Well-intentioned, of course, but not a book I think many would actually love, and would choose to take from the shelf. Lilo, with a month in a jungle on the cards, is stuck with a poser for his inventive mind – his plants that his gran has made sure he loves will need watering while he's gone. What could possibly deliver the water they'll need? Well, apparently it will not work without lots of trial and error, pausing and starting again, seeing through the problem from different angles, and so on. Which at least means we get some science info – and some typical self-help messages of determination, respecting our failures and so on. Yes, the story breaks off now and again to address us directly, which only adds to the slight busy-ness of the page, what with dialogue, diagrams, and the narrative visuals of the plants, the experiments and the copious friends Lilo is lucky to have that care about all this.

All told, we're probably at that age not all that invested in Lilo or his specific problem, and while there are many books that combine the story with the messages-to-a-wannabe-brainbox, several of them offer more interest for the reader. These can only fully work if they're the audience's choice to read and learn from with pleasure, and I didn't quite see that enjoyment happening here.

From sunflowers to cacti to Venus flytraps, An Inventor Adventure: A Self-watering Journey by Selma Benkiran, is filled with vibrant and engaging illustrations and endearing universally-applicable themes.

As a lover of gardening, I immediately empathised with Lilo, who had identified a problem: Who would water his plants while on holiday?

His quest to water his plants while on holiday becomes a metaphor for the challenges we all face in life. His determination to create something functional while facing perfectionism, fear of failure, and feelings of overwhelm, all while parsing and handling others' opinions are feelings that transcend any age. So how will Lilo find his answers?

This is more than a children's book. It's a treasure trove of wisdom wrapped in an enchanting narrative. Of course, I’m not the target audience, however, I was utterly charmed and felt very inspired after reading this.

My heartfelt thanks to Selma Benkiran for inviting me to read her book through NetGalley, as well as NetGalley and Mi Camino Publishing for the DRC.

The digital book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

4.5 stars rounded up

What a cute book! As a math and science educator, I really enjoyed and appreciated this book. Lilo is the main character in this story, and he discovers at the beginning of the book that instead of spending his summer with his grandparents, his family is going to be going on a month-long visit to the rainforest. He realizes pretty quickly that he needs to figure out a way to water his plants while they are gone, so he tries to invent a self-watering system for his plants.

As a whole, this story is about the process of inventing, and learning that you usually don't succeed the first time you try, but instead, you learn from the failures and step by step, you make progress until you succeed. However, what I particularly loved about this story was that Lilo didn't automatically know that, and that it took the encouragement and discussions with his family members and his friends to learn this lesson. I also like that his grandpa was a tinkerer, but he never tried solving Lilo's challenge for him. Instead, he asked him questions, encouraged his questions, and let Lilo experiment on his own.

The illustrations are really cute, and each step has a take-home message in bold in the text of the story, as well as highlighted in a banner at the bottom right of each page. They are also color coded with a green or blue bead depending on whether the lesson is a life lesson (green) or a science lesson (blue). At the end is an illustration with scenes from the book in green or blue circles and a reminder of each lesson, as well as reflection questions. These questions are good for children and adults alike.

This could be a great book for a teacher or parent to read to a young child, but it could also be used in elementary school for early readers. This would also be great for homeschooling. There's a website where you can request worksheet guides and activities.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It kept me guessing, I loved this! 👨‍🌾🪴🚿

Lilo will have an epic summer adventure in the rainforest but what about his cherished plants his lovely Grandmother gave him? They'll die without water for a month so Lilo puts on his thinking cap to invent a self-watering system for his plants.

It's nice to see Lilo brainstorm different ideas with his friends. He also receives practical advice from his parents as well as encouragement to take a step at a time instead of rushing to the finish line with a perfect system. It's okay to take a break as you tweak your creation and don't give up!

Inventor Adventure: A self-watering journey is recommended for children 6 - 10 years of age. I enjoy guessing what his system will be like. Overall entertaining, educational, and creative. The illustrations are beautiful and colorful as well.

Thank you Selma Benkiran for inviting me to read her book through Netgalley. Also on Kindle Unlimited.

Inventor Adventure: A self-watering journey (Kindle Edition)
by Selma Benkiran
This books shows the process of necessity and invention. The young child is able to Think about a problem. He attempts many solutions, each failure is a step forward. Each conversation with an adult is an encouragement. With each step he finds the solution to watering plants for a month. He modifies it for his plants.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book. This is a perfect book for older kids to learn about science as well as emotions. This book has many different activities to try.

Selma Benkiran has penned a wonderful story featuring Lilo, a young boy whose family will soon be taking a month-long vacation. He usually spends his summers with his grandparents, but this time the family is going to the rainforest. Lilo soon recognizes that he needs to have his plants watered while they are gone.

I appreciate this book more than many children’s books because it hasn’t been too simplified. Lilo works to invent a watering system that will last a month. Along the way, he encounters several failures. However, he also learns from those failures. While this book is aimed at children of various ages, many adults can learn from it as well. The end of the book has a helpful summary of the lessons Lilo learned to reenforce them.

Overall, this is a well-written novel that teaches both science and life lessons. It would make for a great conversation between parents and children or in a classroom setting. Additionally, the illustrations are well-done. I highly recommend it.

Selma Benkiran provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was January 20, 2024.

4.5 Stars

Little Lilo is worried. He has to go on a summer vacation and leaves his plants alone at home. But how can his precious plants survive without water? With some help from friends and family, Lilo comes up with an innovative idea for self-watering plants. But the route to success is filled with bumps and roadblocks.
The book seamlessly blends a multitude of lessons and doesn’t feel the least bit overwhelming. The science concepts are kept simple and easy. Lilo fails a few times before succeeding, which makes his progress authentic. Most importantly, he asks for advice and gets it from friends and family members.
Parents and teachers reading the book together will have much to think about. There are many points for discussion – determination, support without control, good advice, what to do with the advice, the need to take a break, etc. The book ends with a bead necklace that summarizes the lessons into neat beads (with different-colored borders). I love this idea.
The content is placed on each page and comes in short paragraphs. Important words are in bold. The illustrations are softer with more pastel shades. Not something I prefer much, but they suit the storyline perfectly. (Young) Readers will find it easy to focus on the text and its message instead of getting distracted by the artwork. And when a book combines science and life lessons, the text is a priority!

To summarize, Inventor Adventure is a delightful book with many lessons and a touch of fun. It is inspiring without being preachy and in the face. Grab a copy for your little ones. You won’t regret it.
Thank you, NetGalley and Mi Camino Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

In a Nutshell: An amazing picture book for older children that goes much beyond what the title promises. Informative and inspiring in all the right ways. Much recommended!

Plot Preview:
Young Lilo loves spending his summer vacations with his grandparents, but this year’s summer brings with it a special surprise: his parents are taking him on a month-long trip to the rainforest. Lilo is over the moon with joy, but his excitement soon peters out as he realises that there is no one to water his beloved plants when he goes on vacation. Taking advice from his friends as well the adults in his life, Lilo tries out some ways of creating a self-watering system. But every idea fails miserably. Lilo, however, is blessed to have some trustworthy adults around him, and with their ideas, he keeps working towards his goal. Will he succeed in creating a watering system for his plants?

While ‘inventor’ stories are fun to read, they always come packaged with a dollop of unrealism. Either the machines are too wacky or their outcome is over the top. I need to channel every little remnant of my inner child to read such stories with the right attitude without rolling my eyes at the absurdity of the proceedings.
Thankfully, I needed no such prep for this amazing book. Which is why I am going to begin with the negative feedback first – the ONLY point where I feel that the book could have done better: the title. While the current title represents the story, it doesn’t indicate the WHOLE of the story. This little tale is so much beyond a typical adventure story or an inventor story or even a ‘self-watering journey’ that the current title and tagline don’t do justice to it.
Other than this, all I have is positives and praise. Here’s what I loved about this book:
🌹 Lilo’s character: Realistic all the way. I appreciate how he is depicted with genuine emotions, ranging from excitement to anger, joy to frustration.
🌹 Lilo’s willingness to take advice from not just his friends but also the adults in his life. So many books make children solve every single problem on their own. We need such books to make kids understand that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness.
🌹 The adult characters: Lilo’s parents and grandparents are so well represented! They are there for Lilo when he needs them, but they aren’t overprotective or interfering. They offer just as much help as required and then leave him to learn some more through trial and error. There’s a lesson herein for all adults as well.
🌹 The scientific knowhow, including some interesting tidbits about Lilo’s plants, the way in which water reaches plants, and how self-watering can work.
🌹 The affirmations that Lilo gathers every step of the way, learning from his mistakes and from the advice offered by the adults. I love how these life lessons are highlighted at the bottom of the right page in a special box.
🌹 The practical approach to problem solving: So simple that even a child can implement it! I am never a fan of self-help books because they always promote generalisations. This book, however, gets all the advice right. The life lessons are written in a way that speaks to kids but has much to teach adults as well.
🌹 The creative thinking depicted through the innovative ideas that Lilo tries for his self-watering plan.
🌹 The message about perfectionism vs. ‘good-enoughism’: Always a great lesson for everyone to learn!
🌹 Amazing use of the page space, with the text neatly arranged and with enough spacing in between lines. The writing makes use of highlights and coloured text for the key points.
🌹 The illustrations – Inclusive sketches coloured in soothing light pastels. Subtle enough to keep the focus on the content and precise enough to complement the text perfectly.
🌹 The parting note took me totally by surprise because until I saw it, I hadn’t noticed something special in the illustrations. Loved this Easter egg!

All in all, this picture book is an amazing combination of informative and inspiring. I loved almost everything it stands for. The medley of scientific approach and life lessons is a winner.
Strongly recommended. This would be a great addition to any home or classroom library, as its appeal is not restricted only to those who love plants and/or gardening. Because of the content and approach, this picture book would work best for kids aged 6+.
4.75 stars.
My thanks to author Selma Benkiran, Mi Camino Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Inventor Adventure”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

5 ⭐️
How refreshing and rare to see a children’s book packed with so many clear and valuable self-confidence building lessons.

💡This book encourages independence, team work, creativity, exploration, resourcefulness and logical thinking for problem solving. It offers insight from mentors for things like: deciding what to do with other people’s advice, not giving up, learning things in stride, and understanding feelings during the process.

👏🏼 The illustrations and use of color helps break up the pages nicely, and having the lessons learned re-iterated at the bottom of the page makes it extremely clear so that the message doesn’t get lost.

🪴 Such a cute story and the fact that the MC is passionate about his plants is just adorable and inspiring. As a plant Mom to over 100 indoor plants, I might be taking some of my own lessons from Lilo. 😄

👦🏻 I plan to make my 9YO read this, I think every child needs to hear these encouraging messages multiple times.

Thanks to NetGalley, Mi Camino Publishing, and Selma Benkiran for going the extra mile to provide me with a complimentary ARC to review!

Anyone can be a scientist! You just have to learn how. In this case, our young hero identifies a problem (how can I water plants when I'm not around?) and then figures out the steps, with some trial and error and a little research, to achieve that goal.
I would highly recommend this for all young readers, because it's so vital to realize that science is something we can all take part in.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

What a great book! Not only was it informative, it was also so positive. The message of working towards your goals was awesome. Also letting kids know it’s ok to fail and to keep on trying.