The artwork is simply adorable, brimming with vibrant rich colors, loads of cuteness, and a myriad details. I love the theme of the book where the focus is on going out and playing; the very obvious concept that there is so much to explore around us, right in our backyards too. The book encourages readers to step out, away from devices, and discover the outdoors; and yet, there is a homeliness and coziness about it; a warmth that makes it all wonderful.

I enjoyed the rhyming verses despite their uneven-ness at times since they are all fun (and beautiful) to read and so very true as well. For example, these two verses that go like this: “Skip a flat rock on a glossy lake. / Memories are made by the experiences you make.” Sure, they don’t follow a meter but readers can still stay these out loud and think, “of course!”

Source: Digital review copy from Netgalley

I like the rhythm, the message is great. Formatting needs to be fixed for ebooks. In picture books the words should be on the pictures or connected to them, not floating around and separated from the picture. My child should be looking at the picture while I'm reading to her. Instead, we look at a picture, touch the screen to turn to the next page and then she stares at the sentence while I read it, then we turn the page and look at another picture not knowing what it's about until we turn the page and she stares at the sentence while I read it. Not cohesive at all.

This is a lovely book which encourages children to go outside and play in nature, rather than being inside on gadgets all the time. It shows some animals having a lot of fun while exploring different things outside. The story is told using rhyming words, and the graphics are lovely. My daughter and I enjoyed reading this book together.

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

These days, kids spend more and more time indoors playing games on their various devices. This story shows that once you put the devices down, there is a lot to do outdoors to have fun, enjoy your time and spend time with family and friends. From skateboarding to building a fort alone to hiking, bike riding or playing soccer with a friend to having a picnic with mom, fishing with grandpa or building with dad, there is so much to do outside. The text has a great cadence, easy to read aloud, or for a young reader to read independently. The illustrations by Katrien Benaets are cute, vibrant, full of activity and add much to the story. With it becoming harder to get kids to play outside, this book certainly hits the mark. I encourage families to read this together, then Go Out and Play together.

Thanks to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for the e-ARC to review. The illustrations are so adorable, I love the badger family, and I enjoy the message about getting outside to play. Especially putting down the tablet and taking advantage of the adventures that await outdoors!

I received the ebook from Netgalley for an honest review, so here it is. I loved the art work. It was gorgeous. As a children's librarian, I like to read books out loud to see if they would be good for story time. Unfortunately, this one is not. It comes off a little disjointed in places, and we like to read with a smooth rhythm. I would recommend it as a book parents read to their children. I also agree that it is a little judgmental in how we are to play outside and have less screen time. Overall, it's good but not great. 3.5 stars.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A book about enjoying a beautiful day outside and all the things you can do.

With no clouds in the sky and the sun shining, it is time to go out and play. Whether it be pretend play or sports, looking at nature or fishing with a loved one, exploring the world can be a lot of fun.

The author tried too hard to rhyme, so some of the book seemed forced. A child might not notice that fact, but a parent reading might. The drawings were whimsical and depict the actions of the characters quite well. The use of a more italicized font for some of the phrases did help to emphasize them, but might be too difficult for a budding reader.

Although I thought that the book was cute overall, there is not much there to set it apart from other books in the genre. The cover art is engaging, but the rest of the book is just average. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Go Out and Play.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Go Out and Play by NetGalley and the publisher, Clavis. The decision to read and review this children's book was entirely my own.

I love everything about this charming and rhythmic read. The imagery is amazing, be it the text or beautiful illustrations. Each page is brimming with vibrancy and I absolutely adore the colour palette. A wonderful book about enjoying your surroundings and spending quality time with loved ones. Highly recommended!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's book. I thought that the illustrations were good. I liked the idea-get away from phones, and just unplug. While this is not always as easy as the author suggests. The forced rhyme or attempted rhyme? why? Yuck-it was just clunky and awkward to read. 3 stars

What a delight! The simple story with fun illustrations exhorts children to go outside and find some fun alone or with another. OK, so I think the main character is a badger and I'm in Wisconsin, but it's the FUN that matters. No overt emphasis on physical advantages or the preventive nature of the outside world to one's eyes, just fun and imagination. This is a life lesson that is well written for everyone-including ESL! Love it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Clavis Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Such a cute book! And I absolutely adored the illustrations and how the text rhymed. It actually made me, a 23-year-old, want to go out and “explore” the world—maybe to find my inner child again. It really made me think of how much I liked being outside as a kid, and maybe this will be a great book for young explorers who does not want to sit still, like I was. I would definitely recommend this.

Kids need to go and play and enjoy the outdoors. It has so much to offer. This story book is an adventure for your kiddos and you too. Maybe we have forgotten the fun the outdoor brings. With Racoon and friends, you and your child will be reminded and experience memories of your own. Highly recommend. Connect with the outdoors.

A special thank you to Clavis Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This beautifully illustrated book encourages people ( young and old I might add ) to put down their phones and tablets, turn off their computers and televisions and head outside to interact with their world ... unplugged.

After the clouds pass by and the sun begins to shine a little badger decides that now is a perfect day to go outside to explore and enjoy the freedom of movement, play and surprise. He suggests perhaps a game of soccer with a friend would be great fun or how about learning some new moves on the skateboard? Cannonballing into the nearest lake a few hundred times makes one's heart happy too. He challenges everyone to find what they would like to do once out-of-doors and go for it! Once the excitement and adventure of the day subsides it's time for tired little badger to nestle into his bed and read a great book before he drifts off to sleep.

The illustrations are beautiful and the colour scheme is perfect. The author addresses an important and timely topic that both kids and parents wrestle with each day... how to balance screen time with the will to get outside to play, exercise and interact with friends and nature. Told in rhyme the vibe of the book is energetic and happy. This book would be perfect to add to a classroom setting, be read aloud in circle time and placed in an elementary school library. I highly recommend this book.

This book is beautifully illustrated and really speaks to an important topic that children in today's world have to balance - screen time and time in the great outdoors. I love that this story provided examples of the joy of playing outside that perhaps this childhood generation legitimately may not know how to play outside. A sweet story certainly. I wish perhaps that it didn't have the family members in it as it becomes prohibitive for those children lacking those specific members of their family and the story would have been a-ok without them. I give it 5 stars, but round down due to that last element to 4.5.

The art here is absolutely beautiful. No complaints there whatsoever. However, when it comes to the story/message and language itself, I felt like this book fell a bit short. I agree with other reviewers that the 'meter' (or lack thereof) makes reading this aloud clunk sometimes. I also think the way the message is conveyed gets a bit preachy, which might turn off some kids. And as another reviewer very compelling pointed out, the injunction to just 'go outside' REALLY won't work for a lot of kids, for a lot of reasons. (Particularly in COVID times). That was my main issue with the work.

Go Out and Play is a kind of book that deserves to be read by everyone with its relevant message and breath-taking illustrations. Anyone who'll read this won't definitely waste their time but certainly will enjoy it. The overall content is good and I had a great time reading and appreciating the visuals even though this book really called me out. I hope there will be more children who can experience the same thing that this story is trying to address even in the simplest yet memorable ways.

A beautifully illustrated book with an excellent message…especially since so many children have been stuck at home these past couple of years.

There are some issues I have with the book though. The biggest being the meter of the rhymes - there isn’t one. It’s rhyming for the sake of rhyming, and while often cute, it’s also very clunky.

(A minor issue with the messaging: Some of what this story tells children to go out and do isn’t going to be available to a lot of children.)

3.5/4

A great read for little adventurers, especially after nearly two years of a pandemic. This is a great story if you want to encourage your child to play outside more. It follows one child's day outside and all the things he could accomplish. The art work is simple but encapsulates al the colors of the outdoors.

Thank you Netgalley and Clavis Publishing for access to this arc.

I'm conflicted about this one. One the one hand, the illustrations are good. On the other hand, the rhymes are often clunky and trip up the reader.

I'm absolutely behind unplugging from all electrical gadgets and spending time outside and actually playing - especially with friends - but the italicized parts of the story sounded a bit like a stern parent/guardian wagging an index finger at children and saying "you WILL do this!" I just can't get behind recommending this one.