Michaël Escoffier

When you read a book with a huge grin on your face from the first page to the last, you know it is going to be a 5 star read! (I would have given this 10 stars if GoodReads had allowed it.)

Very rarely do I choose a NetGalley book solely on the basis of its cover, and then I hope that the story meets the expectations set by the cover. In this case, I’m happy to report: Yes, it does! What an awesome story this turned out to be! And a story not restricted to any gender. This is a story for show more every little boy and girl, no matter what their biological gender. As the book rightly says, girls get complete freedom to dress up as whatever character pleases them but boys are stuck with the same old boring costumes, and dare the costume be pink in colour… Oh, the horror! Kevin decides to buck this trend and dress up for the school fancy dress show as what he wants to: a princess in pink.

The book sets all prejudices about costumes right and shows how you need to follow your heart and do whatever makes you happy. What I want to specifically highlight is that the book doesn’t cater to any assumptions. You might assume that Kevin chose the dress because he likes girly things. Or because he loves dresses. Or because he is a girl trapped in a boy’s body. Gender fluidity has become a necessary topic, but because of this, we assume that every boy in a dress is a girl waiting to come out. (Sounds silly, I know. But it is a silly assumption too!) What this book simply says is: here is a boy who chose to dress up as a girl for a fancy dress show. That’s it, simple and sweet. The takeaways depend on you. And that makes this book so flexible in its target audience.

No matter how much I write in this review, it won’t be sufficient to convey to you my utter joy at reading this book. The story, the characters, the narrative flow, the illustrations, all were absolutely perfect.

There is rarely a book for which I can declare: I want to change nothing about it! Go for it without any hesitation.

Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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A fun book and game in one, Where's the BaBOOn? asks the reader/listener a series of questions in which the answer is 'hidden' within the question itself, spelled out in red letters that stand out from the black of the rest of the text. Thus the question "Who made this painting?" shows the 'p', 'i' and 'g' of 'painting' in red, spelling out the correct answer.

Less of a story than an interactive question and answer book, Where's the BaBOOn? pairs an engaging text with appealingly humorous show more illustrations from Kris Di Giacomo, whose animal characters have very expressive faces at times. Naturally, given the title, there is a 'surprise' appearance at the end of (you guessed it) a baboon. Recommended to anyone looking for more interactive picture-books for younger children, in which the reader is prompted to get involved with the text. show less

This story was SO much fun! Kevin wakes up one morning to "costume day" at school! He decides he wants to be a Princess.

Throughout his day Kevin discovers several things. He can't seem to find a knight... and being a princess is no fun without one. But if some people think you shouldn't be a princess...that's their problem!

The illustrations in this book are colourful and amusing. Kevin is a lovely fellow, forthright and independent and fearlessly himself. He's a great character to welcome show more into any child's life.

By the end of this little book, Kevin has discovered that being a Princess is pretty difficult... and he doesn't much like walking in high heels... so! Next year, he's going to be a MERMAID!

Loved this book! It would be a great addition to anyone's library! show less

At first glance, Take Away the A may seem like a normal alphabet book. But delve a little deeper and it becomes almost immediately apparent that this book is anything but. While it does indeed go through the alphabet, this book takes a new approach by introducing each letter by taking it out of a word to make another one (i.e., “Without the A, the beast is the best”).

The zaniness of most of the situations will make even the most reluctant reader crack a smile (imagine seeing a chair show more with hair or a glove in love chasing after an octopus!). The story also provides a perfect opportunity for readers all of ages to read together; younger ones still have the opportunity to work on the alphabet and older readers will enjoy the unique challenge of the word play. In a time where it seems as though a unique alphabet book may be hard to come by, Take Away the A is a rare treat that will engage readers of all ages. Highly recommended. Grades pre-K to 2. show less