Whale Of A Tale Childrens Book

We just moved to town and we are very excited to have a children's bookstore nearby (and with such great reviews). Unfortunately the owner and staff make for an extremely uncomfortable shopping experience. They hover and stare and give off some real bad vibes. I try to make conversation, but they are incapable of being nice. I am bummed, because we love buying books for our little one and we love shopping local. I hope the owner and her staff read this and reflect on the way they treat costumers. Be nice. more

This store would be very nice except for the terrible customer service -- no warm welcome, no interest until you are ready to make a purchase. The owner is cold and although some of the staff tries to be helpful, the owner sets the tone. I was in there today for the last time: I had a few books I couldn't find on the shelves and wanted to see if I could order them and give this independent store my business, and just as a staff person started to help me, the owner came up and told her to ring up a sale first (of someone who came in after me and was not in line). I'm buying from B&N or Amazon from now on, great selection and great customer service, and they can get an ordered book in your hands faster than this store can. I’m a teacher and I buy a lot of books, it’s a shame this store isn’t a place I look forward to browsing in and supporting. more

I used to go here a lot with my mom when I was younger. The shop is set up very nicely and organized, and they have a great selection of books for kids. However, while I was there with my mom, the salespeople were super nice to us. I just went back there a couple months ago, now all 'grown up'. I went there to pick up a job application, actually. I also browsed around a bit. Both the salespeople --the owner and saleswoman--kept their eye on me. They glared at me as if I were going to steal something. Sheesh! I was about to pick up an application until I remember my friend told me that she went there a few weeks before to ask for an application with her mom. They said they refuse hire minors because they claim teenagers don't work, which is not true in ALL cases. more

A Whale of a Tale is a wonderful store. Don't be fooled by its relatively small size, you don't need a superstore for an excellent selection. The people who choose the books really know what they're doing. Not only is there a great assortment of quality titles, but the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. They also have great programming, like story time and author visits. more

Whale of a Tale does seem like a great setup, but I haven't had the best of experiences there myself. Basically, if you aren't either a child or obviously old enough to be the parent of one, you are going to get a pretty frosty reception. (This despite the fact that it's directly across the street from UCI.) A few friends have reported the same thing. While the staff won't actually ask you to leave, they won't give you any help either. I'm rating them at two stars because I guess they do do a good job for the people they're willing to exert themselves for. more

If you’re looking for a children’s bookstore that has a great selection, layout and expertise, this is the place. The store is extremely kid friendly, and the staff really knows children’s books. In addition to books, the store offers a great stuffed animal selection. As you might expect with a high-quality children’s bookstore, this place has great story hours for young readers. more