The Collectors by Alice Feagan is a lovely book about two girls going on an adventure to find a treasure for their collection. Fun storyline that teaches about discovery and persistence. Gorgeously illustrated. #NetGalley

The Collectors, by Alice Feagan, is about two adventurous girls trying to find the perfect treasure to add to their collection… but they keep running into problems, problems, problems!

They wander through the forest, dive deep into the ocean, and approach mysterious, dark caves, and each location seems to have an amazing artifact to bring home. But they are too big! Too heavy! Too deep! No matter what they do, their persistence seems to be challenged.

I love so many things about this book. The two curious little girls are inspirational female characters. The collage artwork by Feagan makes discovering the treasures along with Rosie and Winslow fun for kids. When we reached the page with a giant crystal, one of my kinder kids actually gasped out loud and said “Wow. A beautiful jewel.” And my students really enjoyed trying to problem solve for the girls, but were thrilled with how things turned out for them in the end (I won’t spoil that for you).

A fun book about failure, nature, curiosity, adventure, and persistence – would be a great one to pair with a nature scavenger hunt. I borrowed this book from the public library and my kinder kids are enjoying it a lot. Created by Alice Feagan, and published by Kids Can Press. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

The Collectors is one of my favourite types of illustrated chidlren's books. It's what I call a 'toddler yelling' book. What that means is that there are simple, easy phrases to teach your toddler what the next page says. Things like "too heavy", "too big", and "too hidden" on the vast majority of pages. These are all relevant to the area or item found by our roving collectors (the gals on the cover). As such this is not really suitable for bedtime or even naptime as there is a good chance your kiddo is going to get excited after yelling out all phrases.
Prior to our collectors going on their trek we first learn what type of collection (natural objects) they have. When it comes time to ensure they are prepared for a journey to find one last item they list some key elements including water! It amazes me how many people don't remember (or realize) to hydrate.
As a collector myself of a variety of things (as a kid I collected hockey cards, books, and stamps to name a few. Today I collect books (of course), comics, records/vinyl, and a whole host of other Harley Quinn collectibles. Alongside my husbands Pop Toy collection (horror themed), architectural Lego, and his vast vinyl collection; our house is a bit 'cluttered' one might say (lol). So when The Collectors says that there is only room for one more item in the girls collection I have to say I laughed. One more item... pshaw! Isn't that when you build a bigger house? (lol!) So I do like the idea of teaching children to collect in moderation, and not always be looking for the next big item; so they don't get overzealous and potentially hoard (a habit I am careful to navigate.
Overall this is a lovely story about appreciating nature, collecting, and acknowledging that sometimes the best of the best items are already in your home.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

An adventurous and fun story about two friends, Rosie and Winslow, who collect found items from the natural world around them and display them in their treehouse. They have one spot left that needs to be filled, and they want something really special to fill it. As they search, they find many wonderful finds, but none of them are portable enough- they're either too heavy, too high, too deep, or too big to take back to the treehouse. Finally, the girls find a cave- surely they'll find a treasure in there! They do find something, but it's not at all the kind of thing they're looking for, and so they head back in defeat. Reflecting on their journey, they realize they did catalog something rare, and did go farther than they had before, which are worthy things in themselves, and in looking closely at their surroundings, they find their final treasure was right there all along. The story is engaging, with adventurous elements, and highlights the treasures one can find by exploring one's surroundings, and the collage illustrations are whimsical and filled with gorgeous detail, pulling the reader in- they could tell the story all on their own! Great fun, a definite thumbs up.

#NetGalley

~ Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

I've always been a huge fan of archaeology and history, so as soon as I saw the cover for "The Collectors" on NetGalley, I crossed my fingers that I'd be approved to read the ARC. This book is definitely going on the "to buy for future babies" list, although I'd say it's best for kids between the ages of 4 to 7 or 8 mostly because the language used (bigger words, etc) seems more appropriate for that age group.
Even though I was a bit biased towards the book because of its topic, I'm really glad I can say that I genuinely liked this book. The art style was so nice! It was a hybrid between 2D illustration and collage, which sounds a little weird, but it worked. And there was so much attention to detail! Every time I flick through the pages, I find something new to look at. The story itself was a lot of fun, and had a cute little theme where whatever they found was "Too" something or other, meaning they couldn't bring it back with them. And a nice little touch I'll finish this review with is how supportive the Rosie and Winslow were of each other throughout the book, and especially at the end.
I would definitely recommend this book to parents of aspiring little adventurers and/or researchers.


Summary
Recommended age range: 4-7/8
Pros: interesting illustrations; attention to detail; a fun, consistent theme throughout the book
Cons: -

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

A book that seems to be written for my daughters - the collectors of all things beautiful and weird. A true celebration of nature and the wonders that it holds.

This beautifully-illustrated children's book introduces readers to junior naturalists Winslow and Rosie's amazing collection of natural wonders, artfully displayed in their tree house. The girls use their individual skills and teamwork to find and document some beautiful and intriguing items from the surrounding woods. Their collection is almost full, and the girls decide they need to find one more item - something extraordinary - to fill the last space on their shelves. Suitably equipped, they set out further than they've ever gone before, along the creek, through a wide valley, up to an overlook, through an old spruce grove, diving into a lake and up a mountain to a dark cave. Along the way they consider several potential items, but discount each as unsuitable for some reason. After encountering something unexpected, the girls run back to the treehouse, empty-handed. Initially disappointed, they reflect together on what they've learned and achieved, and discover something really extraordinary right under their noses.
The Collectors champions the skills of girls - teamwork, ambition, curiosity and resilience - and celebrates the joys of discovering the natural world. Author Alice Feagan's background as a children's illustrator shines through with eye-catching collage style illustrations. I particularly loved the images detailing the girls' equipment and the contents of their collection.
This is a great junior STEM title with positive gender role modelling and a fun quest-style storyline. I'd recommend it to parents and educators worldwide in support of or as a provocation to discussion around studying nature and/or a museum visit.
My thanks to the author/illustrator, Alice Feagan, publisher Kids Can Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this delightful title.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Collectors is a beautifully detailed illustrated book for children about two little girls who are explorers in nature and have worked together to find as many treasures as they can for their tree house. They have one space left and want to find something unique that they have never found before. They set off into the forest to find something together.
The girls end up finding several amazing treasures but cannot take them home for various reasons.
This book is a delightful story bound to entrance children with its beautiful illustrations and storytelling.

A cute story about two young girls who are collectors. It was refreshing to see girls being adventurers instead of boys. Plus, the collage art gave the illustrations depth and scope that added to the story. I am not familiar with this author/ illustrator but I look forward to reading more from her.

What a beautiful story about two girls who set out on an adventure. We could use more stories like this one.

I loved this book! It had so many great aspects:
*beautiful cut-paper collage illustrations
*girls, including a character of color, enjoying STEM activities
*an important lesson learned at the end of the story
*lots of great rare words to build kids' vocabularies
Highly recommend!

This book is perfect! It captures that spirit of collecting and exploring that comes naturally in children. It seems every child has a rock/leaf/feather collection. The art is what pushes this book over the edge from four to five stars for me. The art leads to the feeling of mystery when the girls are approaching a tall dark cave, it captures the serious, precious, and scientific importance of the girls' treasures all lined up on the shelf like a museum. It captures the excited fear in the girls as they run back to their tree house. This is the perfect gift for all the little explorers in your life.

The cover of this book really invites the reader to go inside and once the cover is open then the fun really begins. It is everything one could wish for in a picture book, utterly stunning illustrations combined with a story which is entertaining and just written to be read aloud. This book is just a joy and we read it again straight away. I'm sure this fabulous book will inspire children (and their adults) to get out into nature and to start exploring what is around them.

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley

Winslow and Rosie are two explorers that have built the perfect collection. Expect, they have one more spot left in their collection. It cannot be just another. It has to be something special. The two friends set off on an adventure to find their missing piece. However, the expedition runs in a few snags...and a bear!

The Collectors is a great fiction/nonfiction hybrid. The story follows the journey of Winslow and Rosie while it also provides lots of scientific vocabulary. This would be a great book to include with an Earth Science lesson.

Rosie and Winslow are a team out to discover and collect interesting and unique items in nature. The treehouse where they maintain their collection was inspiring! It's a great introduction  to the idea of Field Journaling and collecting natural items and there are many activity extensions you could explore after reading this book. The use of collage ties in well with the book and inspires creation.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kids Canada Press for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not stop pouring over the GORGEOUS illustrations from Alice Feagan's newest book, 'The Collectors.' I love the combination of paint/illustration and cut-paper collage to create each detailed page. This style is probably my favorite in children's picture books.

The idea that our two adventurers were girls made me smile, and I giggled along as each new treasure was "too..." much for them to bring back home. I greatly appreciated that the girls, while sad that they were unable to find that one last magnificent prize, were encouraging each other of what they *had* accomplished..."cataloged a rare bird species" and "explored farther than ever before."

However, I'm still a little torn on the ending - hence why I only gave 4 of 5 stars at first. When I initially read it, my gut reaction was, "Is this encouraging the reader to not venture out? That you don't need to go looking for things - just stay safe at home?" However, after a reread, I feel that the story, instead, is helping our readers appreciate what is in front of them, AS WELL.

Though, because I had these questions about the ending, I give this beautiful book 4.5 Stars. Still a wonderful read, I just wish the ending had less of a conflict in my head and heart.

A Huge THANK YOU to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Collectors by Alice Feagan published by Kids Can Press.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity to read and review this perfect children’s story!

Wow! We absolutely loved this book! It’s the perfect adventure book for young children and it ended just as I hoped it would!

Winslow and Rosie need a truly amazing natural wonder to finish off their nature collection, they journey deep, high, and into the dark before finding something special right where they forgot to look!

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful with lovely colours and wonderfully detailed expressions on Rosie and Winslow’s faces. The text is just perfect with opportunities for children to join in which will make this a firm favourite to return to again and again.

As an adult my favourite thing about this story is that it’s about everything childhood should be full of, nature, wonder and adventure. It’s a story that families can easily recreate and pop into the back park to accompany family adventures. A perfect mix of everything that makes for a favourite book! Adults and children are going to absolutely love reading this wonderful adventure.

This is perfect for your little explorers & collectors! The artwork was what stood out to me the most! I loved the aesthetic of this book & I can only imagine how much more beautiful a hardcopy would be of this one. This book will having you looking for treasures & wanting to start up your own collections. A great family read!

A must read for every child who picks up rocks and other treasures along every walk and in every park. This book is proof that they really ARE treasures!

I loved this book and loved going on the journey with them as they collect things. The colors are so vibrant and really drew me in.