"Carol and the Pickle-Toad" had fun illustrations and a positive message!

This is definitely a cute kid's book. The full page illustrations were amazing (and the detail on them was incredible). Esmé Shapiro's art captured my attention from the beginning to the end of the story!

However, while this book was enjoyable, it was a little on the repetitive side at times. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't. However, many kids will probably love this tale, and it's unique enough to provide something different to the world of children's literature. There's also a fun title: "Carol and the Pickle-Toad."

Many thanks to Penguin Random House Canada / Tundra Books for this e-ARC! I really appreciated the opportunity to read this book.

Carol and the Pickle Toad is a beautifully illustrated book about a girl in the process of finding her voice.

Carol has been controlled by a bossy toad she wears for a hat. When a pigeon flies away with it, Carol finds herself at a bit of a loose end: never able to make decisions for herself when the toad was around, she hasn't learned self-efficacy. Carol attempts to construct a replacement hat out of a pickle and a hard-boiled eggs, but when a pigeon takes that hat, too, she realizes she has more of a voice than she anticipated.

This story is whimiscal and at times strange, but it's silly enough to suck kids in.

Such a beautiful book about finding your voice. Lovely art throughout & it was easy to read! I think this book would be a great pick for children of all ages & would be a fantastic addition to any school library!

This book helps children understand what it means to have their own voice. They will wear many different hats in life, but they have to know who they truly are to not lose that.

I loved this title! Such a unique and adorable story and I think it would be great for nervous children who are afraid to speak up for themselves. Will definitely recommend this.

Young Carol inexplicably has a bullying toad for a hat. When a pigeon thankfully dispatches the toad, she replaces it with a fake toad made of a hard-boiled egg and a pickle. Although this concoction is silent, Carol still hears the voices in her head. Somehow, after that self-same pigeon makes off with the pickle, Carol, again inexplicably, discovers her own voice. The end.

Children would really benefit with a how-to guide on how to discover their inner voice and how to deal with carping, constant criticism, with or without a pigeon. I would love to read that book; this isn’t it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review.

Esme Shapiro's books are always something special. Her unique ability to illustrate and bring characters alive through her story-telling is something that makes her different. I adore any book that she has added her touch to.

Carol and the Pickle-Toad is no exception. In this story, Carol wears a bossy toad as her hat. Day in and day out, the bossy toad grumbles and orders her about. However, when she loses her toad hat, Carol finds now that she cannot even seem to find her own voice anymore.

Carol and the Pickle-Toad is a story revolving around Carol and her hats that comment on her life. Beginning with a loud and bossy toad before moving on to a pickle-toad that substituted a quieter version of something to live by, Carol's life is informed by others. But this changes as the story goes on.

I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did! It was cute in the beginning, and the illustrations definitely hooked me because they are beautiful. I loved the premise and the setting. But the end of the book I adored! I loved the journey of Carol finding her voice and living her life the way she wanted. I would definitely recommend this book.

What a delightful little book. I too sometimes feel as if I'm being berated by a cranial dwelling toad. Illustrations are top notch, and the story is pretty cute. Would read at a weekly storytime if only to read the frog's character in the style of Big Ang.

This is a cool concept but it missed the mark for me. It tries to be a fable about finishing your own voice but I found it a little too over the top.

This is an adorable children book, with just the right amount of absurd that makes kids laugh, a story that make them think and ask questions, and a study of bossiness vs how to express yourself in your own voice. It encourages little children to try new things, to let old ones go... The illustrations are wonderful, very personal with retro colours. There is something timeless about this book and we liked it very much with my little ones. A great success!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So cute and adorable, just seeing the cover made me want to open this book even if I'm an adult. I loved it so much, it was charming and the illustrations were so captivating, you are mesmerized by all the background with all the other characters behind.

This book captivated me because it reminded of Ali Mitgutsch's books and illustrations such as his Wimmelbilder that I love so much. The story was so original in its way to speak about such a subject as finding your own voice as a kid and not be afraid to speak up. The character Carol was so cute with her glasses and her little personality, really what is not to like about this book. It's the best book that I could gift a kid with.
I hope that the author will make other books in the same art style.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the digital advance reading copy of this book.

This was a weird and interesting book about finding your own voice. The illustrations were fun and wacky. I think kids will enjoy this wild ride.

Carol and the Pickle-Toad is a strange (in a good way) story about Carol who wears a Toad hat. The story is about self confidence and how to develop it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC.

This is my favorite kind of picture book. Lovely illustrations. A quirky little story that makes you chuckle. And a lesson to be learned in an easy way. Carol learns to find her own voice in this story and it's so lovely.

I was expecting something for a younger reader when I chose this title to read. That did not take away for the amazing illustrations and interesting story. My grandson was a bit young for this one, but still enjoyed the read. When he is older I am sure we will return to it more than once.

Finding your voice isn’t easy, but sometimes a pickle-toad can help. After years of wearing a bossy toad hat, a pigeon comes and scoops it away off of Carol’s head. At first it was hard to know what to say, but wearing a pickle-toad hat does the trick. Kids will love the mix of silliness with an important message in this story.

My student commented based on the title alone that this might be one of their favourite picture book read aloud of the year! Carol and the Pickle-Toad is a a wonderful book that my students thought was hilarious. The exaggerated humour added to the overall message of the story! The illustrations are beautiful, and the message of listening to your own voice came through loud and clear. A funny and touching story that I'll be adding into my classroom library rotation!

This was a fun-filled story with a subtle message of self-confidence. The illustrations were engaging and added to the quirky element of the storyline. Kids would enjoy reading this.

This was an adorably weird story about a young girl who finds her voice as she tries on different hats. I loved the illustrations and the city backdrop. The story was delightfully weird, and sure to be loved by those young and old.