Little Feminist Book Club is a monthly book subscription box for kids ages newborn to nine years old. Each month you will receive one to two books selected to help diversify your bookshelf for $22.95 per month + $2.95 flat rate shipping. Plus, you will also receive hands-on activities and tools to help your book come to life. Subscriptions are offered for ages 0-2, 2-4, 4-7, and 7-9. From Little Feminist:
Only 31% of children's books feature a female character, and only 13% feature a person of color.
This review is of the Book Club for ages 4-7 years.
This box was sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
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Little Feminist Book Club items come in a distinctive cardboard holder with drawings on it. In addition to the book(s), Little Feminist includes an introduction to the book (which has an activity on the reverse side – see below) and a bookmark with thought-provoking questions.
What's Inside The Box
My Two Border Towns by David Bowles - Retail Value $17.99
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The story revolves around a boy and his father that live in a border town. Today is one of the days they venture to the other side: to see friends and family, eat at their favorite restaurant, and buy groceries they can get back home. But the main purpose of their trip slowly reveals itself as they bring supplies, buy toys and food, and more. They eventually visit with refugees who are stuck between two countries. The boy and his father give the supplies to families they know and share some time with them. On the way home, the boy imagines a day when his friends will be able to travel to and from the border towns just like him.
My daughter didn't quite understand the idea of a refugee or even the thought of different countries. She was mostly concerned by how far away the towns were. She didn't grasp that, although they were very close, in someways they were very far away. Even though she didn't take an interest in this installment, I can tell you that is very nice, colorful, and tries to explain a subject you won't see in many children's books. Maybe this will be of more interest in a few years.
From Penguin Random House:
A picture book debut by an award-winning author about a boy’s life on the U.S.-Mexico border, visiting his favorite places on The Other Side with his father, spending time with family and friends, and sharing in the responsibility of community care.
Early one Saturday morning, a boy prepares for a trip to The Other Side/El Otro Lado. It’s close–just down the street from his school–and it’s a twin of where he lives. To get there, his father drives their truck along the Rio Grande and over a bridge, where they’re greeted by a giant statue of an eagle. Their outings always include a meal at their favorite restaurant, a visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, a cold treat from the paletero, and a pharmacy pickup. On their final and most important stop, they check in with friends seeking asylum and drop off much-needed supplies.
My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, with stunning watercolor illustrations by Erika Meza, is the loving story of a father and son’s weekend ritual, a demonstration of community care, and a tribute to the fluidity, complexity, and vibrancy of life on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Available in English and Spanish.
What Do You Think Card
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Each book comes with a 'What Do You Think' card that provides questions that you can ask your little reader about the book. They are nice in the way they help you ask direct questions– something that might actually get a real answer rather than "It was good" or "I liked it."
Little Feminist In Action
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This month's "Little Feminist In Action" was a bit of a big ask. There is a "BINGO" board with titles of other book likes My Two Border Towns. First off, it's not a BINGO board. It's not even a square. Secondly, while a trip to your local library is always worthwhile, I don't imagine many kids interested in playing this game. It's basically a list of other books to read, which is enough. I prefer the activities we can do at home right after we read the book. Having said that, there was a sort of additional activity included in the box this month: a colorful postcard designed by the books author. It features a quote from Dina Nayeri. For some reason the message side has to/from written on it, but we just ignored that. My daughter was delighted to send a postcard to a cousin to say she misses him. Although after we put it in the mailbox, she looked at me and said, "Now what?"
Verdict
To be quite frank, this story didn't land in any way for my daughter. I wouldn't call it a bad installment or anything, but usually she latches on to something or asks questions. This time, she was over it pretty quickly. I think that's more her than the subscription. This book fits in very well with what we've come to expect from Little Feminist Book Club. They shine a light on subjects that most children's books would never bother with, in my opinion. Plus they do it from a child's perspective and try to get your reader to ask questions. Even though this particular installment might not make it to my daughter's person bookshelf, I think it was a worthwhile read and we'll keep it around for the next kiddo.
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
Subscribers – current or future – will have to be understanding of the fact that Little Feminist Book Club is not a subscription that saves you money. The cost of the sub will always be a little more than the book itself. This subscription's true value is the quality of the books and the complementary paperwork, which is carefully chosen and sent to your front door. If you are focused on dollar amounts, this subscription may not be for you. The monthly subscription costs $26 (with shipping). This book retails for $17.99. That is a $8 difference in value. As usual, this book can be found on Amazon for cheaper. In this case, about $4 cheaper. The content is always good, but I would understand if some parents were dissuaded by the cost difference some months. Especially after several installments.
One thing to note: Little Feminist offers four ways to purchase: monthly, three months, six months, and 12 months. They cost $22.95, $21.95, $19.95, and $18.95, respectively. Shipping is always $2.95. So if you were certain you'd like this subscription for a year, it would be $4 cheaper per month and much closer to the book's retail value.
To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. You have to order before the 25th to receive that month’s selection. So at this point, you will get next month's. From Little Feminist:
Once you purchase a book subscription your first box will be shipped within a week. From then on, your book box will be sent the first week of every month.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist.
Do you subscribe to Little Feminist Book Club Box? Comment below with what you thought.
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