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Sue's Blog

  • The Best Children’s Books of 2021 & 2024 and the Best-est Personalized Book! (Updated, May 2024)

    For all the uncertainties 2021 posed, there were at least some highlights - like these amazing kids’ books that came out during the year. What’s more - some of them actually help your kids deal with things in the past year. Take a look at some of our favorites that made the list for the top ten children’s books of 2021. 
    Posted in Books, children, opinion, personalized gifts

  • The Best Personalized Gifts for a Baby Shower (Updated, May 2024)

    Is it just me, or did 2020 seem like a never-ending stream of pregnancy announcements and baby showers? Even though birth numbers did decline from 2019, there still seemed to be an endless string of virtual baby showers to attend. The usual conundrum on what to get for the parents-to-be, or the new baby is less problematic because most parents sign up for a registry. While buying gifts from the registry is easy, it’s also boring. If you’re looking to get something a little extra special for the next baby shower - this list of personalized baby shower gifts is a great place to start! 

    Posted in children, gifts, opinion, personalized gifts, Small Business

  • The Best Personalized Children's Books for 2-4 Year Olds!
    Updated as of May 2024

    Personalized books are a joy for any child - the excitement of seeing themselves in a book cannot be understated. Personalized children’s books are also a great way for representation. Not for nothing do we believe that every parent should strive to “make your child the hero” (ahem, it’s our tagline here at Manimal Tales). Emille Buchwald, a writer once said, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” - so why not start them young? We’ve made a list of eight personalized books that are great for young children, from about the age of two to four. 
    Posted in Books, children, Grumpopotamus, opinion, personalized gifts

  • Mother’s Day is NOT a Hallmark Holiday (or shouldn’t be!)
    Updated As of May 2024

    Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May every year (in 2021 it’s on May 9th). Lots of people derogatorily refer to it as a “Hallmark Holiday” – something that was invented by companies such as Hallmark to sell more goods to consumers by tugging at their heartstrings - crass commercialism at its finest. But it didn't start out that way! 
    Posted in Books, children, gifts, Mother's Day, personalized gifts

  • Children’s books that are also a good read for adults (Updated, May 2024)

    Personalized books are a fantastic way to engage young readers by putting them at the center of the story. These books not only captivate children but also make for delightful reading experiences for adults. Children's books often include meaningful lessons and charming narratives that resonate with readers of all ages. They can foster a love for reading in kids while providing adults with heartwarming tales that remind them of the joys and challenges of childhood. Whether it's a personalized baby book or a personalized book for adults, these stories create cherished memories and make for a great read for the entire family. Explore the magic of books and discover how they can enrich the reading experience for both children and adults alike.

    Posted in Books, children, opinion, Orangey-Tan, personalized gifts, The Zookeeper

  • Our Personalized Books Just Got Better! Manimal Tales now offers Custom Dedications! (Updated, July 2024)

    Our personalized books are now even more personalized. Add a custom dedication to any book that you buy for free. Here’s how you can do it in 5 easy steps!
    Posted in Books, faq, personalized gifts

  • 6 books that can help you teach your kids how to be an ally (Updated, July 2024)

    Teaching children to be allies (someone who stands with and speaks up for minorities and discriminated communities) can be a difficult topic to broach or explain, especially to younger children. A great way to introduce them to this is to use books. The following list of children’s books tactfully broach difficult topics like racism, privilege, slavery, the LGBTQIA community, and more. So grab these for your kids and get reading!

    Posted in Books, children, opinion, Orangey-Tan, personalized gifts, politics

  • Six lessons from The Grumpopotamus (A great personalized book for kids) (Updated, May 2024)

    The Grupopotamus follows the story of a Hooman child (your child!) and Anonymouse, as they try their best to un-grump the Grumpopotamus - a truly terribly grumpy fellow whose presence makes the rest of the Manimals grumpy and mean as well. The Grumpopotamus teaches children (and adults!) about so many different aspects of the human condition. It’s a personalized book with a lot of heart, and has great lessons for kids. Here are six (of the many!) lessons that The Grumpopotamus teaches us.

    Posted in children, Grumpopotamus, opinion, personalized gifts

  • Seven Child Heroes We Respect (Don’t Forget to Check out #7!)

    We started the #DearOrangeyTan hashtag when we heard from a few mothers who’d read our books. They had stories of kids rising above the hatred that followed people of color in America under Orangey-Tan. Although it broke our hearts to see the world we had made for our kids, we realized that there’s no better way to criticize this abomination than through the innocence of a child. Honestly, they’re way better leaders than we could ever hope to be. That got us thinking about our favorite child heroes and here’s what we came up with!
    Posted in children, opinion, Orangey-Tan, personalized gifts

  • A list of 10 of the most interesting personalized gifts for adults (Updated, July 2024)

    Personalization used to just mean putting a name on a pen or a notebook, but now there are many more interesting ways to personalize gifts - and many more kinds of gifts you can get that are personalized. We scoured the internet for some of the more unconventional personalized gifts you could get your loved one. Here are the top ten we found.
    Posted in gifts, opinion, Orangey-Tan, personalized gifts, Small Business