This was such a cute book, and so very relatable as well, I have always been extremely shy, especially when I was a kid.

Reading this short story really warmed my heart, Isabella is a very shy girl, she loves the treasures she keeps on a jar but she doesn’t have a lot of friends, when her Aunt Nancy sends her a new button as a gift, she starts seeing the button as a way to start feeling more confident and because of that she actually starts to make new friends.

This was such a sweet book, I’m sure a lot of kids are going to love it, especially the beautiful illustrations, they were the highlight of the book!

Super cute story about the importance of believing in yourself. Promotes confidence, authenticity and positivity in a way that is relatable and understandable to children of all ages. Creative illustrations.

I read The Proud Button with my 5 year old granddaughter and we had mixed reactions. The book starts off well, introducing us to Isabelle, a sweet, but extremely shy little girl. She wants to play with others but is too shy to ask or approach other kids in her class or neighbourhood. One thing Isabelle does is collect treasures. Her aunt sends her a special button for her collection, so her mom sews it on her coat. It reminds Isabelle that friends are a treasure and she should not be afraid to approach them. She takes her advice and has a wonderful day. My granddaughter had lots of suggestions and said she would be her friend (she is not shy in the least). She didn't understand what the button had to do with making friends and even though I tried to explain it to her, she had lost interest in the story. She liked that Isabelle had friends by the end. The illustrations were cute and added to the story. Not sure if I would recommend this one or not.

I was not expecting this book to be about making friends. Isabelle is lonely and has no friends. She is terribly shy and afraid to talk to others. That is, until her aunt sends her a special button because she knows how proud Isabelle is of her treasures. This button gives Isabelle confidence to speak up and make new friends. It is well thought out and the lesson is not overly preachy. The story is really nice, but what really makes this book are the illustrations. They are a perfect match. They are bright and colorful when they need to be. They give the book life, and make it seem real rather than just a story.

My 7 year old reader really enjoyed this book which we read together. We liked the story line and how the character was able to overcome her fears. The illustrations were fantastic and helped visualize the story.

The Book                 


This inspirational book is a must read for kids who are shy and reserved and find themselves holding back and not wanting to pursue the friendships that they long for.  

Isabelle is a sweet little girl who is very attached to her special treasures she keeps in her treasure jar.  

" I don't want the treasures in my treasure jar to be my only friends. I want to make real friends too!" 

She is apprehensive to step out and try to make friends on her own.  She feels scared and nervous and afraid of rejection.  Then one day her Aunt Nancy sends her a new button as gift and Isabelle names it her  proud button.  Her mom sews it on her favourite coat and Isabelle uses it for a very special purpose... one that allows her to bravely approach other kids and make them her friends.  I wonder what magic lies in that button to allow her to do that? 

The illustrations are colourful, full of emotion, and beautifully done.  Isabelle is a very lovable character ( I especially love her glasses ).  Readers find themselves cheering her on in her pursuit of connecting with others and making real human treasures as her coveted playmates.  Her amazing new proud button gives her self confidence and Isabelle is proud of herself.  She comes to the realization that friends are just like her special treasures in her treasure jar, but even better!  I highly recommend this book.

This is a lovely children's book which has a really heartwarming and touching story about a little girl called Isabelle who is shy and unable to meet friends, but once she is gifted a golden button, which she calls her proud button, she becomes more confident and she uses the button to help her to speak to her new friends. The illustrations of the book are nice, but it is the story which I loved the most, especially at the end. It really touched my heart when Isabelle found her confidence.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just read this for fun because I have no children yet to read it to. But the message of the book is so clear, true and encouraging not only too small kids like Isabelle but even too many teenagers or adults who are introverts and take time to make friends or mingle with other people. I liked how something small like a button gave Isabelle the courage to make friends.

A good book to read to your child if they are beginning school. The illustration are also very good.

Thanks to netgalley, Clavis publishing and the author for the arc.

This is such a great book about finding your confidence and sometimes you just need some extra help. I think kids need this lesson and can benefit from this book. I love the illustrations and the bright colors. This would be a great book to read to younger kids.

Isabelle is an ordinary girl but shy and afraid to fail with others. A simple gift from her aunt encourages her to take the chance and try to make friends. And it works! Wonderful book!
The illustrations by Annelies Vandenbosch are simple, eye-catching and very well done. The language of the text is suitable for reading with young people and excellent for ESL.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Clavis Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for allowing me to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This book is about a shy girl who really wants to make friends, but is afraid to take a chance. However, when her aunt sends her a special button she learns what it means to be proud of who she is and have confidence in herself.
As an elementary teacher, I loved this book! Such an important message, and one that children need to remember. I felt for Isabelle throughout the book, and really wanted her to take a chance and put herself out there with her classmates. My heart went out to her! Such a great book about making new friends for the beginning of the school year to encourage kids to be confident in themselves and overcome shyness. Her parents were very supportive and wise. The illustrations were well done, too.

Oh my, sweet Isabelle was a shy little thing, she had lots of things she calls her treasure, but sadly she was a lonely little girl. She wanted to have fun with her schoolmates, but she was afraid to speak to them due to her shyness. This book tells of Isabelle’s struggles and how she found her courage.

Isabelle is a bright and curious little girl who keeps a jar full of special treasures which she protects as if it were a pot of gold. She lives a happy life for the most part but she is sad because she has a lot of trouble connecting with other kids her age and making friends. Sometimes it’s easier for her to work alone in class or stay in her bedroom admiring the treasures in her treasure jar than it would be for her to work with others or to venture out and play with other children.

One day when Isabelle arrives home from school, she has a letter and a present from her Aunt Nancy waiting for her. The present is a yellow porcelain button her aunt found in a field near an abandoned button factory in France—and it is christened Isabel’s Proud Button—proud because she takes such pride in caring for her treasures.

The notion of taking pride in things you care for strikes a chord in Isabelle. Perhaps, she thinks, she can treat herself and the people around her the same way she treats her treasures. And maybe, just maybe, this will help her make friends who will value her back.

Isabelle’s Proud Button gives her the courage to do just that, and soon she is connecting with others and learning the joys of friendship.

The Proud Button is a wonderful story that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It teaches (or reminds) us that there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in the things you own but that it’s much more important to care for the people in your life because your stuff can’t love you back.

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Proud Button
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Danette Richards
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Children's Fiction
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• A charming story about friendship and self-confidence.
• The accompanying cute illustrations and vibrant colours keeps the audience engaged throughout the story
• Great for young children who may benefit from discussions on building confidence, making friends, etc.

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• Some of the texts were against colours and textures and therefore may be difficult to read for some

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: anxiety, confidence

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: young children, especially shy children, children making new friends

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞.

A lovely journey for a young lady that is looking for friends. This book teaches that confidence can be found in the smallest objects and that it is okay to be proud of yourself! What a great story to empower young children.

The Proud Button is an adorable story about a shy girl who longs to make friends. Isabelle is gifted a special proud button by her aunt. It helps her gain the confidence to speak to her classmates. I really enjoyed this sweet story. This would be wonderful for a shy child.

Thank you Clavis Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Thank you to Clavis Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of the Proud Button. This is a sweet story about a school-aged girl discovering how overcome social anxiety and feel proud of herself. This is a timely children's book for back to school time, especially for kids making new friends and figure out where they fit in.

Loved the illustrations! A great book about having confidence and being proud of who you are. I definitely could relate to Isabelle as I was also a very shy kid

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for an advance e-ARC to review. This is a sweet story about gathering courage and confidence to build friendships and put yourself out there with other people. The proud button is a physical token of that bravery, a little reminder that you have something special to add to the lives of others when you strike up a conversation. Only one moment took me out of the story, when our main character Isabelle suddenly has a long quote "Mom, I want to be happy with myself and not just my special treasures. I want my classmates to treat me with care, and I want to treat them with care too. This button will remind me..." this keeps going and my ARC copy didn't have an end quotation so I just thought it unlikely the little girl would be quite so literal in summing up the big messages and themes aloud like this. Otherwise, I think it's wonderful that she realized she wants to make friend connections in addition to her more solo hobbies of collecting special trinkets.

A beautiful picture book about friendship and stepping out of shyness. The illustrations are so cute and the message is so sweet.