I greatly enjoyed the story. I will be adding this title to my classroom. The pictures and characters were very cute. My students will greatly enjoy this book.

Mary Had a Little Plan was a story that can lead to deeper conversations about problems in your community and the communities around you. As a teacher, I think this would be good for starting a project based learning unit on communities. The book features diverse characters and is told through rhyming. Recommended for Grades K - 5

Loved Mary had a Little Glam and was excited to see what she had in store next! A very fun book about calling community together to make a difference. The illustrations are fun and whimsical.

I received a digital ARC on Net Galley.

This book is a great way to update “Mary had a Little Lamb”. In this book Mary plans to make a garden. There’s an abandoned lot that’s full of weeds. Mary’s going to clean it up and make it a great place for everyone. What really makes this book work is it is it keeps the rhyming pattern and sing song cadence of the original, while making references to other nursery tales, such as Jack and Jill, and Little Bo Peep. The illustrations are fantastic, and the book is fully inclusive. Overall, this will be nice in any library collection.

I really like books that encourage children to get out and do something for the world. In Mary Had a Little Plan, Mary sees an empty lot that is full of garbage and abandoned things, she has a great idea. She wants to clean it and spruce it up. She gets her friends and neighbours to help and even gets stores to donate things. Soon it is a wonderful place to play, sit and think. I love that this was a neighbourhood effort, but it took Mary to get it going. I also liked that her father didn't discourage her, but actually helped. The text is told in a rhyming pattern, mimicking the well known nursery rhyme, Mary had a little lamb. The illustrations were wonderful and added a lot to this tale. My grandchildren loved it and talked about picking up garbage at school, why people litter and how we can help educate people. This is a great book for families and especially schools. If kids can get their parents on board, anything can happen. This is one we read a couple of times (I think because they know the nursery rhyme) as they were able to "read along".

When Mary decides to revamp a trash-filled vacant lot in her neighborhood, nothing can squash her can-do spirit. This was a fun and inspiring read. I loved the rhymes! It would make a terrific read-aloud book.

I've no doubt Mary has many more plans, and I can't wait to read about them.

Mary Had A Little Plan is a sweet, rhyming book with a twist on the classic nursery rhyme. This tale tells the story of an abandoned lot that becomes a beautiful part of the community after a little imagination and hard work. The illustrations were beautiful and nailed representation. I loved the other nursery rhyme characters that were sprinkled in throughout the story. I also LOVED the vocabulary! This helps the book grow with the reader.

Mary Had a Little Plan is a sweet rhyming book that has Mary and friends coming together to improve their community. Twists on familiar nursery rhyme characters amused my six year old kiddo. He loved how everyone worked together to figure out how to improve the abandoned lot. The illustrations were lovely, and the rhyme meter carried the story well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Union Square Kids for the chance to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really wanted to like this book, but ultimately it felt like it was doing too much.
It sets you up for a rhyming text with the play on words of the title, but it doesn’t follow the rhythm of “Mary had a Little Lamb” at all. It also unnecessarily adds lots of other characters from nursery rhymes. The illustrations are cute, but I really disliked that 90% of the time Mary had a nest of birds on her head. Felt very random and just too much.

This is a wonderful book for children - fun, innovative and a joy to read aloud.

The images are full of colour and the rhyming text reads well.

This is definitely going to be a hit.

Little Mary had a plan to help her neighborhood,
She gathered up supplies and friends and did a lot of good.

This book is a rhyming story of Mary, who saw an opportunity to make a beautiful garden area in a junky abandoned lot. She tries to do everything herself, then realizes that it works better with cooperation--and many more hands--to do the work.

4/5 Stars

Thanks to Union Square Kids & Sterling Publishing, and NetGalley for the preview of this ebook; the review is voluntary

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This is a very cute book which uses nursery rhyme characters to show the power that kids have to improve their communities.

Representation: 10
Story: 10
Illustration: 10

Stunning, cheerful, bright illustration. Check.
Important message delivered with easy-to-read, fun rhymes? Check.
An adorable main character? Check

I adored Mary Had a Little Plan. There is nothing I could say negatively about this book. It is a great book that illustrates and instill the love of community building, being an agent of change, and teamwork in children. I will look for more books by Sauer to add to my classroom.


** Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review. **

I’ve always loved this character. I read the author’s first book and loved how the author gave Mary some glam and personality. In this story, Mary decides to do something about an abandoned lot. The fact she is young, shows young readers that they are able to make change in their community, no matter their age.

I am a huge fan of Mary Had a Little Glam, so I was excited to see this one come out! Anything illustrated by Vanessa Brantley- Newton is gold!

I loved:
-Lots of new vocabulary introduced
-Easy to follow rhyming pattern
-Beautiful illustrations
-Depictions of people of all different colors, ages, sizes
-The cutest little free library!
-Friends and families working together to beautify their neighborhood
-Set in the city

Didn't Love:
-Nothing! Maybe since Brantley-Newton is very cognizant of representing diverse people, adding a character with a disability would make this story inclusive to more children.

This was a fantastically written little book that I will absolutely purchase, May Had a Little Plan lends itself well to rhyming and vocabulary instruction.

I received an electronic ARC from Union Square Kids through NetGalley.
Mary is back and this time comes up with a plan to clear out an old trash filled lot and turn it into something glamorous. She creates her plan and begins work to clear it out. Realizing it is too big a job for her, she calls on friends to help. Together, they create a beautiful space where "all are welcome." The rhyming text flows smoothly and draws readers in to be part of this plan. Colorful illustrations capture the energy and commitment to change and reclaim an abandoned area of their neighborhood. An encouraging read for young readers who want to change their areas.

Mary Had a Little Plan takes the original nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb and applies it to a modern day problem. An empty lot sits in disarray and Mary sees its potential for being a beautiful garden.

It was so much fun when Mary called her friends for help and they were other nursery rhyme characters. The story does well showing how even the most run down of places have potential and asking for help is always okay and can make the job go faster (and sometimes even make it more fun!).

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square Kids for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

I loved reading this one with the kids and they loved being able to read it as well. Such a fun book with a brilliant idea.

Mary Had A Little Plan by Tammi Sauer tells the story of Mary and an abandoned lot, using rhyming text and the beautiful illustrations of Vanessa Brantley-Newton. After crafting her plan to beautify the trash-covered lot, Mary recruits community members and friends to donate plants and volunteer their time to clean up and repurpose the area. Nursery rhyme characters bring levity to the story.

I loved the nursery rhyme crossovers. It was a great twist. Rhyming was good not too forced and the story has a great message.