A sweet story about a girl and her grandfather, who gives her a special potion each year allowing her to have some special experiences. As an adult, the book was a little predictable, but I did love the ending. Very heartwarming tale.

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.* ( )

Don't Drink the Pink by BCR Fegan follows young Madeline from age one to fourteen, as each year her grandfather allows her to choose one of his special potions to drink. From super strength to invisibility, the potions offer magical gifts. He has just one rule- don't drink the pink! But come Madeline's fifteenth birthday, her grandfather has passed, and now it's time for pink, which offers a very special gift. As with all of Fegan's previous picture books, this one is full of gorgeous art and lyrical rhyming. Well worth adding to any child's library, it's sure to be enjoyed time and time again!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and TaleBlade for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

(This review will be found on my blog All the Ups and Downs soon.)
--
I love children's picture books. They're so much fun and usually so lighthearted. When I had the opportunity to review Don't Drink the Pink by B.C.R. Fegan, I jumped at the chance. This book sounded like it would be a fun one! I ended up liking it a lot.

At the beginning of Don't Drink the Pink, we're introduced to Madeline on her first birthday where her Grandpa Gilderberry gives her a box of potions telling her not to drink the pink. On every birthday up to her fourteenth, she is allowed to have one potion as long as it isn't pink. These potions give Madeline special abilities. On her fifteenth birthday, Madeline is allowed to finally drink the pink potion. You'll just have to see what happens when Madeline finally is allowed to drink the pink potion. Just be sure to have your tissues ready because it is touching.

The plot for Don't Drink the Pink is definitely entertaining and sure to have children guessing at which ability Madeline will have next. It'll also keep children wondering if and when Madeline can drink the pink potion as well as what will happen when she does. This book uses rhyming language with the last word on every other sentence. I believe this makes the book more fun and will hold a child's attention more. One thing to note, a family member does die in the book which can be quite heavy for a small child. Don't Drink the Pink doesn't go into detail about the death. The wording just mentions that this certain character passed away. I do understand why the author included the death, but it does take away from the lightheartedness of the story. However, Don't Drink the Pink is a lovely story, and that shouldn't be a deal breaker.

Madeline and her grandfather are such sweet lovable characters. It was so endearing to see how close they were. I could feel the love between them coming off the pages. I just wanted to hug them both!

As for the illustrations, I read Don't Drink the Pink on my Kindle Paperwhite, so they were all in black and white which was a shame. The illustrations were drawn very well and were very adorable. The pictures were drawn in a way that a child would love. I just wish I could have had color to the illustrations because I bet with the colors, the illustrations look even more amazing! Another unfortunate circumstance of not being able to have colored illustrations on my Kindle was that my 4 year old wasn't as entertained. However, had we have had colored illustrations, I'm sure he would have loved this story! Kudos to Lenny Wen for his talent when it came to illustrating Don't Drink the Pink. He is definitely talented!

Overall, despite the mention of a character's passing, Don't Drink the Pink is a sweet story. The rhyming is fantastic, and it has a story line that will hold a child's and adult's attention. I would definitely recommend Don't Drink the Pink by B.C.R. Fegan to adults and children between the ages of 3 through 7 although older children may like this book as well.
--
(A special thank you to TaleBlade Press for providing me with an eBook of Don't Drink the Pink by B.C.R. Fegan in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.) ( )

I've read this author's work previously, and have yet to be disappointed, so I knew when I saw the review request come through, it was one to get on the calendar. What I didn't count on though was the emotional turn of events! Be warned...bring tissues!

I selected this one to read to my mom while she was waiting to be taken into surgery (outpatient ear surgery...nothing major, but nerve wracking nonetheless). It seemed the perfect match for the reading situation...short on time, in need of a distraction, superbly gorgeous illustrations...I mean it was a triple threat! So, I began to read aloud and we laughed, smiled, and awed through a rainbow of fun...all leading up to the inevitable drink of pink...and man I was not expecting that little twist and can I just say, it's HARD to conceal tears! I mean don't get me wrong, it's WONDERFUL, SWEET, and MEMORABLE in the BEST possible ways, but that pink will do a number on you...yet at the same time it reminds us that those that are not able to be with us, whatever the reason might be, are always in our hearts.


**ebook received for review; opinions are my own ( )