*received for free from netgalley for honest review* very cute little book, would buy for sure. i always love cute books about reading and this is adorable

Thank you Netgalley and Orca books for access to this arc.

I'm afraid this one fell flat for me. The read aloud aspect of the book didn't work as the rhymes felt awkward and the placement varied from page to page. I could see parents or other adults struggling to get this right and having to restart a line or three.

I loved that both of the children are POC but noticed that most if not all of the tales referenced are from European sources. Since this isn't really telling any tale of its own, I question how much children would enjoy it or wish to have it read to them again. It might work best as merely a way to get children interested in listening and later reading on their own but again, not as something they'd want to hear again.

The illustrations are bright and colorful but also very busy. Plus if a child doesn't know the stories already, I'm not sure that some of the illustrations will make sense. I wanted to love this book, and do like the idea of children entering the story themselves, but overall this just didn't impress me as much as I would have liked.

A lovely picture book celebrating the joys of reading. The text and illustrations have lots of references to well-known stories to look for, and the beautiful artwork is filled with color and detail. A very sweet little book, perfect for storytime or bedtime reading!

#ComeReadwithMe #NetGalley

'Come, read with me' is an awesome books highlighting the wonders of reading. I like the poetic flow if this book and absolutely loved the references to classic stories.

Overall, I like this book. I was reading a galley and the marking plan for the book talks about the cadence of the story. The cadence is there, but sometimes how the story has been broken up on the pages, breaks of the pages. And sometimes it’s just that the cadence is off. The rhymes work, but are sometimes harsh because of the broken cadence. Overall I like the story, it’s message, and it’s artwork, but don’t tell me something and then not deliver.

I think I loved this book more than my grandchildren did. This is the story of two children who journey through the world of stories. It is a magical story that had me revisiting many books that I read as a child or to my children as they grew up. There were references to some of my favourites like Charlotte's Web and Pippi Longstocking. I loved the cadence and rhythm of this story and the illustrations were amazing. We did spend some time talking about what was in the images and what stories they come from. Of course my grandchildren are young and do not have memories of these stories, but I hope it piques their interest. It is tough to rate this one. I loved it and picture books are not just for children, but it didn't draw in my grandchildren. I would recommend this one to teachers, especially of junior level classes to introduce them to some of these great books. It would also be a good one to read with reluctant readers and have some of the books referred to on hand to share. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

This is a lovely childrens story - it's magical, whimsical and beautifully illustrated. I loved that other classic stories are interweaved throughout! My mini readers were captured by this delightful tale!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of this book.

This review will also be posted on my Instagram account (@tays_booknook) on March 1.

Come Read with Me, opens to book pages, dragons, mountains and smiling, happy faces. This children’s book follows the adventures of two small children eagerly moving through many fictional worlds and the desire to read and be read to is framed as a great adventure, itself. Newcomer illustrator Christine Wei’s artwork pops with color with all manner of objects and creatures that are fun to look at and young minds will love to point out.

The two protagonist, two young girls or color, it looks like, move from page to page from magical setting to magical setting and I count it all joy to reread to catch all the finer details on the pages from the sloth hanging out in the corner of one page to the crafty animals stealing some lunch on one of the last pages. Author Margriet Ruurs with over forty books credited to her, pens poetic verse to accompany the children on their way here in this tale.

Come Read With Me opens with a loving embrace and ends with one, reading is presented as a loving but fun activity to do with other people you love--for the little ones present on the page--it is with a grownup. This title from Orca Books is perfect for the 3-5 age group but as picture books can we enjoyed by ALL age groups, I wouldn’t discourage a parent, an educator, librarian or vivacious reader the ability to purchase a copy for themselves.

I did not care for this book, thankfully my kids enjoyed it some. It was cool to read once because it had a hint of everything but it was almost too much. I personally just didn't care for the rhyme or the wording. I think it could have been done better. My kids who are 4 and 6 enjoyed the story, the hints at all the different tales, and the illustrations were nice. It was fun for them to point out all the different stories that we could identify. The concept of this book was cool, I just would have enjoyed it more if it rhymed differently. Still, it's meant for kids and my kids enjoyed. Would recommend.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

A sweet and contemplative story for younger readers, told in rhyme with busy, colorful illustrations.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc! My toddler and I really enjoyed sharing this book together. I really liked how the story brought in bits from all of my favorite stories. We also really enjoyed the the wonderful illustrations that brought the story to life.

This book was beautifully illustrated but lacked a plot. It was mainly short rhymes about different fairytales and stories. I really liked the aspect of the someone reading a story to kids and I think my nephews would enjoy this book but it wouldn't be a re-read.

This is a beautifully illustrated children's book. It is about two girls who cuddle in close for a bedtime story with a caregiver and find themselves immersed in the pages of their book. They go on a journey in their book and find themselves truly living like the characters in their book. The story makes reference to well known children's tales and fables which is cute. It essentially is helping children to find joy in reading and really being a part of the story they are reading.
My favourite part would have to be the colourful illustrations. Very visually appealing.

Come, Read with Me, is a delightful read for adults looking to share a bedtime story filled with references to fairy tales from their youth. The art work is soft and whimsical reminiscent of fairy tales I recall reading as a child. While the multitude of fairy tale nods might not be caught by children, it might be fun to try make these connections together.


Thank you to Net Galley and  Orca Book Publishers for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Come, Read with Me, written by Margriet Ruurs, is a lovely, simple little picture book that extols the magic of storytelling, bringing the reader along on a journey that references many children's classics and fairy tales. Though the text is somewhat strained, with a rhyming scheme that seems to be working too hard to feel natural and easy, the illustrations by Christine Wei are vibrant, rich, and evocative of all the magical whimsy of a childhood tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the advance review copy!

This was a really adorable bedtime story filled with references to fairy tales and classic children's stories. I loved the rhyming in the story and the illustrations were wonderful.

Come, Read with Me
by Margriet Ruurs, ills. Christine Wei
Poetic look at historically known books. This child's story shows poetically all the adventures these students can have as they go through the literacy world.

This book has lavish illustrations with lots of different nods towards classic children's books. The text is all about the reading experience, without any story, and some of the rhymes are uneven. Because of this, I think that this book will appeal most to adults who are reminiscing about their childhood reading experiences. Young children may have trouble staying interested in this book, since it is very conceptual, but I could see this being useful as an introduction to a storytime event, or something for a parent to read to their child to help them get settled before a reading time.

This is a wonderful adventure story featuring a story-within-a-bedtime-story. Two small girls travel though a magical imaginary world and encounter many characters from classic fairy tales.

Written in rhyme that is embedded in colourful, detailed illustrations, this book makes a perfect read aloud. The girls encounter timeless characters from Puss in Boots, The Pied Piper of Hamlin, Hansel and Gretel, Charlotte's Web, Humpty Dumpty and Alice in Wonderland. A great follow up would be securing these classics and introducing them to your child also.

The author's bestselling book "Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family's Journey" won the Bolen Books Children's Book Prize (207) and was shortlisted for many other awards. This is a wonderful clever book that I highly recommend.

This was a delightful little book to share with little ones that you want to become little readers. It includes some great characters and is wonderfully lyrical. Also the illustrations are great! I will be putting this book on our shelves. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.