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Published June 17, 2007

By Susie Wilde
No book is more seductive than an activity book. They sit on bookstore shelves beckoning parents who seek birthday presents, or travel entertainment. They call out to children who see items dangling from their spiral bindings. But which ones fulfill the promise?

There are some general guidelines. First, you do best choosing an activity book that has high interest appeal for your child. Be cautious about suggested ages. An activity book that lists your child's age might be too babyish or too difficult. Suggested ages don't necessarily mean that your child can do the book alone. Many activity books are meant to be done together.

Someone who has had personal experience with an activity book can help sort it all out. For a slew of recent releases, I solicited the help of parents and children, who noted factors like appeal, involvement, ease and repeated use.

"My First Tiara & Gemstone Activity Book" by Alex Toys (Little Brown, $14.99)

What princess-loving little girl wouldn't like a kit with dazzling gemstones gleaming from the plastic box attached to the cover? Six-year-old Hannan loved making the tiara and bracelet with gemstones, and the additional games and crafts were clearly written and easy for her to understand. Her mother saw that the book's carrier made it easy to stow, and she appreciated how the book discussed values and manners with a "cute fairy-princess twist."

"Big Trucks and Diggers Super Sticker Activity Pack" (Chronicle Books, $12.95)

A vehicle-loving 3-year-old boy easily placed photographed vehicle stickers in the correct spots. He loved counting, number words, color naming, but this child was finished when the matching was over. Unfortunately, the "reusable" stickers tore easily. The Caterpillar branding made his mother cringe a bit!

"Curious George and Me!: A Memory Book You Write & Draw Yourself" (Houghton Mifflin, $9.95)

This easy-to-fill-in journal completely captivated a 7 1/2-year-old, who is using it consistently and independently. Although she has outgrown the Curious George character, the questions have led her to long hours of involvement and interesting conversations with her mother as she reflects on her past.

Hey Thanks!: Thank-You Card Kit for Kids (Chronicle, $12.95) This kit, for ages 5-12, comes with 10 notecards and envelopes, hundreds of stickers and an address book. Cards are printed with backgrounds like sunrise and jungle, and appropriate stickers can complete these scenes. One mother said this turned a dreaded ritual into a fun activity.

Klutz Press, the most popular activity books, has recently had some changes. Bought by Scholastic, they are reissuing and revamping some kits, and a short time ago, they launched their Chicken Socks for younger children.

"Tree House Bugs" (Chicken Socks, Klutz, $14.95) This kit comes with pipe cleaners, beads, paper and other materials for building cute little bugs and paper furniture. The book ingeniously turns into a bug treehouse. While a 5-year-old had the manual dexterity to punch out and construct the furniture, there were so many steps that the child needed continual prompting. The mother appreciated that extra wings, hats and faces gave lots of creative choices, and her daughter was so engaged, she spent three hours making every single bug. But the biggest surprise was how long her daughter spent imagining and telling stories about the bugs once the treehouse was created!

"Paper Purses" (Chicken Socks, Klutz, $14.95) This kit comes with four purses to decorate with gems, pompoms, sequins and more. It also contains paper punch-outs of a cell phone, checkbook, money and other purse accessories. Though this kit was recommended for ages 4 and up, one mother found that her 7-year-old was more intrigued and spent an afternoon creating and imagining with a friend. The mother thought it would be great for a birthday party activity.

"Made You Look" (Klutz, $16.95) Fifty-three pages of intriguing, interactive visual puzzles cover a range of activities for different ages. Answers appear at the back of the book. A 4-year-old loved finding a grumpy scowl in a sea of faces, while her 8-year-old sister liked tracking down numbers, one through 100, hidden in a photographic collage of interesting objects. The mother saw this easy-to-transport book as perfect for traveling or for waits at restaurants and doctors' offices.

"Scoubidous Lanyard and Lacing" (Klutz, $16.95) Remember making lanyards in camp? This updated kit got mostly positive reviews from a fifth-grader. She found the new rope softer and easier to work with than old ones. The instructions were clear, and the brightly colored photographs made her want to do the projects. She especially loved the flip-flops. Her only negative was the title, which made it sound like it was related to a cartoon and for a much younger child. "Still, I'd tell all my friends to buy it," she said.

"Window Art: Second Version" (Klutz, $21.95) This kit comes with plastic sheets, paints and a slew of designs. You trace a design with black paint, then fill in the colors. After they dry, apply to a window and -- voila! -- stained glass. The designs range from simple to complex, so one mother found both her 5-year-old and her 8-year-old could use the kit with a little support. Both daughters wanted to return to this activity. Her main complaint? So many designs and so little paint! After five designs, the black paint was gone, and the refills are expensive.

"Lettering" (Klutz Press, $16.95) A mother of 9-, 11- and 14-year-old girls was surprised by her daughters' responses to a kit that provides stencils and directions for five different kinds of lettering. The 9-year-old and 11-year-old were enthusiastic at first but became frustrated. The 9-year-old said, "They don't show me how to make these letters. They look neat. But how do I do this?" The 11-year-old found the stencil cumbersome and difficult to manipulate. Her 14-year-old thought the kit was cool, but at that age, her friends wouldn't think so. Is this a kit better enjoyed by adults?

Books are a gift you can open again and again. Do activity books fit this definition? While they may provide more glitz and glamour than long-term appeal, they might be worth it in when you're looking for relief during the long, humid, boring days of summer.