Hallmark Story Buddies Review | Countdown To Black Friday Giveaway

We all know that exposing kids to books and reading at a young age is very important. Unfortunately, my kids would rather be running through the house than sitting still while I read to them. Rylie will occasionally sit down and listen to a story, but when I try to read to Bryce, all he wants to do is turn the pages. Lately, though, Bryce has been asking to read, and even though that means he wants to flip through a book by himself, he enjoys looking at the pictures and "reading" the story.

Hallmark has some great products that make reading so much more fun! Recordable Storybooks are one type of fun reading product that Hallmark makes, and you may remember the Recordable Storybook review I posted a couple months ago. These books are great for kids that can't read on their own yet, because as they flip through the pages, they will hear your voice reading to them. There are so many titles available in categories such as Holiday, Disney, and Literary Favorites. Some of these books now even feature music!

The Night Before Christmas Recordable Storybook holds a very special place in my heart. Last Christmas, my mom and dad recorded themselves reading the story to the kids, and I am so grateful that I have my dad's voice recorded in that story for my kids to listen to. Even though he is no longer with us, they will always remember his voice because of that book!

A newer product in Hallmark's Storybook line are adorable Interactive Story Buddies! The plush Story Buddy responds when an adult reads key phrases from the coordinating book. Each Story Buddy comes with one book, and additional books can be purchased to unlock new phrases. These cute plush pals come in characters like Abigail The Bunny, Watson the Raccoon or Cooper the Bear.

There is also one holiday Story Buddy - a cuddly pup named Jingle!

Story Buddies bring storytime to life, and make reading even more fun for your children. When you speak certain phrases in the book, the Story Buddy reacts. Check out this short video to see how they work...

We received Jingle the cuddly pup and Abigail the acrobatic bunny for review. Jingle and Abigail are super soft, and totally adorable, and they each come with their own storybook.

Jingle comes with "Jingle All the Way" and Abigail comes with "Abigail and the Balance Beam". There are more books that you can purchase separately to unlock new phrases in your Story Buddies.

I'm sure you are looking for the pictures of Rylie and Bryce playing with these, right? Well, I decided that my kids will love these Story Buddies so much, that I want to save them until Christmas. I love to see my kids' eyes light up when they open really awesome gifts on Christmas, and I know these Story Buddies are going to be one of their favorite presents this year. I am hoping that the Story Buddies will get them excited about reading, and they will want to do more of it!

The Story Buddies are available at local Hallmark stores nationwide for $29.95. I feel this is a great price for these, especially since they include a book. I have seen some voice activated products that don't work like they are supposed to, but I have played with these enough to know that they really do respond when they are supposed to. The Hallmark Story Buddies and Recordable Story Books would make great gifts for all of the little ones in your life!

Countdown to Black Friday Giveaway:
~*~Two Hallmark Story Buddies~*~

Winner will receive Jingle the Husky Pup and their choice of Abigail The Bunny, Watson the Raccoon or Cooper the Bear.

Visit Shibley Smiles for another chance to win Hallmark Story Buddies!

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received the Story Buddies at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. A big thank you to Hallmark for providing the giveaway prize!