Have a Question?
We have an Answer!
1. Why did you create LBC?
We originally started Little Babe Collective as a means to connect local makers with families who love to shop small and support local. Due to the pandemic, our in-person market was cancelled (more than once!). We had met so many awesome makers and local businesses, that we still ran a virtual market (Fall & Holiday), but still felt like something was missing. As we are both teachers, we are constantly talking about new books we find and love. We thought how cool would it be to blend these two things! The rebirth of the collective started coming together and we hope you love it as much as we do!
2. What is your intention with LBC?
Like we said, we are both busy moms of 2, and it often hits us how difficult it is to come up with activities that are meaningful and intentional for our kiddos. Sometimes you just want someone to tell you what to do! We all know reading is important, so if we can help foster a love for reading that merges into meaningful play for you and your little babe(s), we are doing a happy dance. Our brains are constantly in "teacher mode", and because we truly love what we do, we wanted to share that with all of you.
3. Is play as important as literacy?
Yes! We fully believe so. Play based learning allows children the opportunity to build so much more than just "literacy" or "numeracy" skills. It provides children with the chance to build their character (think: Self-regulation, problem solving, cooperation, etc) and in this manner it makes "learning" fun. Skills like decoding and counting are important, but they need to be supplemented in ways that engage children, and what engages children the most? PLAY! By simply taking a story your family loves, and connecting it to real-world situations, you are going beyond reading, and expanding your little babes "literacy comprehension". It should be stress free, fun and what works for you and yours!
4. How do you support your community?
Great Question! First and foremost, we believe in accessibility to books. Not just in the cost of a book, but in finding high quality, engaging and affirming stories. It is often so hard to find books that speak to the diverse needs of families today, and we love filtering through our research to find the most engaging and quality books. We also recognize the bias within the publishing industry in terms of marginalized characters, stories and authors. We aim to celebrate not only #ownvoiced stories, but also authors from marginalized communities various works. The more we purchase from these authors, the more likely they are for publishers to continue to get behind publishing their stories. Second, we believe in supporting and working with a diverse range of local makers. We carefully choose small shops who align with us for their values on inclusivity and play based learning, as well as work with makers within the BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ communities to support their businesses.
5. What is the teacher collective?
Before we were mothers we were (and still are) elementary school teachers! Our love for reading extends beyond our home and radiates into our classrooms each year. We have come to realize that it's not easy to find contemporary, inclusive and diverse texts. Resources for school boards and classrooms for good quality, new aged books is minimal. We spent a lot of our own personal incomes on providing a wide genre of books for our classrooms each year. So we created the teacher collection which gives teachers an opportunity to purchase books at a lesser cost than they would find through big retailers with no strings attached. We have curated a teacher catalogue of high-interest picture books, middle grade books & YA books and will regularly update this throughout the year.
Are you a teacher or education worker? send us an email at thelittlebabecollective@gmail.com to get set up!
Are you a teacher or education worker? send us an email at thelittlebabecollective@gmail.com to get set up!
Subscription Question & Answers
1. Who are these books for? Anyone who loves children’s literature and wants to intentionally choose stories that are engaging, educational, inclusive and affirmative in nature. They make the perfect addition to any home shelf and make great gifts for birthdays or baby showers!
2. What if I already own one of the books?
We are always happy to make substitutions. We will release the book titles at least 1 month before shipping. This will allow you to make any changes to your book box if needed! Just send us an email thelittlebabecollective@gmail.com
3. How much does a box cost?
Depending on how long you subscribe for determines the cost of your book box. Children’s books all fall within a similar price range for picture books or board books. We have done our best to create an accessible subscription for families, as we believe quality stories should be affordable and easy to find for all!
4. What is inside the box?
Inside your collection you will receive 3 high quality books that feature diverse characters and stories representative of a wide variety of communities. Our goal is to always include own voiced and/or illustrated stories to provide the best representation and point of view. We will continue to do extensive research and background to ensure we are offering fair and affirming books for your family. Our educational training, consistency with professional and personal development in ares of anti-racism and anti-bias work, as well as building a professional network of diverse book lovers helps us curate great stories.
5. What are the quality of the books?
We will always include at least 2 hardcover picturebooks with the goal of 3 consistently. However, our main focus is always on providing you with the best quality of diverse picture books and this may mean receiving a paperback copy. We will always include 3 board books, and if applicable a soft cover paperback may be included.
6. When do I receive the boxes?
No matter which subscription you choose, your collection will ship within the first week of the quarterly month (March, June, September, December), shipping times vary across Canada, but typically arrive within 3-5 days of the shipping notice.
7. When do I receive my first order?
Your first box will be shipped no more than 2 weeks after your initial order & will include the quarterly books for the month you are purchasing in if it’s before the 15th of the last month (e.g., if you purchase Between March 1st and May 14th you would receive the books for Mar-May) If you purchase after the 15th of the last month you will receive the books for the next quarterly collection (e.g., if you purchase May 18th, you would receive the books for Jun-Aug.)
8. How can I cancel?
If you need to cancel for any reason, send us an email thelittlebabecollective@gmail.com We will do our best to accommodate based on our shipping and ordering periods. Cancellations must occur at least 30 days before the next shipment (so one month before you receive or quarterly book mail!)
9. Can I purchase past books?
You sure can! As long as we have it in stock, or can receive it in time before your next shipment, we will be happy to add on any of our previous picks to your subscription. Purchasing can happen through our website with anything in stock. If you can't see it, send us a direct message or email and we will let you know if we can track it down for you. We are happy to ship it right away or ship it with your next box!
10. Will you still be offering locally made products for play based learning or seasonal collections?
At times we may offer seasonal or celebratory themed books. While we always aim to be inclusive in our selections and book lists, it is a fact that inclusivity and diversity are seriously lacking in children’s picture books and stories. We want to ensure we curate not only inclusive books, but also engaging ones that your family will love to read over and over again. With that being said, if you are hoping to add a specific celebration themed book to your collection, please reach out and we would be happy to curate a list for you to pick from)
2. What if I already own one of the books?
We are always happy to make substitutions. We will release the book titles at least 1 month before shipping. This will allow you to make any changes to your book box if needed! Just send us an email thelittlebabecollective@gmail.com
3. How much does a box cost?
Depending on how long you subscribe for determines the cost of your book box. Children’s books all fall within a similar price range for picture books or board books. We have done our best to create an accessible subscription for families, as we believe quality stories should be affordable and easy to find for all!
4. What is inside the box?
Inside your collection you will receive 3 high quality books that feature diverse characters and stories representative of a wide variety of communities. Our goal is to always include own voiced and/or illustrated stories to provide the best representation and point of view. We will continue to do extensive research and background to ensure we are offering fair and affirming books for your family. Our educational training, consistency with professional and personal development in ares of anti-racism and anti-bias work, as well as building a professional network of diverse book lovers helps us curate great stories.
5. What are the quality of the books?
We will always include at least 2 hardcover picturebooks with the goal of 3 consistently. However, our main focus is always on providing you with the best quality of diverse picture books and this may mean receiving a paperback copy. We will always include 3 board books, and if applicable a soft cover paperback may be included.
6. When do I receive the boxes?
No matter which subscription you choose, your collection will ship within the first week of the quarterly month (March, June, September, December), shipping times vary across Canada, but typically arrive within 3-5 days of the shipping notice.
7. When do I receive my first order?
Your first box will be shipped no more than 2 weeks after your initial order & will include the quarterly books for the month you are purchasing in if it’s before the 15th of the last month (e.g., if you purchase Between March 1st and May 14th you would receive the books for Mar-May) If you purchase after the 15th of the last month you will receive the books for the next quarterly collection (e.g., if you purchase May 18th, you would receive the books for Jun-Aug.)
8. How can I cancel?
If you need to cancel for any reason, send us an email thelittlebabecollective@gmail.com We will do our best to accommodate based on our shipping and ordering periods. Cancellations must occur at least 30 days before the next shipment (so one month before you receive or quarterly book mail!)
9. Can I purchase past books?
You sure can! As long as we have it in stock, or can receive it in time before your next shipment, we will be happy to add on any of our previous picks to your subscription. Purchasing can happen through our website with anything in stock. If you can't see it, send us a direct message or email and we will let you know if we can track it down for you. We are happy to ship it right away or ship it with your next box!
10. Will you still be offering locally made products for play based learning or seasonal collections?
At times we may offer seasonal or celebratory themed books. While we always aim to be inclusive in our selections and book lists, it is a fact that inclusivity and diversity are seriously lacking in children’s picture books and stories. We want to ensure we curate not only inclusive books, but also engaging ones that your family will love to read over and over again. With that being said, if you are hoping to add a specific celebration themed book to your collection, please reach out and we would be happy to curate a list for you to pick from)