Coco: "My Busy Books" Review

Happy Day of the Dead everyone!

If you've ever been to the Barnes & Noble kids' section, you've probably seen a bunch of these "My Busy Books" over the years (I've even reviewed a couple here in the past—Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur). Well today, in celebration of Día de Muertos, I'm taking a look at the Coco inspired "Busy Book"—which I picked up just a few months back! I was saving it to review today.

I had thought about getting this back in 2017 when the film came out, but just never got around to it because of all the other merch I was getting at the time. Then when I saw this still there on the shelf  recently at Barnes & Noble, I was reminded of its existence and just had to go for it!

The fun of "My Busy Books" is that they are both a storybook and toy in one activity kit! In the book you'll find 11 pages of story/illustrations (though only six pages actually feature the story, very summarized in just a few words). There's also a plastic, foldable playmat included (featuring three of the film's most iconic locations) and an assortment of mini figurines (12 to be the exact). The figures included are: Miguel, Hector, Pepita, Dante, Mama Imelda, Papa Julio, Mama Coco, Miguel with skeleton face paint, Abuelita, Alejibre Dante, Ernesto de la Cruz and Ernesto's guitar.

Now understand, I know that the playmat and figures included with these books are always cheaply made—heck this whole set is only $10. When it comes down to it though, they aren't that bad for what you pay, just make sure you check the paint quality of each figure before buying since often times there are several paint defects/marks from the figures rubbing against each other.

Here they all are! I was lucky enough to find a near perfect set without hardly any paint issues. The figures stand at about 1.5"-2.5" tall and can be stored inside the book along with the playmat.

My personal rule is that I'll only purchase a "My Busy Book" when it includes a unique character that was never released as a figure elsewhere; in this case there are two—Papa Julio and Mama Coco! I have a lot of other [better quality] Coco figures, but Papa Julio and Mama Coco were never made outside this set. C'mon, Mama Coco is the title character! She's a must have, so it was worth getting this set for her alone (and the figure is actually pretty well done to be honest). Papa Julio looks just a little bit wonky, but hey, it's cool to even have a figure of him.

Fun Fact: It's never stated in the film, but Papa Julio is actually Mama Coco's husband.     

Here's a look inside the book at some of the pages...

And here's the playmat unfolded! I don't really know what material the playmat is, but again, it feels pretty cheaply made and is pretty wrinkly when it's unfolded— it feels like thin, glossy photo paper. However, this is for very little kids and I'm sure they will have fun using it (and the figures) to recreate the story they're reading from the book 

Summary/Conclusion:
From what I've seen, kids seem to really enjoy the "My Busy Books" and this would be no exception, especially if they're a Coco fan. The figures included here would also make great cake toppers, if you're looking for something like that! I can totally recommend this set as something simple that will entertain kids, but remember that you're getting what you pay for (the figures are not high-end or detailed). All in all, I do have to say that this is a pretty fun product. It's great for little ones to keep them busy and to spark imaginative play, but it's also fun for collectors who enjoy collecting character figurines.

You can purchase this book on Amazon by using the direct link below or at your local Barnes & Noble (online HERE). Let me know your thoughts below!