Play-Doh is a staple of childhood and Silver Dolphin Books has recently released a series of books that feature photos of figures created by Play-Doh. Moreover, two of the offerings in this series actively encourage children to learn how to sculpt.
“On The Go” and “In The Jungle” are two 10-page books in the Play-Doh series that come with four small jars of Play-Doh and a specific theme such as transportation or animals. Retailing at $14.95 and suggested for children ages 0-3, these books are cute, fun, engaging and feature illustrations made via photos of figures sculpted from Play-Doh that are sure to entice young imaginations.
These books are made out of heavy cardboard so the pages will not rip or cause papercuts. Given the strength of the paper, it is perfectly acceptable to mold Play-Doh on the books without damaging the pages. Each spread (two pages) of simple text provides basic facts about animals or vehicles and instructions for how to assemble a specific figure that somehow relates to the photo on the page. For example, “In The Jungle” shows photos of a Play-Doh monkey and then provides instructions (via step-by-step photos) on the bottom of the page that explain exactly how to create the monkey. Another great feature in these books is the ability to stick Play-Doh onto certain parts of the pages to complete the illustration. For instance, in “On The Go” children are encouraged to stick red Play-Doh onto the top of a police car to make a flashing light and, later, to make a Play-Doh ladder to save a cat stuck up a tree. These elements make the books much more interactive and engaging for children.
The one true downside of these books is the fact that they only provide four jars of Play-Doh per package–even though the instructions call for several additional colors in order to make the figures precisely as they appear in the illustrations. Thus, if you truly want to craft exact replicas of the figures in the books you will need to have a complete set of Play-Doh colors on hand in addition to the ones provided in the books.
Overall, I give these books 4 out of 5 stars and recommend them for children who love Play-Doh. Hopefully the next edition to the series will include all the colors called for to make these sets completely “ready to play.” It is also worth noting that there are additional books in the series intended for younger children. These books contain simple text and photos of Play-Doh without actually providing any clay; other samplings include a single jar and less activities.
To learn more about the Play-Doh series, see here.
