wonderful, particularly the last page -- all colors -- that reveals a beautiful coral reef full of colorful tropical fish.

Color Surprises is a beautiful treasure of a pop-up book.

The only downside of pop-up books is that they are fragile. My two toddler boys and pop-up books don't mix that well, and I'm sad to say that all of our pop-up books have suffered damages from too much love. That said, I do my best with Scotch tape and get on with it..... if a favorite pop-up gets destroyed, I will replace it.... I just can't imagine a children's book collection without the magic of pop up books, and Color Surprises is one of the most beautiful I have seen.

Color Surprises: A Pop-up Book