The Most Special Delivery: A Love of Reading with Flying Books

Flying Books is like the magical fairy godmother you didn’t know you needed, making reading more fun for kids in Singapore than ever before…

We all know the benefits of reading to our children from birth; it seems like every day a new study comes out extolling the virtues of simple children’s books over just about any other sort of toy. But no matter how much you love books and are determined to make your kiddo hyper-literate, there will always be limitations, especially in Singapore where books can be hard to find and expensive.

Brazilian mama Nicole Martins faced just such a dilemma; she loved reading to her son (who’s now 3) but found she was expending an inordinate amount of energy researching developmentally-appropriate books, reading online reviews, and then finally tracking down new and popular books in Singapore. Wouldn’t it be great to have a sort of books fairy godmother who could put all that work in and then have new books magically appear on your doorstep at regular intervals?

Flying Books is pretty darn close to that magical book delivery service, mamas! Launched by Nicole earlier this year, it’s a monthly book subscription service where children receive two handpicked, age-appropriate books per month in a specially-wrapped gift package. Each beautifully wrapped book becomes a much-anticipated present that kids look forward to each month, and only adds to their love of books and reading.

Each package comes with a personalised letter with special tips on how to read a book to maximise its impact on your child, along with pointers on some of the lessons and benefits each book presents. For instance, a recent care package including Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems suggested reading the Pigeon’s line in an especially dramatic voice and tips on how to make the book as interactive as possible.

Nicole has curated a fabulous collection of books (we got to visit her amazing office!) that are geared toward 12-18 month olds, 18-24 month-olds, children 2-3, 3-4 and so on up through age 7. Among her biggest hits are Sharing a Shell by Julia Donaldson (“Kids love the glitter”), Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, and Ribbit! By Rodrigo Folgueira. She strives to bring in books from around the world, particularly those that get great reviews on Amazon or Goodreads but aren’t widely available in Singapore.

Concerned you’ll receive something you already own, mama? Don’t be. Nicole emails parents in advance with that month’s selection, so if you already have something, just let her know and she’ll replace it with something else. To get a better idea of the books Nicole picks, check out Flying Books’s Facebook Page, which includes monthly previews along with more tips on how to maximize each book’s impact.

In addition to the various subscription packages available (monthly, six months, and three months, along with special rates for siblings), Flying Books also offers a onetime gift package with two books from $34.50 (the price varies by age). Nicole can even include special birthday wrapping paper and a birthday card for the lucky recipient – just let her know!

Is there anything better than seeing your child’s face light up when they discover a new book? Imagine getting to have that feeling twice a month, and you don’t even have to leave the house!

Sassy Mamas can take an exclusive 5% off their first Flying Books subscription purchase. Just enter the promo code SASSY5% at checkout, mamas, and get ready to start looking forward to your monthly special delivery!

Flying Books, email: [email protected], www.flyingbooks.com.sg