REVIEW: Belle and Boo Bubbles Before Bed

Chopsy Baby is reviewing… Belle and Boo Bubbles Before Bed

Belle & Boo are a children’s lifestyle brand based in Bristol. It was launched by illustrator Mandy Sutcliffe in 2007. Originally, Mandy sold prints of her illustrations until expanding the business with a friend and growing the product range. The Belle & Boo collection includes girls clothing, cushions, stationary, prints and soft furnishings.

Character Belle, is a little girl with bobbed hair and vintage clothing curious about the world around her. Boo is her magical friend, companion and confidant – a rabbit.

Reviewed by…
Chopsy Baby’s Jen Smith

Bubbles Before Bed is a To Do book, that is somewhere between a story and activity book for children. On Belle’s journey from water play in the garden to settling down in bed for the night, there are gentle, calming down activities. Youngsters will be able to follow simple, illustrated crafts including making a flannel puppet, imaginative drawing, creating a paper boat and crafting  a delightful Boo mobile.

There is a dreamy, innocent 1950s feel to the book without it feeling old fashioned or nostalgic. It perfectly captures that time of childhood where everything is a magical adventure, a time a parent desperately wants their own child to experience and relish in. It is untainted by the crash bang of computer games, witty 3D animation but manages to steer well clear of baby blue and pink insipidness.

The book is printed on really lucious paper and though to an adult it would suit gentle pencil crayoning, this is not what it asks for. It invites children to love it. But not by keeping it safe on a shelf. It begs them to cut, write and draw all over it. 

Bubbles Before Bed screams “give as a gift.” But though it makes an excellent present, buy this book for your little girl. Let her love it through the medium of doodles, glue and stray particles of glitter.

Best of all…
It’s visually beautiful and so innocent.

The Boo mobile is a must-do craft.

Could improve…
Nothing. It’s simply wonderful. Will be hard for the adult buying to actually part with.

Basically…
If  you are hunting for a birthday present for a girl, forget the garish supermarket tat. This book is just perfect.

You can buy from…

£6.99
www.belleandboo.com