This was a beautiful book that every library should have. It was so wonderful. Highly recommend it. will be great for storytime too

This book gives a positive perspective on feelings and the understanding that all feelings are valid and represent who you are as a person, even the feelings that we don't necessarily like. I appreciated how the grandmother admitted her wrongdoing in the end while still placing a boundary about how to respect property.

In a Nutshell: Has a good premise, but needed some fine-tuning in the execution. Will work better for classroom discussions.

Story Synopsis:
Written in the first person perspective of a little girl, the story tells us of how her Nana has six wooden dolls sitting side by side on her window sill. The five bigger dolls have the same fixed smling expression, but the sixth one, the smallest of the lot, is entirely unpainted. The narrator decides to colour in an expression on the sixth doll, and while doing so, she also draws on the other dolls different expressions. Needless to say, Nana is furious at her dolls being defaced. What happens next?

I do like the intent of the story. The concept of a little girl realising that she is not always smiling, that there are varying moods inside of her, and each of the emotions is an important part of her identity, is excellent. Not everyone is happy all the time, though the world expects them to. This misrepresentation of human emotions is especially worse in these social-media dominated days when everyone shares a multitude of smiling “happy family” photos online, which creates feelings of inadequacy and envy in others who might not be going through a satisfying family phase.

However, the intent needs to be converted into a more refined storyline. A few things felt too rushed, and too much was left unsaid.

I am never a fan of stories that let children get away with inappropriate behaviour. I liked that Nana is clear about how the Matryoshka dolls were *hers* and how her granddaughter should have asked her before sketching those new faces on her beloved dolls. However, after the little one’s explanation about how those varied faces are all parts of her, Nana cools down almost immediately and forgives her granddaughter without any further fuss. The granddaughter doesn’t even offer an apology for damaging her grandma’s personal possessions without permission. This doesn’t sit right by me. Justification isn’t a substitute for reparation, and children ought to be taught how to respect others’ belongings and to apologise when they make a mistake.

The illustrations are decent. I liked the granddaughter’s varying expressions and also the pet Persian cat who is cute and fluffy. But Nana was drawn too white for my liking. (I don’t mean ‘white’ as in her race, but her hair and skin was literally coloured a bright white that hurt my eyes. The little girl is of a different race (I couldn’t figure out whether she was Black or brown), but an explanation for her biracial background is provided in the photos on Nana’s windowsill. This was a nice touch, though the text doesn’t explore the biracial aspect further.

The story is written in simple prose, with not more than 4-5 lines per page. The vocabulary is quite simple, and will work well for ages 5-7.

This might be a good book for classroom discussions as it offers quite a few important topics to talk about. I am not sure if I could recommend it for personal collections.

2.75 stars.


My thanks to Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “All the Faces of Me”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I really liked the concept behind this book. Our many faces and versions of ourselves are all part of us, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The illustrations are cute as well.

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
This little girl loves to look at and play with her grandmother's matryoshka dolls. She notes all but one share the same face. The smallest is completely blank. This bothers her so she draws on it. Then she changes the expressions on the other dolls too. Her grandmother is angry that she did this and readers see them both express their feelings. She shares that the dolls are now like her and have a variety of emotions. The grandmother listens and acknowledges this. Her anger calms and she talks with her about asking before she ruins something important. While I like the calm response, I'm bothered by the lack of follow through so this child learns not to ruin others' possessions. Authentic matryoshka dolls are not inexpensive. Granted, we don't know the backstory of these particular dolls but the disconnect to valuing others' items is jarring.

I truly appreciated this well made picture book by Canadian author Laura Alary (who has Ukrainian heritage) and illustrator Salini Perera (who has Sri Lankan heritage). Both of their backgrounds can be seen in this narrative of a brown girl who enjoys playing with her grandmother's Ukrainian nesting dolls. The only thing she doesn't like about them is that each doll is stuck with a bright smile all of the time which doesn't match her knowledge of human emotion throughout the day. She prefers the idea that people should be allowed to express themselves in a multitude of ways so she "fixes" the dolls. ... with a permanent marker. Of course Nana's first reaction isn't a happy one but the two take time to share their views on what has happened to the matryoshka figures. I found the book to be very personal but also universal and the message to be important. I will look forward to having this story in my library and recommending it widely.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Owlkid Books for this advance digital edition.

All the Faces of Me by Laura Alary was a beautiful representation of a young girl and her Nana’s relationship.

Through the story we learn that Nana has a deep relationship with her nesting dolls and puts them on display. The illustrations bring the nesting dolls to life and really show the beauty of the traditional nesting doll.

The child loves her Nana and her nesting doll but realizes that they all look the same (except for the very smallest one)

The child’s innocent expression and imagination cause frustration when Nana sees that she drew on her special dolls. But their relationship was repaired and Nana was able to shift her perspective to understand how the little girl was feeling!

I love the representation of an adult acting in frustration and then repairing and apologizing to the child. She was able to recognize and shift her perspective!

This also was an excellent example of literature that can encourage or start conversations of how humans have many different emotions and they are all welcome and can hold space!

5⭐️s for this excellent story!

I found this book to be a cute and enjoyable read. I like how the young girl questions why all the wooden nesting dolls that her grandmother owns have happy faces, yet she herself has so many different expressions. Why should these dolls only show their happy side? She takes it upon herself to draw different emotions on the dolls. Her grandmother is not happy with her drawing on the wooden dolls. After listening to her granddaughter’s reasoning for drawing new faces on the dolls, the grandmother comes to an understanding and learns to laugh at the new expressions that they have. This book is also a good reminder of how adults aren’t always open to change right away and that adults can sometimes learn to adapt and accept change.

Thank you to Owlkids Books, Owlkids and NetGalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

All the Faces of Me is a beautifully illustrated story about a girl and her grandma's Russian nesting dolls. The little girl realizes that each of the dolls should have different expressions, much like we all have different expressions based on how deep we look inside of ourselves, the situation we're in, and the people around us. Beautiful story to show kids that we all have different sides to ourselves, and it's okay! ❤️❤️❤️

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

This was very cute and had a great message about learning how to express yourself. The art was adorable and I liked the Russian nesting doll metaphor.

A wonderful story about the many sides of a person. We are never just one thing or just one emotion and this story does a wonderful job illustrating that for children, is sweet and just enough silly with wonderful illustrations is sure to appeal to a variety of young readers and would make a wonderful addition to any child’s book collection,

A lovely book with charming illustrations that conveys both the importance of conflict resolution, as well as accepting the many (some as-yet-to-be-discovered) sides of ourselves. I especially appreciated the racial diversity of the family, and the absolutely adorably illustrated cat.

A charming story about a girl who embraces all the differences inside of herself and teaches her nana a valuable lesson along the way. Great for reader requests of multigenerational/multicultural families, differences, creativity, acceptance.

A story about becoming, and how one girls curiosity first gets her in trouble before endearing her to her nana. A lovely way to illustrate personality, consequences, and growing up to little ones, this beautiful picture book is short and sweet.

A sweet picture book about a girl who, in the process of expressing all of the feelings inside her, draws on her grandma's precious nesting dolls. I liked how the grandma was angry but never out of control, and also ultimately understood what the girl was trying to show. (While reminding her to please ask before she draws on something in the future.) I didn't particularly like the illustrations, but I think that's a style preference. I do like that they are unique. Not necessarily a book kids will pick up on their own, but it could make a good read aloud and discussion starter.

Review based on an eARC received from the publisher.

This book is SO sweet. I absolutely adore the story and the amazing illustrations that go along with it! It has such a beautiful message how we are all made up of a bunch of different emotions and not one of us is the same. Just like the dolls, society tends to put us in one specific bin that states that being unique is not something we want and everyone should be the same. It is important that we start from an early age expressing the idea that being unique is something to be proud of.
I love the fact that when the little girl decides to change the images on the dolls, the grandmother gets mad. I think this alludes to the idea that when people change in society, there is often a backlash about it. Just like the grandmother changes her mindset, it is important that society does too.
The only thing that I think may enhance the read a bit is giving some backstory on the dolls themselves. I think many people have seen them but don’t know the history behind them. This may be a really cool learning experience for the children.
Finally, I think the illustrations in this book are absolutely incredible. I think the detail that is added on each and every page is so clever and I really found myself getting sucked into the images! I think children would certainly do the same.
I want to thank Owlkids for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I still don't know what to think of tis book. I understand that there are many different aspects to individuals, but I feel the main character should have known to not ruin the grandmother's items. I did not like the blatant disrespect and naughtiness.

This children's book tells the story of a little girl and her nana who has european nesting dolls. When the little girl notices that all the dolls have the same facial expression she draws different ones on. At first her grandmother is upset but she comes to realize that everyone does have different emotions and facial expressions. I liked where this book was going and that the family was very clearly made up of a variety of cultures and backgrounds, but I don't know if the messages of diversity, healthy feelings and embracing one another will fully come through for children. It is a nice book still and one that I think kids would enjoy. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

In this book about feelings, a young girl notices that the faces on her grandmother's nesting dolls are all the same, but she has so many different feelings, and makes so many different faces. She ends up drawing on the nesting dolls to change their expressions, and although her grandmother is upset, scolds the little girl, and tells her she can't have dessert, the grandmother ultimately comes around and appreciates the girl's explanation of why she did this. She accepts the defaced nesting dolls because they make her think of her granddaughter, and she tells the girl to ask first next time.

The illustrations are really cute and expressive, and this story is totally unique and not like anything I've read before. I appreciate the originality, but I do wish that the story had included an explanation from the grandmother about why the dolls were special to her and why it was so upsetting that the girl changed them, so that young readers could more easily see both sides of the story and understand why they should respect other people's property.

A lovely ode to the multitudes that children contain and will become as they grow. Like the best picture books, this one accomplishes so much with so little. Sure to inspire meaningful conversations between grown-ups and their little ones.