Reviews For Babybug Magazine


Eagerly anticipating Babybug

I haven't seen this magazine in close to 20 years and still have the inaugural issue. Based on the magazine from 20 years ago, I purchashed a subscription for my grand-niece without hesitation. I also plan to follow up w/a subscription to Ladybug. This was, and I'm guessing it still is, a quality magazine for little hands.

Among my daughter's favorite things to read

The text of this magazine is large, clear and easy to read, and the size is small so that my 21 month old daughter can pick it right up and bring it to me (which she does, trust me). It's not as durable as I was expecting, a page has already fallen out of an issue we got 3 months ago. Not torn out, mind you, fallen out. I'm hoping this won't happen again as no other reviewer has mentioned this as a problem.
The stories are generally well done and there usually seems to be at least one "classic" poem. In the July/August issue there was a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, which I think is just wonderful. Classic poetry in between a story about the Fourth of July and a silly poem about a ball.
The drawings are lovely to look at with animals and people, realism and whimsy, and multi-ethnic children. The last two issues I've gotten seemed to have a lot of girls drawn in them (only one story with a main character that wasn't obviously a girl in each). This would probably bother me a lot more if I had a son, but as it is...
The cost bothered me a bit at first but I figured that each issue was less than most books and getting a new one breaks up the monotony (for me at least).
The main thing I don't like about Babybug is clearing out the subscription cards when I get it. The paper stubs that are left behind drive me crazy. I'm already subscribing, and the paper cover has a gift subscription coupon, why all the cards? I'm not going to hand them out to people or anything.
Any complaints, however pale in comparison to the joy of having my daughter climb onto my lap with her Babybug and start talking about the character's shoes.


Recommended:
Yes

Sturdy and Enjoyable

Babybug is full of simple, colorful, kid-pleasing illustrations and short poems and stories about the activities that make up a toddler's day--getting dressed, bedtime, playing with trucks, wishing on stars . . .

I was pleased to see that the illustrations included sensitive depictions of parents and children of all races, not just one. I want my son to see and accept all people. Fathers are conspicuously included, often shown tucking in, rocking, singing to, and playing with their children. Other stories are illustrated with artistic or humorous depictions of animals.

Each issue begins with a story about Kim and his or her stuffed animal, Carrots. The child's gender is never revealed, so all children can identify with Kim. (Actually, I think Kim is a girl (based on the shoes), but my mom thought it was a boy--the only person we know named Kim is a man). Each issue also includes Mother Goose rhymes and stories of loving family relationships. A helpful parent section explains the stories and suggests simple activities to go along with them.

The one major drawback is the cost. As a financially challenged work-at-home single mom, I could never afford to spend so much money on a magazine for a 1 1/2 year old! Luckily for him, "Grandma" delights in her first and only grandchild, and loves to "spoil" him with presents. Since he LOVES books, she got him Babybug. The magazine is printed on card stock instead of easily ripable and crumpleable paper, so it will last, but each issue costs as much as a board book, which would last even longer. Each issue does include more than one poem or story, however, so you be the judge!

If the money isn't a hardship, buy it for yourself or someone else--it is a high-quality magazine that my son thoroughly enjoys.


Recommended:
Yes

Great for 2 yrs & Up

I have been receiving Babybug for 3 years now and my four year old daughter still enjoys every issue. The repeated charaters (Kim and Carrots) get her excited and help bring a flow from magazine to magazine. The short stories and illustrations are lovely.

The only reason I did not give this a 5 star rating is that my daughter did not start enjoying this magazine until she was 18 to 24 months (not 6 months as is suggested by the age). Now my two year old son is enjoying the stories as well as my daughter. I plan to use these as "early readers" for my daughter as the are fast reads.

Cute baby magazine/book

It's cute for young children under two. My 18 month old daughter enjoys me reading the stories, almost every night, there's not many stories in it, but she doesn't seem to mind that. I animate them for her and she thinks it's great. Definitely age appropriate, not too many words per page. A couple pages have been ripped out already but I reglued them to the spine with wood glue, which works great. Now it seems sturdier for her rough play. But the pages themselves are nice and thick so they haven't torn at all. It is smaller than I pictured it though, a little square booklet, but it's been great for us.

Nice

We've been receiving Babybug for two years...beginning with my daughter's first birthday. They are quite enjoyable. The stories do start to get very similar after awhile. But then there is always Ladybug.

Darling (& expensive) magazine, but enjoyed more by me than by littles ...

My children (ages 3 and 1) both love books and we're regular library visitors; I thought getting magazines would be a terrific supplement. Well ... thus far I'm the one who's getting the most from the magazines. I don't know if the characters, illustrations, stories, aren't appealing to my children. ??? Of our three subscriptions, the children seem to be most interested in Wild Animal Baby -- not this or Click. (and Click is by far the least favorite) I still think Babybug is cute, albeit expensive (seriously, esp. given my children's [lack of] interest). If I'd known my children's reaction(s), I most likely wouldn't have ordered it.

Really Disappointed

I was very disappointed with this magazine. We got a subscription based on all the great reviews, but were unhappy with it. Each magazine has a story about Kim and her stuffed rabbit, Carrots. There is noting special about these simple stories. Then the rest of the pages were poems, nursery rhymes, or stories about a common theme. The were mostly poor quality writing. I felt for the cost of the magazine, we could have bought collections of better written poetry for children. As well as better stories. Don't waist your money!

Some content questionable

I was fully prepared to purchase two gift subscriptions of Babybug; however, after reading a sample issue changed my mind. Once concern was the selection of the nursery rhyme Old King Cole who "smoked a pipe" and the second was the contrasting of big and little using a pig and a wig. I would prefer not to show smoking in a book geared to such a young age group and find it unusual that a wig was chosen. These two choices by the editors in the same issue regretably caused me to reconsider and decide against the purchase of this subscription.
I

VERY Disappointed...very expensive for what you get...

I bought this as a gift for a friends daughter who is one year. The reviews were great, I was so excited. I thought it was a bit pricey, but if she liked it I would get it for my one year old twin boys. First of all it has taken over 4 months for it to arrive, and it was sent to me, not my friend (which is not how I set it up).

I agree wtih others' reviews...thin, flimsy and the content was very disappointing; 3-4 sentence rhymes. I was expecting something similar to a board book, that would be appeciated even by a 2yr old.

I will say the Artwork is very nice.

I will now give it to my friend, but I do feel a bit embarrased over this 'gift'.

I would have rather bought her several books for this cost.

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