SLO County bookstore owners open sustainable toy store — right next door to original shop
There’s a new toy store in the Village of Arroyo Grande.
The owners of Monarch Books in Arroyo Grande launched Little Oaks Toys and Books on Nov. 2 to create a collection of toys and children’s books that “spark curiosity, foster exploration and encourage the imagination,” owner Taneesha Regez told The Tribune.
Little Oaks, located at 127 E. Branch St., was at first expected to be a space for Monarch Books to expand its children’s books offerings. The business replaces the former Hello Village, a baby and children’s toy and clothing reseller, which closed in October.
Toys were then introduced with the idea of open-ended play and exploration, Regez said.
The store’s collection includes wooden toys, building blocks, science kits and toys for outside play, like jump ropes, binoculars and shovels and buckets for the beach.
While Monarch Books’ ambiance hosts a cozy, academic atmosphere, Little Oaks Toys and Books has a more environmental feel. Aaron Regez builds shelves and tables by hand, and a small closet in the store will be transformed into a tree for children to play around while adults shop.
Taneesha Regez emphasized the toys from Little Oaks are also not the kinds of toys that customers could go and pick up at Target, Walmart or Ross. Instead, the Regez family partners with toy companies that practice sustainability and ethically sourced products from Europe and the United States.
“Things that get them out and navigating the world, exploring it, using all their senses to play and engage was a big part of what we’re looking at when we look at what we’re bringing in,” Taneesha Regez said.
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As for Monarch Books, located at 201 E. Branch St., the store continues to curate novels that will be read and shared.
In the holiday season, the Book Tree allows customers to buy books for public school teachers or librarians with a 15% off discount. The books from the Book Tree are then given to their recipients after the school’s winter break.
For more information on Little Oaks Toys and Books, visit the business’s Facebook or Instagram pages. A website is in the works.
For November and December, it is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Little Oaks Toys and Books will be open full time after the new year.