An entertaining yet educational children's book: My review of A Perfect Pet for Peyton by Gary Chapman & Rick Osborne

MY REVIEW

Peyton and Penny, twins who are celebrating their birthday, star in this unique tale from Gary Chapman and Rick Osborne. After dropping numerous hints to their parents about their wishes for their birthday, the twins are rewarded by a visit to the wonderful pet emporium. Upon arrival, they are greeted by a host of friendly animals and discover that 3 of their special friends have also arrived ahead of them to greet them and attend their party. As each child is matched up with the "perfect pet", the children learn about how love is expressed and given, and the primary way that they like to be loved through 5 different love languages, such as acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, physical touch, or receiving and giving gifts.

A Perfect Pet for Peyton is an imaginative, colourful read that my children greatly enjoyed from start to finish. Even my 3-yr-old sat captivated throughout the story, which is quite long for a toddler to sit through, as he loved looking at the fun pictures and discovering the antics of the animals that are featured. The story is a wonderful way to introduce the concept of "love languages" to a child, and my older children immediately grasped the different ways that children like to receive and give love, whether through spending quality time with someone, receiving gifts, or getting hugs or high-fives through physical touch. As a parent, I appreciated that the book includes a little quiz to help you and your child figure out how they like to be loved. I also liked the interactive nature of the book, where the authors send the readers on hunts for insects hidden in the pages or challenge them to identify different animals in the pictures. Although the story is a bit long for a typical children's book, it still manages to be entertaining while teaching children a valuable lesson about love.

I strongly recommend this read and award it 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection:

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Learn more about the book at the product page at Moody Publishers.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

 GARY CHAPMAN, PhD, is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellingThe 5 Love Languages. With over 30 years of counseling experience, he has the uncanny ability to hold a mirror up to human behavior, showing readers not just where they go wrong, but also how to grow and move forward. Dr. Chapman holds BA and MA degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively, MRE and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has completed postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University. For more information visit his website at www.5lovelanguages.com.

RICK OSBORNE is a bestselling, award-winning author of both parenting and children's books. One of Rick's main goals is to create resources that help families develop loving relationships and peaceful, happy homes. Among the many children's books he's written and coauthored are, 'The Legend of the Christmas Tree,' 'The Legend of the Christmas Stocking,' and the '101 Questions Kids Ask About God' series. These have sold millions of copies and have been translated into many languages. Rick has coauthored books with Dr. John Trent, Josh McDowell, Larry Burkett, and Dr. Gary Chapman. He helped write and produce the booklet 'The Most Important Story Ever Told' which has had over 50 million copies distributed around the world. Find out more by visiting www.rick-osborne.com.