Another day, another Prime perk.
This time it’s for kids.
Granted, it will not be a free perk like many of the other consumer boons that come care of Amazon — but it’s still one that (sort of) represents a discount. As of yesterday, Amazon has opened up its Prime Book Box service for kids ages 0-12 nationwide. The service first launched in May, but was available on an invite-only basis to Prime parents looking to perhaps bulk up their young ones’ love of reading.
For the bargain price of $22.99, Amazon will send along a box containing a selection of children’s books — parents can chose to have that box show up once a month, bi-monthly or once a quarter.
“As a mom who’s spent over 20 years reading and reviewing children’s books, the best part of my job is sharing a love of reading with kids and their families,” said Seira Wilson, Senior Editor, Amazon Books. “Over the past few months, it’s been both exciting and rewarding to hear that Prime Book Box is encouraging kids to spend more time reading. Now that Prime Book Box is available to all U.S. Prime members, I hope we can inspire even more children to discover a love of reading that will last a lifetime.”
Kindles — and the eBook empire that Amazon has built upon them — are popular with adults, but kids tend to like the tactile nature of physical books. As a result, the box will contain either two hardcover books or four sturdy “board” books.
Though the Prime Book Box is an extra expense on top of a Prime subscription, it still serves to encourage more people to sign up for the Prime service. Parents can value the access to some custom curation of recommended children’s books, as Amazon does all the heavy lifting there. Amazon also promises that you can save as much as 35 percent on each book’s list price — which is technically true, but note that one is saving off the hardcover list price. Once could order a paperback version of both of these books and save some funds.
But, never underestimate the delight factor — or the fact that children of all ages love receiving packages in the mail.
“My two year old daughter loves books and was in awe when she received this special package,” said Jeff G., a Prime Book Box customer. “The selection of books to choose from was great and I appreciate the hardcover format. This is helping us build a great library our daughter, Abby, can enjoy throughout her childhood.”