The Tessy & Tab Fan Club

Josh Loves to Share with his friends...

From Josh's mommy, Laurie:

I wanted to let you know that I love the new outline of your magazine. I think it will be a lot more educational for my son and we look forward to it coming in the mail every 2 weeks. Thank you for the magazine.

I've attached a picture of my 3 1/2 year old son Josh sharing his book with one of our neighbors who could be a future subscriber!!! He loves his Tessy and Tab books and loves to share them with his friends. Thank you again for this great treat.

Still excited to get mail after 2 years!

From Caroline's mom, Tracy:

My daughter, Caroline, who recently turned 5, absolutely loves her Tessy and Tab books. We have been subscribing for approximately 2 years, and my daughter has grown so much in that time. In the beginning, we read the books to her and she colored the pages. Now, she can read almost the entire book on her own. I love how you repeat words from book to book (for instance, you leave the teacher's name constant). I was excited to hear that your new issue is about money -- my daughter just started getting an allowance about a month ago, so it's very timely for us. As always, she will be excitedly awaiting her next issue!

The "big girl" journey....

From Helena's mom, Shawna:

Tessy and Tab books have been a part of my daughter’s world since she was three. As I send her off to kindergarten this fall, I know that Tessy and Tab have been a part of her preparation for this “big girl” journey. We look forward to receiving Tessy and Tab as she learns to read this year. Thanks so much!

Turning off the TV "just like Tessy & Tab"...

From Abby's mom, Sarah:

My 3 year old, Abby, loves Tessy and Tab! Every time a new issue comes, she saves it for her bedtime story and loves to hear it over and over. Her favorite thing to do is find Peek-a-Bug. She's better at it than I am! We recently got the issue about turning off the TV, and Abby really related to this. She loved the outside activities they did instead, and now when I want her to turn off the TV, she says "just like Tessy and Tab"!

Thanks so much for making reading fun.

Kids help spread the word about Tessy & Tab...

From Nancy, Maren's grandmother:

When I was in Portland in April with my daughter-in-law and her 2 children, two year old Riley (Darcy’s daughter) was excitedly showing two year old Maren (my granddaughter) all her Tessy and Tab books.  I read them all to them both (MANY TIMES) and could see that there was something special about getting your own mail and looking for Peek-a-bug, etc. 

I gladly purchased a gift subscription and now Maren gets her own copy here in Connecticut. I think reading is the most important thing you can do with a child, so this is right up my alley!  Maren feels very special when her copy arrives and can’t wait to tell me about the latest one when she comes to visit.  Two and a half is a tough age in many ways, but sitting still for a story is one of the wonderful milestones.

I've included a photo of Maren showing her little brother Jack her new tote bag from Tessy and Tab complete with a story about the beach. She called me (her grandmother) to tell me how excited she was about receiving her latest book and especially, the bag where she can store the latest copies of Tessy and Tab. 

Thank you so much. Keep up the good work. I know this is a good thing.

Attentive customer service helped me get a gift on time!

From Anna's mom, Jennifer:

Last week I had problems completing my transaction on our website. Thanks to your attentive customer service, I was able to order a Tessy & Tab Reading Club Starter Kit just in time for the birthday of my daughter's schoolmate.

The gift was such a hit that I've ordered 2 more Starter Kits to give as gifts for her schoolmates turning 4 years old.

Thanks again for all of your help! Keep up the good work.

Note: Anna is a current subscriber and Jennifer tells me that if you ask Anna how old she is she will tell you that she is "three-and-a-third"!

Madison wants Pizza on the airplane too...

From Madison's mom, Kristina:

My daughter Madison, 28 months old, loves getting her Tessy & Tab books in the mail!  This is really the only piece of mail she receives addressed just to her. The label says "Happy Reading from Mommy, Daddy, & Makenna!"   Madison thinks it is very cool that it includes her sister's name too!

Since Madison was 3 months old, we have taken her on numerous airplane trips to go on vacation.  She has always done a great job flying but we always still talk about it before we go the airport each time so she isn't scared and knows what to expect.

I have to tell you how great it was for her to have her Tessy & Tab Airplane Trip book to not only read before we went on the airplane but also on the airplane!  It was PERFECT to use as a guide to what would happen along our entire journey!  She even helped to pick out which of her Tessy & Tab books she was going to bring in her carry-on suitcase just like Tessy did!  The only part that made her sad was wondering why Tessy & Tab got to eat pizza on the airplane and her Mommy had packed her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and applesauce to eat!!

Thanks so much for finding a very cool way to introduce children to different real-life situations and letting them truly relate to Tessy & Tab's adventures!  My husband and I could not be happier with the content of the books and the extent to which

Madison learns from each story. She loves her books and we can't wait for her sister to get a little older and enjoy the books as much as Madison does!

Here is a picture of Madison reading her Tessy & Tab Airplane Trip book on the airplane!

Special request from a 3-year old...

                  ***** Staff Favorite *****

From Eva's mom, Carmi:

First, I want to tell you that Eva (almost 4 now) loves getting mail and she LOVES her growing collection of magazines. I told her I would write to you with a request: she's noticed that her name on the address label doesn't end in an 'a'.  Well, it does end in an 'a', but not one she recognizes.  Is there any way you could use a different font for the addresses so that the lower case 'a' is the style that young kids recognize? I suppose this will be an even bigger issue for her little brother, Isaac!

By the way, we love the magazine -- you've done a great job with it. We tell everyone about it.

From Judy Johnston, CEO and Publisher of Tessy & Tab:

Thanks for writing! Your story confirms something we've felt to be true since we began publishing in 2002 - very young children really care about what their name looks like. It's the main reason that we brought all of our data management in-house and online. We found that data entry people in big fulfillment houses are not careful enough. Plus, we go the extra step to have the addresses printed in larger than typical letters so that it's easier for a young child to recognize their own name.

Two years ago we arranged to have a new "a" created for the typeface we use inside the magazine for exactly the reason you've outlined. We had not looked into the specifics of the font for our address labels but with Eva's concern as our motivation, we spoke with our vendor who prints the labels. They did a little research and found a font that uses the "one-story a" that Eva will recognize and the font change will be made on our next issue.

Please be sure and tell Eva "thank you" for bringing this to our attention -- you have helped us solve a problem that likely is noticed by lots of kids!

We checked back with Carmi after a couple of issues with the new address font were mailed:

Yes, Eva noticed the change immediately.  In fact, that was the first thing she said, "Look mom, they spelled my name right!"  Thank you so much for making the effort to make that change.  It was clearly very important to Eva.

I snapped a photo of Eva the last time Tessy & Tab arrived.  It's a little fuzzy but this is pretty much her expression EVERY time a Tessy & Tab arrives.

 

 

D-O-O-R, just like my Tessy & Tab

                  ***** Staff Favorite *****

From Adam's mom, Andra:

When I got the last Grown-Up Guide email, I told Adam that his new Tessy and Tab was on its way and that it was about puddles.  Everyday since he has asked "Can we check the mail to see if my Tessy and Tab is here?"  "They are playing in puddles with their boots and playing with boats in the water". 

It really is amazing how much he loves these books! He can already read one of the books all by himself (with a little help on the big words) and he's only 3.5!  I am truly amazed at what a great product these books are.  He is also recognizing words other places from his books.  The other day he was getting out of the car and there is the little child lock button on the inside of the car door and it was labeled "child door lock" and he pointed at the word door and said "D-O-O-R, just like in my Tessy and Tab book".  Sorry to have rambled on, I just wanted you to know how much he loves his books.

The 4-minute bedtime routine...

From Sophie's mom, Kate:

We've been subscribers for almost a year and my daughter Sophie really enjoys them. We've learned some valuable lessons like cleaning up toys to give to others or being prepared to go to the dentist. But one of my favorite things about Tessy & Tab is that you can read 4 or 5 issues in less that 5 minutes! It makes my daughter happy to read more books and it makes me happy because we can do it quickly and get the kids to bed. 

We've given several friends the birthday pack and they have been LOVING their issues! I always tell the moms they will be so happy to have something that takes 4 minutes to read at bedtime when you need to read 7 books.... :-)!

Getting to know Tessy & Tab

From Theo's mom, Cathy:

Theo liked looking at the Tessy & Tab magazines immediately but it was after he had received 2 or 3 in the mail that his excitement about it really took off. When a new one arrives he immediately tears open the envelope and lays on his stomach on the floor and pages through it.  The Play in Puddles issue arrived yesterday and we’ve already read it a half dozen times.  We looked for the rain hat, the bench etc. and counted the boats and boots.  We read a lot anyway but it has been really fun to watch him get to know Tessie & Tab and be excited about it.

Santa gets a request for Tessy & Tab...

From Ally's mom, Kristy:

I first heard about Tessy & Tab from another mom on a listserve that I read.  After the great reviews, I checked out your website and decided to give a subscription to my daughter Ally (age 3 at the time - now 4 1/2) for Christmas.  We had no idea how she might take to it as each child seems to have different reactions to toys/books, etc. Let's just say that it was and continues to be the biggest hit in our home!! When Christmas came this past year she only asked for 2 things - Tessy & Tab and a new umbrella. She even told Santa when we went to visit him in December. 

I know she'd probably love to get a book everyday in the mail if she could, however, it's given her a sense of time to receive them twice a month. All her Tessy & Tab books are kept in a special basket and she is quite protective of them. Lately she has begun to 'read' them to her younger sister who just turned 3. 

We can't thank you enough for the joy you provide to our daughter through Tessy and Tab, not to mention the wonderful learning that she receives in each issue.  I just wish you could see the jumping up and down and Tessy and Tab chanting that we experience every time she spots an issue in the mail.  Your books have been more than we could have ever asked for and I know that we will continue to be loyal customers until our littlest has outgrown her own subscription.

Thank you for such a fabulous product.  I tell all my friends about it whenever I get a chance.  Keep up the great work!

A little encouragement from Tessy & Tab

                  ***** Staff Favorite *****

From Sarah's mom, Missy:

I just had to write!  We ordered a subscription for our daughter Sarah, age 2.  At first I thought she might be a bit young, but wow has she fallen in love with Tessy and Tab.  First, she loves getting "Sarah" mail and second, the pictures are clear and easy for her to understand. She is even starting to talk about big letters and little letters which I did not expect at her age. 

I was raised on the Highlights magazine and loved it and thought Sarah would love it too. Turns out that she has NO INTEREST at all in Highlights but Tessy and Tab are her friends!  I also love the size of the magazine and the quality of the paper, as it can get roughed around a bit and still look great!

I also had to share this quick story with you: Sarah has always LOVED bath time until a few months ago when she had an accident in the tub. Ever since then she would say NO BATH!!! But Tessy and Tab took a bath a few weeks ago and now Sarah loves bath time again. What perfect timing! After this experience, I'm going to see what back issues are available to see if there are other things Tessy and Tab have done that might provide a little encouragement for Sarah!

In this picture Sarah is kissing the peek-a-bug, she LOVES him and kisses him each time she see's him.

Would the program be everything it said?

From Blake's mom, Tiffany:

I was a little bit afraid that the program wouldn't be everything it said it was, but it is just perfect! My son Blake loves his Tessy and Tab magazine for many reasons, however, the best reason is that he gets it in the mail with his name on it. I am very impressed with the magazine myself. Thank you so much for coming up with a magazine just for young people.

Rock Star Readers

                  ***** Staff Favorite *****

From Stacey, Kaityn and Colin's mom:

Kaitlyn and Colin are 26 months old and received their Super Starter pack yesterday in the mail and were so excited! We read all four books right away and they each took two of them and carried their books around with them everywhere they went for the entire night.  Then the first thing they asked for in the morning were their Tessy and Tab books.  My husband and I could not believe how much they could bend and mangle their Tessy and Tab books in only 24 hours.

Kaitlyn and Colin enjoy reading the silly things that Tessy and Tab do in the stories and were laughing and talking about them during our dinner conversation that night. Their favorite book so far is when Tessy and Tab go to the grocery store. When we went to the store they asked my husband and I to put bananas on our head just like Tessy did because they thought it was so silly! Thanks for creating such a great book series!  Both my husband and I are in the field of education and we feel that these books are very educational for children and we look forward to Kaitlyn and Colin building their collection of Tessy and Tab books!!!

Here they are reading their books! They think they are Super Star Readers as you can tell by the picture of them with the sunglasses:)

Magical Impact on the Mailman...

From Kalia's mom, Diane:

My daughter, Kalia (age 5), has had a blast with your magazine.  She sees a new issue as soon as we pull up to the house because the mailman clips it to the mailbox separate from the rest of the mail -- you have even had a magical impact on him!  He used to just deliver mail and not talk much.  But with time, he has taken to talking to us and even setting out Kalia's mail separate and that all started with Tessy & Tab!

Kalia also loves Tessy & Tab because of the hidden images and words. What fun art in these magazines! Thank you so much.

Smoothies for Breakfast...

From Jena, age 4:

My friend Linda sends me Tessy & Tab every two weeks and I love it. One time I read about making smoothies and now I have one every morning for breakfast.

Really making a difference...

                  ***** Staff Favorite *****

From Bobby and Katie's mom, Theresa:

We just subscribed to the Tessy and Tab Reading Club and we LOVE it! We ordered the magazines for our kids, Bobby, age 5, and Katie, age 3 1/2. They already read lots of books and we visit the library often, but the reading club seemed like such a neat idea since the magazines came right to them every two weeks, so much better than the other monthly magazines they receive. They are so excited to get the next issue that we ended up ordering the starter pack after we ordered the annual subscription, just so that they would have several magazines to look at--since they actually fight over the magazines!

Bobby is in Kindergarten and likes books, but this magazine really has made a difference in a short time. He is reading them all by himself, with some help on new and big words, and he is super proud of himself (and we are too). Katie loves the stories, as well as the fun activities at the back of the magazine. She also enjoys having her big brother read the story to her.

In this picture, you only see Bobby with the first two issues because he did not want to share "his" magazines with his sister. My husband and I love books and we read daily, but this magazine has done a lot to encourage our kids to love to read!

"I can be brave like Tab"...

                  ***** Staff Favorite *****

From Keith's mom, Grace:

I ordered the Kindergarten Countdown kit a few months ago and Keith really loved the Tessy and Tab books from the kit. I decided to subscribe to the magazine. Keith is an early reader and Tessy and Tab has become one of his favorite books to read.

One of the best things for me was how the ‘Tab Gets a Shot’ book really worked. In the past, Keith was scared of getting a shot and cried every time. We read the issue showing Tab going to the doctor and being brave when he gets a shot. When the day came and we went to the doctor, Keith did not cry when he got his shot. Instead, he proudly said to me "See, I can be brave like Tab". Now I am looking forward to see if the Visit the Dentist issue will help him be brave for the dentist! Here is a picture of him with his complete collection of Tessy & Tab:

Sounding out words at 3 years old...

                  ***** Staff Favorite *****

From Haley's mom, Marisa:

My daughter, Haley, is 3 1/2 years old.  She has received Tessy & Tab for one year now, and I'm amazed that she's actually starting to read them to me!  Not only does she explain the pictures, she will actually try to sound out some words, and always sounds out the words on the "Find These Words" portion at the end.  Tessy & Tab has not only given her practice at reading skills, it has given her a desire to read.

And of course, she just loves to get mail of her very own, and the frequency (every two weeks) is perfect.  She thinks that Tessy and Tab actually send her mail personally.  Nothing can compare to the joy this magazine brings to her!