Apryl Stott

Poppy and Clementine are best, best friends. They have lots of fun together and even have a bookmark business. When Clementine plays with Georgia, Poppy is worried that Georgia threatens her friendship with Clementine, especially after Clementine sings her praises. In a fit of anger and jealousy, Poppy storms back home. Her father helps her rehearse a proper response about her feelings. All is well that ends well, and Georgia (a human girl) turns out to be a pretty cool new friend. I appreciate how the friend jealousy was handled but the sudden reveal of Georgia being a human threw the story off for me. Oh, well, little kids won't mind.… (more)

This is one of those books, which sneaks in and warms the heart.

Bear and Coco are the oddest pair of friends, and while they get along splendidly, bear isn't happy. None of the animals understand him and are afraid of him. Coco wants to help and thinks of a way to show the animals how kind bear really is. But despite their efforts, nothing seems to turn the prejudice around.

Firstly, I love the illustrations in this tale. They carry so much detail and make the characters along with the setting really come through with tons of atmosphere. The snowy landscape and cold seems to radiate from the pages thanks to the wonderful color choices. Plus, the atmosphere is just right to let the light shine. It's fun to flip through them and get lost in the wintery forest and animals, especially since there's a wonderful mix of realistic aspects and imaginative ones.

The tale has a more traditional direction and tells a story without rhyme...which I appreciate. Coco and Bear's dialogue fits well to a little girl and shows the comfort the two share between each other. There is a very important message in all of this, and it's a very universal one. It leaves off with a smile and a bit of food for thought, and definitely has the reader wishing they could visit this forest and stomp through the snow right along with Bear and Coco.

I received a complimentary copy and found this book to be packed full off goodness.… (more)