Okay, moms. I have found another hobby we apparently need.
If you haven’t fallen down this particular rabbit hole yet, a book nook is basically a tiny miniature world that you build yourself and then tuck onto a bookshelf between your books. And when I say tiny world, I mean tiny bookstores, libraries, flower shops, little Japanese streets, cafés, gardens, magical houses and even miniature train stations.
Some of them even LIGHT UP. I always wished that I loved Legos, but I never could get into them with my kids. But Book Nooks? Every time I see my daughter and her friends working on these, I wish I was a teenager again so I could join their Book Nook Parties!
I recently saw the Rolife Pagestory Books Miniature Bookstore Kit, and immediately added a few to my Christmas Wish List. It looks like a teeny little bookstore that you build piece by piece, complete with books, furniture and all those ridiculously cute little details that make you want to lean in and inspect everything – just like I do every year when I go to see the trains at Northpark Mall. And this bookstore kit looks like a bookstore that I would definitely want to visit.
Now this particular kit says “master level” on it, but I feel like I am easily a master, even though I’ve only watched my daughter and her friends build these. But after seeing this, I started looking around for different kits that would be fun to build. That was a big mistake – – there are so many. I’m already thinking to myself “Do we really need a dining room table? Or can this become my Book Nook office?”
See the Rolife Pagestory Books kit on Amazon
So, what exactly is a Book Nook?
Think dollhouse meets puzzle meets craft project meets bookshelf decor that you bought at the flea market to fill the space on your shelf. Now you don’t have to shop for shelf fillers – you have Book Nooks.
You get a box filled with pieces and gradually build your little scene. Depending on the kit, you may be assembling walls and furniture, adding books and plants, putting together teeny accessories and installing little LED lights. And like I said earlier, there are different levels of difficulty for these kits, but the ones I seem to be drawn to all say “master level”!
Once you’re finished, instead of wondering what on earth to do with another completed puzzle that you end up taking apart and putting right back into the box it came in, you slide your tiny bookstore, small coffee cafe, or whatever you created right onto your bookshelf.
It becomes part of your room’s decor. And believe me – – anyone who notices these will stop to inspect it closely!
And I love that.
A Few Book Nooks I Love
Rolife Pagestory Books
This is the one that started my latest obsession.
Pagestory Books is an advanced-level miniature bookstore, so this isn’t necessarily the one I’d choose if I wanted a quick little afternoon project. This is for someone who wants to settle (maybe on a rainy day), put on an audiobook and enjoy the process (which for me would be long). And maybe for someone who has a designated craft table. Or better yet…a designated craft room! One day I hope to have one…
What I love:
- An actual miniature bookstore!
- Tons of tiny details
- Made for people who really enjoy the building process
- Beautiful when it’s finished
- Perfect for a book lover
- Definitely more of a project than a quick craft
Rolife Sakura Densya
If you’re more of a cherry-blossoms-and-tiny-streets kind of person, you need to check out the Sakura Densya book nook.
This one is a cute little Japanese-inspired scene. It has beautiful cherry blossoms and a train. The Sakura Densya kit is also one of its best-selling book nooks. This one is not for me, but no matter what you love, I’m pretty sure they have a kit for you.
Rolife Silent Corner Study
This one might be my favorite for anyone who loves books (like me).
Instead of a typical street scene, you get to create a cozy little study/library. This kit is tall and skinny – that’s another great thing about these – you can find the one that you love, or you can base it on the shape/size of the kit. Whatever works with your bookshelf. I definitely want at least one tall and skinny one that just slips right in between two books – only getting noticed by people who are really looking carefully at my bookshelf!
These always make me think of the movie “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” Have you seen it? Well, if I was able to shrink myself down, I would definitely want to live in one of these Book Nooks!
See Rolife’s Bookstore and Library Kits
What About a Tiny Flower Shop?
Yes. You can build that too.
Tonecheer makes a Flower Shop Book Nook, along with an entire collection of miniature worlds that range from sweet little towns to fantasy scenes – very similar to the Rolife kits, but a bit different in subtle ways. The pricing is similar for most of these kits though.
Building my first kit is going to be so much fun. But I think this is where things get dangerous – – because once I’ve built a bookstore, obviously your bookshelf bookstore needs a neighboring flower shop or cafe to keep it company.
I think I might already have a problem!
Browse Tonecheer Book Nook Kits
Tonecheer Magical Library
Now for those of you who love fantasy. This one is for you.
The Magical Library is a much more elaborate build with hundreds of pieces and a wonderfully enchanted-library look and feel to it. This would be a fun one for moms or teens who love fantasy books and want something more challenging. It will be interesting to see if I have have the patience it will probably take to complete one of these very intricate ones at “masters level”.
And Those Aren’t Even All the Choices
This is the part I didn’t realize when I first heard about and started looking into these kits. Book Nooks aren’t all libraries!
You can find kits that let you build miniature all sorts of things! Including:
- Bookstores and libraries
- Japanese streets and cherry-blossom alleys
- Flower shops
- Coffee shops
- Bakeries
- Magic shops
- Train stations and train cars
- Gardens
- Cozy little houses
- Fantasy worlds
- Christmas cabins
- And more….
Some are fairly simple. Others have hundreds of pieces and are clearly meant for people who enjoy a challenge. It all depends on what you’re looking for.
Brands to Look For
Rolife is probably the brand you’ll see most often. They make everything from miniature houses to bookstores, cafés, studies and Japanese street scenes. Their current Book Nook collection includes designs such as Sunshine Town, Magic House, Time Travel Station and Tokyo Sakura Densya.
Tonecheer is another fun brand to check out, especially if you want something a little more elaborate or unusual. Their lineup includes Magical Library, Left Bank Bookstore, Giverny Garden, Mini Town, Magic Platform, Cyber City, Sakura’s Travel and even A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
You’ll also see brands such as CUTEBEE and plenty of smaller miniature-kit companies when you start browsing Amazon. And you can also find these in some stores. But Amazon seems to have the biggest and best selection. My advice? Don’t get too hung up on the name on the box. Pick the little world you actually want to spend hours building and having displayed on your bookshelf.
Are These Good for Kids?
Some of these kits can be, but I definitely think you should check the recommended age on each individual kit.
Many of these contain very small pieces and are really designed for teens and adults. The Rolife Pagestory Books kit lists a manufacturer’s minimum age of 14 – depending on your child, you could probably go younger, but just be wary. Or you might end up spending all of your time while your kids are at school building their book nooks!
Why I Think Moms Might Love These
There is something appealing about a hobby that forces you to sit down and concentrate on one small thing for a while.
No laundry.
No doom-scrolling.
No answering a text while simultaneously trying to remember why you walked into the kitchen.
Just you, a cup of coffee (or a large Sonic Diet Coke in my case), an audiobook and 347 miniature pieces that will eventually become the world’s cutest bookstore displayed on your bookshelf.
They’d Make Really Fun Gifts, Too
I immediately started thinking about who I could buy these for.
A book nook would be such a fun gift for:
- Moms who love crafts
- Book lovers
- Teenagers who like building things
- College kids who need a screen-free hobby
- Teachers
- Grandmothers
- Puzzle lovers
- The person who is impossible to shop for
- And, obviously, yourself
I think they’d be especially fun for Christmas because you could give someone a project they can work on during that strange, wonderful week between Christmas and New Year’s when nobody knows what day it is anyway.
Before You Buy One…
One little warning: look at the difficulty level.
Some book nooks snap together fairly quickly. Others involve a LOT more patience and detail work.
Check:
- Approximate assembly time
- Number of pieces
- Beginner/intermediate/advanced rating
- Whether LED lighting is included
- Whether batteries are included or need to be purchased separately
- Recommended age
- Finished dimensions
- Whether glue or any additional tools are required
And definitely read a few recent reviews. Sometimes the prettiest kit isn’t necessarily the easiest one to assemble.
I Think I Need a Tiny Village Now
This is how it starts.
You buy one little bookstore.
Then you see the flower shop.
Then the bakery.
Then the little Japanese train station with the cherry blossoms.
And suddenly you are in charge of a miniature town that’s displayed all throughout your bookshelf. I’m thinking of the book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie…”
I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen. I’m just saying I really need to clear some space on my bookshelf. Happy building!
Until next time…
