1- WHAT IS A QUIET BOOK?

 What is a quiet book?

Never heard about quiet books? Simply put, a quiet book (or busy book, silent book, felt book) is a special cross-breed between a book and a sensory toy to encourage learning through play. These interactive books include fun activities: zippers, laces, velcro, string, flaps, etc., on every page. The activities support toddlers' sensory exploration, cognitive skills and fine motor skills development.

Quiet books are handmade and often designed with different themes to suit with children’s interests and development stages.  Some common themes include Everyday Life, Sensory & Fine Motor Skills, Travel, etc.

Are quiet books Montessori?

Quiet books promote many skills that are considered important for toddlers & preschoolers according to the Montessori approach:  sensory exploration, language, practical life skills, independence, concentration, child-centered and play-based learning. As such, many quiet books are considered Montessori toys for toddlers. However, whether a quiet book is considered Montessori depends on the book's content. 

If you are looking for a Montessori busy book in our shop to improve your child’s practical life skills, My First Playbook is your best choice. Each quiet book page centers on one simple fine motor activity, encouraging your child to focus and repeat the activity until they master it.   

What are the benefits of a quiet book?

With its diverse designs and textures, quiet books can be excellent educational toys to help young children practice many important skills:

• Fine motor skillsHand-eye coordination
• Problem solving
• Practical life skills
• Concentration
• Observation
• Imagination &  creativity
• Learning basic concepts such as numeracy, literacy, colors, shapes, etc. 
• Social emotional skills

Why is it called a quiet book? 

We honestly don't know but let us take a wild guess :)  What gives the quiet book its namesake is the belief that these activity books make children quiet, and calm.

Sometimes it’s true: a fun quiet book (also called a silent book.can keep your child focused (hence, quiet!) for a long at home or on the road (enjoy your little break!)  

However, quiet books for toddlers can also inspire a lot of talking, that’s why they are great for language, vocabulary and  story telling! Don’t be surprised when you hear your child chattering by herself on the “phone” or making up a story about an airplane trip.

What’s different about Little Bean’s Toy Chest’s quiet books? 

Our creative quiet books are designed to leverage the best developmental benefits of quiet books, while inspiring confidence and imagination. We hope that through our quiet books, your child will learn something meaningful about themselves and the world while having fun.

Through creative designs and curated themes, we aim to spark your child’s imagination, sharpen their observation of the world around them, and instill confidence by celebrating their unique life stories.  We are most known for  our our exclusive collection of quiet books celebrating the multicultural, third culture children.

We believe all children will benefit greatly from early exposure to diversity while having the confidence in their own identity. Our quiet books themes are curated to reflect this belief:  some are cute miniatures to introduce your child to  a different cultures, while others include diverse, customizable dolls, allowing children from any racial and ethnic background to see themselves as lead character of the story.  

What age are quiet books for?

Quiet books are generally suitable for children age 1-6 – as they promote developmental skills that are most important for this age group: fine motor skills, sensory skills, concentration, independence, imagination & creativity.

However, some older children also benefit from these interactive felt books, for example, children living with autism, ADHD or SPD. The tactile sensory nature of these handmade felt books, and the repeated movements in some activities, can be very soothing and therapeutic.  

If you are looking for the best toys for autism, consider our First Play book, which has been designed with an OT’s consultation to suit children with special needs

How do you determine the recommended age for each book?   

We have designed books with different ages in mind so that they are safe and developmentally appropriate in terms of fine motor skills, imagination, language and understanding of the world around them. The recommended age we have here serve as a guideline based on our experience selling quiet books to hundreds of parents and children.

However, our little munchkins differ widely in their interests and development levels (which is totally OKAY!) – and you should choose the books based on their personality and interest (unless you have serious safety concerns on the small parts on some of the books). Most of our books are appealing for a wide range of age. Sometimes we’ve seen children as old as 7-8 years, or even adults, who find our books irresistible (and that’s okay too!) :-) 

Our thematic books help kids develop both fine motor skills and imagination. As they are wordless, you and your child can make as little or as much a story from them. Over time, by playing with the same book, you can witness how much your little baby has grown in their fine motor skills, cognitive ability and imagination power!

Who makes the quiet books for Little Bean’s Toy Chest?

Our beautiful quiet books are handcrafted by local women (mostly moms, students and kindergarten teachers) in Vietnam. We are proud to partner with like-minded women-owned social enterprises whose mission include fair trade employment, empowering women, and supporting the underprivileged.

Can I make my own quiet book?

Want to learn to make your own quiet book? You can start with our quiet book patterns or quiet book DIY kits.  These kits include everything you need to make a quiet book: patterns, instructions, and materials.  We design them for beginner crafting levels so that anyone can make one (and no, you don't need to sew either). 

SHIPPING & RETURN 

How long does it take to ship your quiet books?

We ship from both Hong Kong (via Hong Kong Post and SF Express) and the US (via USPS)

For local packages in Hong Kong, it takes 2 days to arrive from the date of fulfilment. 

For local packages in Hong Kong, it takes 2- 5 days to arrive from the date of fulfilment, depending on whether you choose First Class or Priority Mail.

For more on shipping, visit our SHIPPING page.  

Can I return my order? 

We retain our 30 days happiness policy.  Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery, provided that your book is in new condition. Read more on our return policy HERE. 

If there are defects or missing pieces to the book you received, please let us know and we will be sure to make it right for you! 

Do you ship internationally?

 Yes, we do offer international shipping to most world destinations! International shipping starts at 7 USD for the first book.  

Do you offer free shipping?

Yes, shipping is free for orders over 80 USD. We also offer free shipping and other perks to members of our community. Sign up for our mailing list so you don’t miss the latest deals!

Where can I buy your quiet books offline? 

In Hong Kong, you can find us at Bookazine and the Lion Rock Press. 

In the US, Little Bean's Toy Chests products are available for sale in many retail stores around the island. 

Head HERE for our full list of stockists in Hong Kong and the USA. 

PERSONALIZING & GIFTING YOUR QUIET BOOK 

Can you put two names on one book?

Our front cover has a space to accommodate up to 13 characters or less for personalization. If you have 2 names, it will likely not fit the front cover, but we can also use the back cover instead.

I have siblings/twins who both want the book! Is there a way to make them happy? 

No worries, we got you :)  You can get an extra customized doll for the sibling and put 2 names on the cover (see above). If you have extra requests for personalization, please send an email to haianh@littlebeanstoychest.com and we will be happy to help! 

I'm expecting twins! Can i customize the I'm a big Brother book for my toddler son? 

Congratulations!!! These particular quiet book (I’m a Big Sister/Brother) makes great gift for siblings of a new baby. If you are expecting twins, we can add an extra baby in the book for you too! 

My son wears a patka.  Can you make a book personalized for him?

One of our mission is to increase diverse representations in children’s products and would be very happy to customize our books to match with your family’s unique heritage. 

If you want to customize the dolls with special costumes, headwear, or in other way that our existing templates have not supported, please do send us an email and we will try our best to accommodate.  

My granddaughter lives in London. Can I send her a quiet book as a birthday gift? 

Absolutely - we can ship orders to gift recipients directly. We can also customize your order with gift wrapping, a special message (handwritten on our branded notecard), or other fanfares as requested.

We are a small family run company and we love to go extra miles to make you the most awesome grandma/auntie/uncles with your gift!

How do I add Little Bean’s Toy Chest to my gift registry?

Thank you very much for choosing us for your gift registry! Please copy paste the exact link of the product you would like in your gift registry. 

I love your quiet books but can’t decide what's best for my niece! 

We are here to help! You can refer to our gift guide for a quick reference of which book is best for which age.  You can also email us or chat with us and we can give you quick advice! 

If you still can't decide, gift cards are probably the best idea. Little Bean's Toy Chest Gift Cards are available at $25 or $50 denominations here.  

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Where are you located?

We started our company in Hong Kong in 2017 and moved to the US in 2022. At the moment, we have stock in both locations.

QUIET BOOK MAINTENANCE 

Are your quiet books washable? 

Yes, you can clean our quiet book with a small towel dabbed in a little detergent to remove most of the dirt (make sure to wipe/ lightly rinse off the soap afterwards).  Rough handling of quiet books may result in crumbling pages and damaged details.

Quiet books with lot of complex details and materials, like our quiet books at Little Bean's Toy Chest, should NOT be put in the washing machine. We recommend spot cleaning only, then hang-dry. Dry cleaning is not recommended.