Some of our FAVORITES...

Sometimes we get the urge to highlight a story submitted by one of our subscribers (especially one that includes a photo or video -- hint, hint!).

If we select yours, you'll receive a 6-month subscription that can be given to a friend or applied to your own account. Find out more about how to share your own story...

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April 4, 2008

Meet Eva, almost 4 years old

From her mother, 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!

Why we love this story:
When we checked back with Carmi to see if Eva had noticed the change to our address font, here is what she had to say:

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.

It took a 3-year old to call our attention to something that probably other kids had noticed before. We are happy to know that our efforts were noticed and appreciated. Oh, and that photo of Eva is perfect! It brings a big smile to my face (and probably yours) because of the absolute joy coming through. Thanks for sharing and helping us make Tessy & Tab even better!

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March 21, 2008

Meet Adam, 3 1/2 years old

From his mother, 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.

Why we love this story:
Sending emails to the parents can help you answer the common question, "when is my Tessy & Tab going to come?" Not only did Andra give Adam the heads up but she gave him some details that he remembered when looking for his next issue in the mail. Motivation to read is built-in to the program because we mail issues twice a month. It's also amazing to see how Adam is applying his knowledge -- you have to be excited as a parent when your child starts recognizing letters and words in the "real" world. We are excited too! Thanks for sharing your story -- we never mind when parents ramble!!

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March 7, 2008

Meet Haley, 3 years old

From her mother, 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!

Why we love this story:
How cool is it when you hear about a child who not only loves the magazine but is actually showing early reading skills. While we don't want parents to "push" their child to read, we believe that if a child is motivated and has the right materials early reading skills will happen naturally -- even sounding out words at just 3 years old. Keep up the good work Haley!

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February 22, 2008

Meet Sarah, 2 years old

From her mother, 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 the picture above, Sarah is kissing the peek-a-bug, she LOVES him and kisses him each time she sees him.

Why we love this story:
Falling in love -- even at 2. How can we resist Sarah kissing Peek-a-Bug? Not to mention how fulfilling it is to hear how Tessy & Tab can help a child overcome a fear like taking a bath. Missy also makes some great points about how Tessy & Tab is different from other preschool magazines. First and foremost we made the commitment to develop a special bond with a child through the mail -- we mail issues twice a month (24 times a year!). Most other preschool magazines mail magazines only 6-10 times per year. In addition, we've designed everything else about the magazine to make it "perfect" for a preschooler: the size, the paper quality, the bright pictures. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us.

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February 15, 2008

Meet Claire and Douglas, 20 months and 5 years

From his mother, Jennifer:

Our son, Douglas, who is 5, has developed a sixth sense about when the Tessy and Tab issues are going to arrive.  He’ll wake up in the morning asking immediately to get the mail.  And more often that not, on those days is the exact day that the issues arrive.  He loves getting his own mail and immediately wants to read the story.  He enjoys “reading” them again to his sister, Claire, who is 20 months old.  Both of them love the stories and illustrations.

Douglas was convinced that the Snowflake Cookie issue that came the other day was a cook book and that we should also make cookies to put in jars.  When I mentioned we didn’t have a rolling pin or a snowflake cookie cutter, he was not to be deterred and offered to go shopping.  It cracked me up when he suggested that we might be able to “rent” a rolling pin.  Not sure where he got that.  We ended up making chocolate chip cookies instead.

Why we love this story:
We hear from other parents the pride that an older child has in "reading" to a little brother or sister (or even to the Cookie Monster!). This picture truly captures a moment that makes a parent proud. The experience also highlights how kids relate to what Tessy & Tab have done and integrate it into their own lives. Of course, I must admit that I love that Douglas is such a good problem solver -- who would have guessed that a 5 year old would have the notion that perhaps they can "rent" a rolling pin!

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February 8, 2008

Meet Keith , 3 years old

From his mother, 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!

Why we love this story:
I'm a bit biased today because I have to take my 3-year old into the doctor to get 2 shots. I was inspired by this story to pull out our own "Tab Gets a Shot" issue this morning to try and give my son a quick lesson in being brave! This story highlights how Tessy and Tab have helped motivate kids in their day to day activities -- to be brave for a shot, to have fun in the bath, to make cookies for their teacher, or to understand that they are not tall enough to go on a ride. Hey, if we can make something like getting a shot more pleasant for a child and their parent then we've done our job well!

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February 1, 2008

Meet Colin and Kaitlyn, 2 years old

From their mother, Stacey:

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!!!

In the picture above they are reading their books! They think they are Rock Star Readers as you can tell by the picture of them with the sunglasses :-).

Why we love this story:
OK, I cannot deny that the Rock Stars are super cute, but what I love about this story is how quickly even 2 year olds connected to the characters and relate them to their own life. In just 1 day, Tessy and Tab were part of the dinner conversation! And on their very next trip to the grocery store, they made a real connection between Tessy and Tab and their own life. Sure, it's a bit silly to put bananas on your head, but can't you hear the giggles from Kaitlyn and Colin when their parents obliged their request? Stories like this make all of us at Tessy & Tab smile.

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January 25, 2008

Meet Bobby, 5 years old

From his mother, 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! 

 

Why we love this story:
A big part of why we mail the magazines twice a month is that we want your child to be excited about books and be motivated to spend more time reading and less time in front of a video. You can't help but feel that excitement and pride of ownership in Bobby's face! We look forward to hearing more about Bobby and Katie's experience with Tessy & Tab over the next year. Congrats on being selected as our feature story. Welcome to the "club"!

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January 18, 2008

Meet Gianna, 4 years old

   

From her mother, Corinne:

Tessy & Tab is the first mail with Gianna's name on it and she LOVES getting her own mail. When a new issue arrives, she often grabs all of her other issues and lines them up in a circle. She likes to see if she can remember the sequence in which they arrived. Gianna adores the characters, and the level is just perfect -- a reading challenge that is not too hard to overcome. I'm also impressed by her comprehension level as she will talk about Tessy or Tab in a parallel real life situation.

Thanks so much for creating this wonderful series!

Why we love this story:
How sweet is that story?! You can really feel how proud she is of her collection of Tessy & Tab magazines.  Unlike most magazines, our mailing labels have the child's name in BIG letters. We want to help the child build a strong personal connection with reading material. Getting a magazine addressed directly to them (2 times every month!) makes a big impression on a preschooler -- and it shows!

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January 11, 2008

Meet Evan, 4 years old

From his mother, Tiffany:

As you can see from this photo, Evan loves to do what Tessy and Tab do in every issue. I'€™m always impressed how the issues are about things that he truly relates to. In fact, Evan'€™s preschool has a sharing day and he ALWAYS brings his current issue of Tessy & Tab. He is so proud to show his friends!

Why we love this story:
It's great to see how kids find inspiration for their own daily activities through the stories in Tessy & Tab. Plus, I couldn't help but notice that Evan looks a lot like the jack-o-lantern on the table -- totally cute!

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December 21, 2007

Meet Kacey, 3 years old

From her mother, Camie:

This is a picture of my three year old daughter Kacey reading her latest Tessy & Tab book. She is thrilled when they arrive in the mail and even has to open the envelope herself.  Then of course she wants to read it right away! In this case, Kacey took her new Tessy & Tab to a cozy little reading spot under her craft table.  I couldn't believe how cute it was and I snapped it in this photo. 

Why we love this story:
It was Kacey's grandmother who first sent us this photo and she had this to say about it:

Kacey is very protective of her Tessy & Tab books. Obviously, she wants to be left alone, so what better place than "hiding" under her picnic table? It's too funny and, as you'll note, no one noticed her! (Yeah, right!!).

Need I say more???

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December 14, 2007

Meet Catarina, 4 years old

From her mother, Amy:

I thought you might enjoy the picture of Catarina as she fell asleep "reading" her Tessy & Tab magazine. Her grandmother bought our children, ages 4 and 5, a gift subscription to your magazine. They both enjoy reading Tessy & Tab and doing all the fun activities at the end of the story. Thank you so much for the quality product that you put out and the wonderful experiences with reading it is creating for my children. 

Why we love this story:
Well, it's not the first time we've heard of kids falling asleep surrounded by their Tessy & Tab magazines, but it is the first picture documenting it!

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December 7, 2007

Meet Hugh, 5 years old

From his father, Jeff:

I just came across this photo of Hugh when he was 5 and was inspired to send it on to you. Hugh really loved Tessy and Tab. He would keep them in a little stash at the side of the bed and literally get them all around him and go through them one at a time. I know this photo may seem staged but it was very spontaneous. Tessy and Tab was instrumental in helping Hugh begin reading on his own.

Why we love this story:
Hugh looks so comfortable reading on his own and we love to hear about the rituals that kids create around their Tessy & Tab magazines. And of course, it's always heartwarming to hear about the big step of learning to read. Thanks for sending your story!

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November 30, 2007

Meet Victoria, 4 years old

From Victoria (in a hand written letter!):

Hello. My name is Victoria. I am four years old and I live on a cattle farm in Australia. I go to preschool three times a week. I have to get up at 6:30 am to catch the school bus with my big brother and sister. Sometimes we see kangaroos hopping through the paddocks and koalas walking along the road looking for a new gum tree. The bus stops at lots of farms to pick up other kids so it takes about one hour. Sometimes I take my Tessy and Tab books on the bus so I have something to look at. At home, I keep them in my bedside drawer. I read them with mummy before I go to sleep. Sometimes my brother and sister will help me read it too. I like the bright pictures.

Why we love this story:
I must explain that we did a test with 50 families in Australia to see if our magazine would be well received in another country. The letter and photo that Victoria sent was a great testimony to the broad appeal of Tessy & Tab in other cultures. This was enthusiastically confirmed by the parents we spoke to in Australia.

One of the funny things that we discovered in our test in Australia was that they thought we made Tab a kangaroo just for Australia. Just to set the story straight, Tab has ALWAYS been a kangaroo and the kids in America love him too! You can learn more about how Tessy & Tab began on our About Us page.

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Comments

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[Naomi H.]

This is all just so precious and reinforces our desire to start the Tessy & Tab subscription for our 4 year old! Can't wait to get started. Thanks for the fantastic pics and stories . . . so sweet!