We bought this headboard for my 4-1/2 year old son. It arrived packed very carefully so that it would not be damaged in transit. There are quite a lot of part, but they go together reasonably quickly. The instructions are vague in that they don't clearly distinguish between the two smallest sizes of boards. Using some logic and a guess I got it right. Some of the shelves don't have enough headroom for books. They seem designed more for display of curios. So if you are looking for something to fill up with books, this headboard is probably not the best choice. However, my son likes it, and it hold his books and stuffed animals.