This adorable picture book follows a shy girl named Mika who helps a small dragonfly and, in turn, helps herself learn how to talk to her classmates. I loved the art style, and the soft coloring reflected Mika's personality perfectly. This is perfect for showing kids how to connect with others through things they're excited about or things they're interested in, and is great for little ones who have a hard time opening during recess.

This picture book followed the main character Mika, who is shy and not really interacting with any other children but who loves nature. She finds an injured dragonfly and this leads to her feeling comfortable around the other children when they are curious about the dragonfly. I thought the message of the book was good, though it seemed like she got over her shyness rather quickly,

I really loved the artwork and thought the design of the main character and all of the creatures was really adorable! I also liked the color palette and thought it worked well with the nature focus of the book. I do think design wise the text could have been a little bigger to make it easier to read, I am also a little confused about the solution the main character found for fixing the dragonfly’s wing-to be fair I don’t know much about dragonflies, but I don’t think that would work and it would be very easy for a child to accidentally really hurt an insect while trying to help them. (rating: 3.5/5)

Love the illustrations. The story is cute. However, I do not want kids to catch any dragonfly whatsoever.

The idea of this storybook is about a quiet child who doesn't know how to play with kids her age and she took help of a dragonfly to do so.

I feel the story could have been better.

Thank you author and the publisher for the advance reading copy.

I read this book with my son, 6, who is also very shy. There aren’t very many books about shy kids, so this was a great book for him. I liked how it addressed Mika’s feelings of anxiety being the center of attention around so many people, and how she overcame that. I think this is a great book to read with a shy or anxious child!

Charming little story, with lovely eye-catching illustrations. It's the perfect length for a bedtime story, with a very encouraging story for a child who might have apprehensions about school or socialising. Also the language used is simple, so it's a good pick even as a starter book, for a 3-4 year old to try reading.

This one was a very cute book about helping others.
It was about a little girl named Mika who helps a dragonfly who has lost one of her wings.
Must read as it gives a very valuable lesson.
Perfect Children's Book.

The drawing style is very different from what you get in a lot of children's books, and it gives you details about dragonflies without feeling like an educational lesson thinly disguised as a story for kids.

I really enjoyed this. I specifically liked the moments Mika has with the spider web. This is a sweet story that show how to be kind to nature and to have compassion for those around you that are going through a tough time. I think Mika is the kind of character kids would be rooting for, and I think they'd be really happy about the way it all ends

A beautiful children's book about Mika, a young girl who is more comfortable in nature than interacting with classmates. She finds a dragonfly with an injured wing, unable to fly. With her knowledge and interest, she finds herself confident and eager to discuss her new dragonfly friend with other kids. This book would be perfect for children who prefer love nature and are shy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

This was a very cute story about a little girl with who has trouble fitting in with other kids. She loves nature and when she finds a dragonfly who is missing a wing, she decides to help it, and along the way, learns to interact with the other children because the have a shared curiosity in something that is important to her (the dragonfly). I don't think that necessarily translates to a continued sense of confidence all of a sudden though.
I didn't care for the fact that the dragonfly is a passive participant in their relationship. While it does benefit in the end by getting its wing fixed, Mika didn't seem to consider what the dragonfly wanted. I also didn't like the solution itself. While I don't think everything in children's books needs to be very realistic, I think that the idea of conveniently finding the dragonfly's wing days later and gluing it back on after a bunch of other experiments was highly unrealistic and a bit disturbing to think about what would have happened with an actual dragonfly. I would have preferred if she had somehow built a tiny mechanical wing or come up with some other creative solution.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
What a delightful book! Mika and the Dragonfly tells the story of a young girl who seemingly has social anxiety, Mika, and her mission to help a dragonfly who has lost a wing fly again. When I was younger I struggled with severe social anxiety and ASD, so I really related to Mika. I remember when my emotional support dog would come into social situations with me, I was able to talk about him and play with him with other people without getting overwhelmed with anxiety. Mika's dragonfly friend has the same impact on her and seeing that in a picture book really touched my heart. Not only does Mika and the Dragonfly have a wonderful story, but it's also complete with absolutely gorgeous illustrations! To me, the pastel colors of the world surrounding Mika, the Dragonfly, and Mika's classmates are reminiscent of the slightly overcast days that I loved as a child and still love now. Both the characters and Mika's house are brighter and stand out more against the pastel background, highlighting their importance without letting the beautiful flowers and trees fade entirely away. All in all, Mika and the Dragonfly is a beautifully done picture book with an encouraging message. I'd especially recommend it for children struggling with anxiety and/or ASD.

This is a sweet story that will appeal to older preschoolers and young elementary ages. Many children will relate to Mika's shyness and feeling more comfortable in nature. The illustrations are soft and colorful. Readers will cheer Mika on as she finds a way to solve a problem and overcome her worries about making friends.

Thanks NetGalley for this early release copy! My toddler loved this story! She eagerly sat and listened to the entire story. I enjoyed the message behind the story about sharing your knowledge with others. It's not an overbearing message, just subtle and nice. My little connected with her caring nature for a hurt animal and enjoyed how the story ended.

Mika is adorable and this book is so precious. It evokes a combination of emotions. An appreciation of nature's delicate creatures and the confidence and courage required to face your fears. A perfect story time book.

When shy little Mika finds an injured dragonfly, she tries her best to help it fly again.
This story not only teaches us to be empathic but also not to give up on helping others. I might have enjoyed this story as a child. With short narratives in easy language and beautiful illustrations, this book is perfect for new readers and also for bedtime stories.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Mika and the Dragonfly is a story about a little girl learning how to help others, make new friends, and practice not being shy. I loved the illustrations and the story. The only part I was worried about when reading to my 5 year old is that she would want to fix insect wings with glue but she hasn’t mentioned it! She loved the story also. It was the perfect length and continued to keep her attention.

The illustrations of this book are what initially made me want to read it and throughout the book they remain stunning.

The story was intriguing but I felt the message could have been better.

I thought finding the wing on the ground was a bit unbelievable and it might have been more interesting to find a way to create one.

Lastly, I didn’t like the ending that from that day forward she was not shy. Being shy is usually an ongoing issue and I think the wording of it could confuse kids.

The concept is great and the pictures are beautiful though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for sending me an Advance Reading Copy of this book.

First of all the illustrations are extremely adorable! I love the way it is drawn. The way Mika's hair is drawn is detailed just like the rest of it. I like these kind of drawings because it is unique and I don't see these styles of illustrations often.

The story is also heartwarming. It teaches children to be kind to animals and to help them when they are hurt or in need. The way Mika help the poor dragonfly who lost one wing is sweet. She tries to find a way to help the poor animal and she was able to do it.

When it comes to writing it is pretty straightforward and easy to digest. There is no complicated way in explaining things which is good for children reading.

Overall, the book is good. I recommend this to children and even adult who likes Children's Fiction.

This was such a beautiful story! Not only was the art absolutely stunning but the story itself was so heartwarming and full of wonderful messages.

Mika is a shy girl and wishes she could make friends with the kids in her class. One day, after finding an injured dragonfly, the kids notice and start asking her questions. Mika is passionate about this subject so it is easy to talk about it, eliminating her shyness! It’s a great way to teach kids to find something you’re passionate about to talk about and that being shy is okay too, they’ll find their wings one say too.

Absolutely adored this and cannot recommend it more if you have young kids!

5/5 ⭐️

While I appreciate the morale of the story about friendships and bravery, the dragonfly’s wing gave me a bad feeling about the whole book. Kids will try what they see and animal cruelty isn’t cute.