From comedian and viral content sensation Trey Kennedy comes How You Got Your Name, a hilarious and touching book celebrating the wild journey to each child's name and the meaningful story behind it. This is fantastic and enjoyable to read.

As to be expected, this is such a fun, silly read that kids will love (mine did!) about a mom & dad telling their son how they picked his name. The bulk of the book takes readers along the journey of finding a name for their baby while being inspired by a trip to park, a grocery run, music, nature and more. Your kids will be completely entertained and giggling with all the name suggestions in this book such as “tubular slide” and “red-throated loon.”

But alas at the end of the book, they settle on a name with a reminder that God knows their child’s name by heart and says their name too.

👶🏼 I love the page of names at the back of the book (which includes 2 of my 3 boys!) and also a final page where there is a prompt to write in the book the first nickname your child had, some other favorite names that were considered and how you chose their name.

This would actually make a great baby shower gift and is such a fun one that kids will grab again and again to learn more about their own very special name.

(It does include the word “poo” if your family doesn’t do that but I’ve got 3 boys over here so that doesn’t phase me🤪)

I received a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have seen Trey Kennedy on Instagram so interested to see what his book would be about. My 4-year-old daughter really enjoyed this book while my older boys (10 and 8) didn't enjoy it very much. My daughter definitely shook her head no, when crazy/silly name ideas came up. My favorite part is the back pages where you write what names you considered naming your child. This makes the book a great baby shower gift and keepsake for years to come. I was gifted the story for my unbiased review of the story.

This rhyming book starts with the inverted grammar you'd expect from a fifth grader, but not what you want to teach your kid about poetry, nor what you'd expect from a serious publisher ("One afternoon, so curious I became").

The idea of naming is presented in terms of finding the "perfect" or "fun" name, which in itself seems a bit contradictory. The book then takes a zany, unrealistic but fun turn. And then, suddenly out of the madness, we get "the right name chose you", and it's Sam, a totally normal name. Apparently naming ought to be thought of as spontaneous and mystical.

As I read it, the parents in the book are presented as showing no intentionality nor loving care nor stewardship in the act of naming. The idea of naming as blessing is pretty fundamental to the Bible, and something absolutely absent from the book. I am discouraged by a Christian publisher publishing this vacuous subpar book.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

Cute interactive book with an important message. . There is a question on each page that can lead to fun conversations.

This was a silly book about how a mom and dad chose their son's name. I thought this book was funny and children would love all of the strange names the parents could have chosen for their son. I really liked the questions at the end of each section. I think they were a great way to make the book interactive and get a good laugh with the child you're reading it with. The illustrations were done well. They are colorful and full of detail.
The religious reference at the end was a bit strange to me. I don't feel like it was overpowering, but it wasn't really mentioned anywhere else in the book until the end. It just seemed a little out of place.
Overall I thought this was a great book to read with children. In the classroom it could be used at the beginning of the year for an "All About Me" theme. It could also tie in with history and doing home interviews about where student's names came from.

Thank you Tommy Nelson for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I had a lot of fun reading this book! It's quirky, funny, and relevant to young readers. The silliness of the parents while they explore potential names for their kid is infectious, and I know for sure that kids will be reading this book and giggling out loud at the funny names that are mentioned. The illustrations also relate heavily and flawlessly to this fun energy. However, there is one thing that didn't work perfectly for me. The religious aspect of this book is great and all, but it seemed like an afterthought. It is only mentioned twice, and right at the very end of the book. This makes it seem unnecessary and out of place. It also alters the meaning of this book. Initially, I thought that this book was purely for entertainment and humor, which is a good thing! Although, mentioning religion at the end of the story made me wonder if this book had a different meaning, one that was more directed towards religion. I think that making the objective/focus clearer and more direct would help immensely to dispel any confusion.

"Cause no matter what your name is, no matter who gave it to you, whenever you say your perfect name,
remember that God says your name too."
Kennedy's "How You Got Your Name" is a heartwarming and delightful story, filled with both humor and love. The author skillfully invites readers to reflect on the significance of names and how they come to hold meaning for each person. The book not only sparks imagination but also offers a wonderful opportunity for parents to share the stories behind the names they chose for their children. It's a perfect read for young readers aged 4-8, blending sentiment with a touch of playful charm.

This would be a good beginning of the year book for my unit on identity. It was silly, but serious and will lead to good family homework for kids to discuss with their families.

Unfortunately this title was not for me. I’m glad I read it ahead of time before reading it to my kids.

The art was fun and it was silly. I’m sure kids would enjoy the funny names for kids. However it never really had a moral or lesson.

The sudden religious aspect towards the end was a huge turnoff. We will not be selling it for that reason.

“How You Got Your Name” is a silly and fun story with a strong theme to wrap up the silliness. God sees you and knows your name. What better theme could there be? In all the fun and giggles, the message comes through clearly. Kids will enjoy the over-the-top silliness in this book, and I think they will also cherish the truth that God sees them and knows them and that is all that matters.

This was a fun & quirky read by Trey Kennedy (Check out his funny & clean videos)! The decision process of picking THE name for your child deserves to have a humorous spin on it. 😅 My son thought this was hilarious & wondered if his dad and I thought the same way when choosing his name. The book ends w/ a sweet reminder that God personally knows your name, knows who you are, and that's the most important thing.

*I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect premise and concept with several cute, tender and silly, genuinely silly and funny, scenes.
As for the story itself and the focus on one sibling, I have my reservations.
The art style is compelling in many ways; the complex and detailed scenes and the expressions, though it also looks slightly robotic and artificial.

A super silly story told by a mom and dad to their little boy. They basically go about their day and pick out the craziest names at the park, grocery store, etc until they finally come to the perfect name.
The illustrations are bright and engaging. My 6 year old found the names hilarious. So a nice preschool/early grade read!
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

This book looked cute, but do to how it was sent, I was unable to view the book in order to review it

This one wasn’t for me. It felt mostly silly and nonsensical, and the sudden religious tie-in didn’t resonate with me. Overall, I didn’t find a clear lesson or takeaway.

Thank you, NetGalley.

I received an electronic ARC from Tommy Nelson through NetGalley.
A child asks about their name and the parents share all sorts of humorous options they considered. I love the way Kennedy encourages readers to interact and think about names they like for each location. The colorful artwork adds to the joy as they waited for this child's birth. Then, the book turns more serious as they share that Sam's name fit who he was. They finish by sharing that God knows his name just like he knows each reader's name. An affirming book to show how important each child is.

I really liked the idea behind this book but it wasn't really how I thought it would be, but it was a fun read even if there were an awful lot of silly, rather than funny names (I would have preferred funny ones and so would my daughter as she thought some weren't great at all so it missed the target with her - she was 7 in July)

The illustrations in the book were lovely though and we really liked them, the layout for the book was nice too and the text positioning was great too - it made the book easy to read.

It is 3 stars from me for this one thanks to the great illustrations, the rest missed the spot for me and its a shame - hopefully others will enjoy it more

I absolutely loved this book!

The pictures were great and bright!

The questions at the bottom of every two pages was great! Such a great way to get the kids involved, asking for their opinion and making them think of their own names.

My son's review:
Good book because I like how it said funny things. My name was even at the end of the book! I love that it mentioned God and makes me giggle!

My review:
I absolutely loved this one. Super cute with fun and funny rhymes! I love that it asked questions to boost interactions. We had fun reading and giggling to this book! The illustrations were perfect as well! 5 stars!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Tommy Nelson to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.