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.

My girls liked the story. My 3 year old did wonder why the main character was not a little girl. She did laugh at all the jokes built into the dialogue.

This book is authored by popular comedian and social media video creator, Trey Kennedy. This book is a book detailing how a children received their name. It offered a clue to children as to where parents got their idea for their special name. The father explained how important a name is and how they brainstormed ideas and wrote down lists. They explained how they would go everywhere and invest into naming their kid. They traveled to the playground and park and thought of jungle gym, swing set, seesaw, tubular slide, poo, and much more. They went to the grocery store, park, movies, nature, and all sorts of fun areas. At the end of each suggestion, they would ask questions such as, “what grocery item would make a good name” in order to get our kids to think of new names that they would use. This book is a fun activity book on naming children. They revealed how they came to pick out his name and how it chose him.


This book is a very impactful book on exploring where our names we chose for our kids came from. It’s a fun little activity and discussion we can have with our children reading a bedtime story. I enjoyed how colorful the illustrations were and how everything flowed together. The questions were great in exploring names and made it fun for kids. It provided a way for parents to connect with their children on sharing how they brainstormed their name. I liked he at the end tie God into the book and shared how the Creator even says our name. I would say that it’s written for kids age 3 to 8 and would make a wonderful gift for birthdays and Christmas.



“I received this book free from Thomas Nelson for my honest review.”

The perfect book for a baby shower or "mekici" in the Macedonian way. The book is a journey of how Sam was given his name. Parents were inspirational from everything in their life. From the playground to the grocery store, from musical instruments to the sounds of the mobile phone, from the beauty of nature to the sounds of a cold... But the name is chosen at the end... The book is interactive, so parents can write about their thoughts and wishes. The book can be a souvenir of the unforgettable journey of choosing a baby's name.
Thanks to NetGalley for this opportunity to read this wonderful book.

How You Got Your Name is a humorous and touching book by comedienne Trey Kennedy. Here he celebrates the meaningful journey behind the naming of a child.

This wild ride begins when a little guy asks his parents about how they chose his name. Little ones will delight at the silly names the parents in the story almost picked as they're inspired by everyday things, including playground equipment, the foods in the grocery store, and cell phone sounds… yogurt, swing set, zoomy, huckleberry or achoo! This funny and sweet story ends with a beautiful reminder for kids that God knows their name too.

The illustrations are delivered in vibrant colors with the most happy and expressive faces of the excited parents and children.

This is a great read aloud and lends itself perfectly to be interactive with listeners who can try and guess the character's name with laugh-out-loud funny consequences.

The author has included space for parents to fill out the real story behind their own child's name, making this book a wonderful keepsake for the whole family. It will be the perfect gift for baby showers and birthdays. and for showing your child just how much thought and love went into their own name.

End quote…

“ 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.”


I always like to pair my story time with scripture and I feel Matthew 6: 25-26 lends itself well with How You Got Your Name.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

I’m conflicted writing this review because I’m a big fan of Trey Kennedy’s! While I love the message and heart of this book, it feels like a family story written for their own home’s shelves more than it feels like something universal. It’s sweet and funny, but the joke gets a little old after the first couple of pages and it seems too long to hold the attention of the target age group. Also, the rhythm doesn’t really hold up when reading it out loud; the words don’t roll off the tongue. I’m sure this book has a place on some shelves — I could imagine that kids who are fascinated in the naming process of their younger siblings-to-be could be charmed by this one, but it wasn’t quite a hit for me and my family. All that said, I hope it does well for the right readers! The illustrations were super well done.

Thanks so much to Tommy Nelson, Trey Kennedy and NetGalley for the eARC!

My favourite board book of the year!

Thank you, Tommy Nelson, for the ARC.

The illustrations! The playful dialogues! The parents! Everything about them telling the kids about how they chose the names of the little ones.

It is so wholesome and playful at the same time. Gave me all the family vibes!

Until you get the book and read it you won’t get the exact satisfaction of what I am saying!

A cute and humorously written and illustrated book about a set of parents on their journey to name their child. They struggle to find the perfect name and search from inspiration everywhere they go (the playground, grocery store, nature, etc). Kids and parents alike will laugh as they read this book. Recommend this book for families for their home library.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Superfun!
The child wonders how parents name a child and the answers are from the ridiculous to nice and illustrated to make it all even funnier. The purpose is to reaffirm that even the heavens know each child's name.
The illustrations by Jesus Lopez are simple, imaginative, colorful, and hilarious.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, hospital, or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Tommy Nelson via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Nov 12, 2024

I wasn’t sure how to feel about THE Trey Kennedy writing a kids book, but I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It was funny and then it was so sweet. A great connection point between kids and parents as they discuss how a kiddo came into their name. The one big drawback is this book is only for children living with their biological parents. My friends who have adopted won’t find this book inclusive to them.

My Daughter chose this book herself and even started reading before I had a chance to read it to her. She read most of it herself. I like that because it means that the book is easy enough for a 6 year old but also had a great story that kept her interested. We liked reading all of the same at the end.
We would recommend this read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tommy Nelson for the copy.

Adorable rhyming book for parents to read to young children. Multiple easy to read fonts used throughout, along with vibrant and quirky illustrations. Some funny scenes will have you and your little ones laughing, and questions posed throughout will engage toddlers/preschoolers in conversation. Especially loved the reminders that God knows your name.

A young boy asks his parents how they chose his name, and their answer comes in the form of cute little anecdotes of how they considered naming him after all kinds of different objects, words and noises.

A cute, funny book with nice rhymes and lovely illustrations. I liked the little questions at the bottom of the pages. They are a great way to get your child thinking and join in with the fun and silliness.

The religious theme at the end surprised me. It seemed quite random, and I didn’t think it fit in with the rest of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley/the publisher/author for this eARC.

I am thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Netgalley and Tommy Nelson so I can leave my voluntary and review.

This is such a sweet book to read to your child, especially if you want a God centered story and sentiment.
The illustrations are wonderful and the rhythm of the book is one that children will love and giggle along with the funny names used along the way.

Definitely a book to put in your children’s libraries!

My rating system for Middle Grade and children’s books

⭐️ Significant problems and would never recommend to the audience.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea but may have some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ an ok book which I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend but there was nothing significantly wrong with it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Would recommend highly, especially to school programs.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-copy of How You Got Your Name by Trey Kennedy in exchange for a honest review.I loved this book that explains how a little boy got his name and the sing-song, rhyming description his parents give him when he asks.I also loved how his parents tell him, that God knows his name too which makes for a beautiful introduction to religion for the preschoolers.Also loved the illustrations.

This book was ABSOLUTELY precious! Every new parent should have this book at their home. Its darling. The pictures were so fun, and the story was adorable. My four kids so loved this book

Thanks for this arc! I love Trey Kennedy & had no idea he wrote a children’s book! I love that he and his wife were portrayed in the story. For anyone who has ever named a kid you know how you can find a name anywhere! As a parent, I found this so relatable. I also love that they just picked a name they loved. We did this with our children (as opposed to naming them after someone) and this book would be a hit with them. This would be a cute gift for expecting parents. I loved that the last page that is collaged with names has room to add a kids name in the middle!

Such a cute book with so many great qualities. However we aren't raising my son with religion necessarily, so the mention of god at the end really turned me off. I do realize that was mentioned in the book's description, but I was hoping it would maybe be subtle and still a book to add to our son's little library. If that were left out, I would have bought the book in a heartbeat when it's published.

For those still interested despite the religious ideas included, here are the things I did really enjoy about this book (and why it still gets 3/5 vs 1/5):
- Reading it brought back the excitement of going back and forth with my husband when deciding on my son's name
- There are silly reflective questions (open-ended, woo hoo!) at the end of some of the pages, spurring imagination
- Onomatopoeias! I'm a sucker for books with onomatopoeias I'll get to try to have my son mimic

{Thank you to NetGalley, Trey Kennedy and publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!}