Product Review: Flip-a-Face Cards: Same? Different? [Cards] by SAMi (Ages 1-3)
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My ‘real’ job (aka how Momma really gets the Bacon) is working as an analyst yet I have always liked to research, gather and analyze information just for fun and the mystery behind my latest product review of Flip-a-Face Cards by SAMi was quite a jackpot! I chose to review the Flip-a-Face cards because I like the concept of games for even the youngest of babies and thought the pictures looked brilliant. What I did not realize was how hard it would be in this day and age to find out information on SAMi the author and illustrator behind the cards.
Games are wonderful for pre-readers and these colorful cards are fantastic for enjoying some imaginative play and matching recognition. The Flip-a-Face card game includes twenty-four mix-and-match face cards to help fine tune your little one’s visual skills. The inside box lid has some suggestions on different games to play with your little one. One game is to place the cards in sets of three faces with one card out of the three having a slightly different feature with the intent of finding the cards in the trio that are the same and different. Brooke is in the process of learning her colors and it was fun to pick out the different color hair bow or glasses.
As with everything I review, I wanted to find out more about the author and illustrator. How did this SAMi come to make such fun little educational products for babies and toddlers? This is where my researching skills hit a wall. The more I researched SAMi, the more I realized the potential that SAMi was not a real person. The feeling of doubt crept in as I found little more than SAMi likes Japanese toys and artwork and likes to eat Lucky Charms. Intrigued and slightly frustrated after a week of finding nothing, I threw up my hands in defeat and contacted Kip Jacobson, director of operations of Blue Apple Books, for help. I was about ready to write myself off as a potential ace detective when Kip filled me in on a little known secret. SAMi is author and illustrator Elliot Kreloff who is also Blue Apple Books’ Creative Director and he was willing to do an interview with me!
What does SAMi mean?
I thought about saying that it stood for Super Art Maker, inc., but in fact the name is a version of my daughter’s name: Samantha.
You have several books under your belt as Elliot Kreloff. Why make books and products under SAMi?
I wanted a different name for my SAMi style which was inspired by Hello Kitty and other collectable Japanese toys. I also thought it would be fun to develop a brand for that graphic style and a short 1 word name works well as a brand name.
Are you relieved that the secret is out?
I never felt that it was a secret, but I did like the idea of an alter ego that no one knew anything about.
Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for my readers with young children?
Read with your kids as often as you can- read books, signs, magazines, newspapers– wherever you see printed words. Have lots of art supplies on hand all the time. Encourage them to make art by making art with them. Only one rule: there is no such thing as a mistake.
Check it out! Check out additional Elliot or SAMi’s educational products, such as the I’m Going to Read Series and the Coupons for Readers [Paperback] as great motivational tools for your little bookworm. Here is the complete SAMi book listing through Amazon.com which focus on the earliest book crowd of pre-readers and beginning letter and word recognition which I think is fabulous.
Flip-a-Face Cards: Same? Different? [Cards] by SAMi
List Price: $9.95
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