Pre-1902 / Word guessing... you know what it is / 2 players
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I hadn't planned on mentioning every pen and paper activity / reading and writing practice we get up to, but she was more enthusiastic about this classic than any of her commercial educational games. I gave her familiar words and names, while she somehow managed to find the least conventional words in her early reader books for me to bridge the literacy gap.
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A more idiosyncratic entry in the series, it's a good thing it was included in the bundle with Ogres & Oubliettes, since all those origami creature standees couldn't be easily reused elsewhere. It's a fun old-school dungeon library crawl with plenty of hidden chambers for their own sake and our first scuffles and actual peril thus far (not that you can die in this game), which were necessary reminders to put our special talents and quirks to use for once. Maybe we shouldn't have skipped that practice session after all.
My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria – Filly Sized Follies – The Cutie Mark Mystery
2019 / Roleplaying game adventure / 2+ players
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An interesting departure from conventional adventuring for a session, though packing a whodunnit into less than a third of a slim, lavishly-illustrated paperback means it's not much more in-depth than Cluedo in the end. It also doesn't lend itself to replays like the others, without getting up to some serious meddling or waiting a few years in case she forgets and making sure she doesn't see the tell-tale scowling art. She still enjoyed the story though (her favourite of the three in the book), even if she needed the clues spelled out and especially struggled with the notion that at least one of the characters was lying to her face. Better get used to it.
My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria – Filly Sized Follies – Sky Arrow's Big Flight
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With three episodic tales rather than one more convoluted epic, this was the supplement that looked the most appealing. As hoped, there was less for my tired dad brain to learn and less abridging needed for the preschooler. We even ended up using the optional diversions when her flighty Pegasus felt like staying in town a little longer, letting me tackle the gruelling friendship quest, and stealing the spotlight by performing a spectacular flying display that secured her entry to the prestigious Wonderbolt Academy, thanks to the game-breaking mechanic where you can just buy any desired outcome with tokens. Now we need to work on remembering to use our other talents ever.
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A satisfying blend of conventional Outback peril and sappy friendship lessons true to the source. Abridged into a more linear narrative for a four-year-old's attention span, but we can always play again when she's older and we're both more used to these things. Ending on a tease that persuades you to buy the next pricey paperback is a bit cheeky (though not as cheeky as omitting it from the bundle! The library-themed one may be much the same though), but that's easily averted by deciding you're not really bothered and it's time to go home.
1001 Books That My Preschooler Has Read: The Complete Babyliography 2020–24
Mostly read to her, but audiobooks count. Doesn't include unknown nursery books.
Unhelpfully reviewed by a man in his late 30s based on his own taste in literature.
Proper school and a new era of literacy starts tomorrow, but it'll still probably be mostly unicorns.
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