When I first looked at the Tidy Books bookcase on their website I was a tad hesitant, thinking it would be far too big and bulky and wondered if it really be any better than a normal bookcase.
When it arrived I was quite surprised (hey, that rhymes!) at how un-bulky it was. Assembly was easy and the instructions were clear. I was impressed with how many fixings have been used because you are going to want this bookcase to be secure and able to withstand the hands of little people. I did have a small muttering-moan, under my breath, that they might want to consider including the right-sized allen/hex key for the screws ala Ikea. Ho hum, not to worry, fortunately we have quite a collection of them and found one that fit. I was also very pleased that they have included very-important fix-to-the-wall screws too because as the bookcase was coming to life it began to look more and more like a potentially hazardous wobbly ladder.
So, now we have it built and securely attached to the wall. Jacob and I had a pleasant few hours selecting his favourite books and arranging them in various orders; we first set them out in rows of colours, “no, no, Mummy, I think we should try sizes now” so we un-arranged them and re-arranged them into height, then topic, then thickness, then bendy-ness (hardbooks v. softbooks) and on and on we went. We also had some fun using the colourful alphabet on the front of each shelf which prompted a very useful conversation about why libraries keep books in the order of the alphabet and how it helps you find the book you want.
We’ve had the bookcase up and in the playroom for a few weeks now and many children have been over to play since. Whilst it isn’t one of those things in the playroom that jumps out for attention when a child walks into the room, it’s amazing how often they gravitate towards it and congregate near it as a book cover catches their eye. Top tip; where ever you set your Tidy Books bookcase, make sure there is plenty of space in front of it. A few cushions perhaps or a beanbag or two. Your children will need plenty of room to loiter, sit and stretch out in front of it as they quietly browse their little library. From watching them in action it dawned on me how clever the design is. No more of the tumbling-domino-books scenario with a spine-facing-out bookcase, you know what I mean, when small person pulls one book out and they all go tumbling over. I could also see how it was easy for a little cherub to get to the book they were looking for as they know what the covers look like. Who can tell which one is “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” from the spine alone?
Books and reading are important in my house. I love reading and I’m passing that life-long habit on to my children. The Tidy Books bookcase is great and if you want to encourage your children to interact, possess and love books then the Tidy Books bookcase will be an enormous help.
