The Kids’ Book of Paper Love, a craft haven for girls 10-14

Write, craft, play. That’s the backdrop to The Kids’ Book of Paper Love by Irene Smit & Astrid Van Der Hulst. For kids of a certain age this will be a creative cul de sac where they’ll be able to spend hours playing, dreaming and enjoying the love of paper. From the moment you pick up the book it’s obvious that there are details upon details lovingly crammed into every corner of every page. It’s thick, compact and just like those collector stamps at the post office, meant to be used.

Don’t feel guilty about using the book. It is meant to be consumed, ripped, torn out, written on, unfolded (and then possibly folded back incorrectly….), stamps taken out and stamped, laughed at and shared with friends. It’s more of an activity book that a ‘book’ that one will keep for years.  Use it with abandon, be messy and don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because you will.

The book says that it’s geared to kids 7-14. The younger side of that equation is a little optimistic. Those ages won’t be able to do most of the activities in the book without assistance. As this is a book that wants kids to have fun and do things themselves, that’s a bit of a problem. As stated the goal of the book is to explore, experiment and have fun. However, most 7 year olds would just destroy the book by doing anything except the intended craft. If you demo the book just a bit older, say to kids who are 10 and up; then those ages will be able to cut the pages and use the scissors as precisely as they need to.

However, even then the book won’t be an ideal fit for that age range. The Kids’ Book of Paper Love has a very soft, vibe about it the will make it more attractive to girls than to boys. For example, our 8 year old wants to do the crafts, but is unable to do them. Our 10 year old enjoys crafts and is able to all of them in the book, but isn’t attracted to the aesthetics and characters in it. For the record, we’re dealing with two craft heavy boys who like a variety of things and don’t exclusively have to play with ‘boy’ crafts or toys.

Boil all of this down and girls who are 10-14 and enjoy crafts will get the most out of the book. We don’t normally mention the price of books, because an expensive or inexpensive book is relative to the purchaser. My inexpensive book that I really enjoy might seem crazy expensive to you. For us, the $19.95 retail on this book is high. Granted you can get it online for around $13, which is a much more palatable price.

The Kids’ Book of Paper Love is a very well made book. Its quality and thought that went into it is evident from the moment you pick it up. Those who enjoy the book will really like the crafts; just keep in mind that this isn’t a broad appeal craft or project book.

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