Bog monsters, unionizing spiders, magic sweaters- this book has it all. Another amazingly weird book from Sid Sharp. It's so genuine and odd with a sweet message. "She's my new friend. I thought she was going to eat me, but it turns out she's just really into sustainability." Amazing.

This was fantastic and witty from start to finish. Makes an important social statement with bright splashes of humor in nearly every page. I loved the art style and read this a second time over immediately after finishing it!

Bog Myrtle is for kiddos who like folk tales, weird characters, and spooky stories. For kids who like exploring the outdoors and imagining what kinds of creatures live in caves and dead trees. It's an imaginative story that features messages about fair practices, conservation and leaving the world a better place than you found it. It strikes a good balance between creepy and cozy. The illustrations fit the settings perfectly, especially in the bog and forest scenes, and the characters expressions, though not detailed, really capture their personalities. It would be something that would be fun to share with a young person, then take them looking for treasures to draw or photograph in the forest (or any near by natural area from community garden or park, to state park, and bring an extra bag for any trash to pick up to show our natural spaces some love!

It is a unique book with lots of interesting and fun illustrations! It touches on series issues and yet appeals to all kinds of audiences. As someone who loves nature and is worried about global warming, I found it inspiring. I think families would enjoy this book and it's a great read for classrooms.

Two very different sisters live together in scarcity. One sister creates a plan to make a warm sweater for her sister. Themes of caring for nature, and kindness are found throughout, along with cheeky pull down diagrams detailing plans. A lovely book with a good release time in early Fall. I loved how the spiders were showcased throughout a main character in the book, including Bog Myrtle.

Thank you Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this delightful book. Sid Sharp, the author of The Wolf Suit, does it again in this great book with wonderful characters, strong message, and same distinctive artwork and color scheme as in The Wolf Suit. I absolutely adore the little spiders, freely running around almost every page. Highly recommend and am looking forward to another Sid Sharp great, fun read.

This is a nice breath of fresh air, and the kids are going to gobble this up and leave no crumbs. I LOVE this one.

Just the right balance of cute and creepy, and a little message about leaving nature better than you found out. 10/10, no notes.

Sharp's art style is so unique, a breath of fresh air. The writing is humorous and easily accessible for younger readers. The theme and lesson of the story is a throwback but with a modern twist. This would lead to great discussions with children and students!

I loved this funny tale about two very different sisters. Beatrice is happy and outgoing and her sister Magnolia is rude and demanding. Beatrice decides to knit Magnolia a sweater to keep her warm but doesn't have the money for yarn so she goes into the forest to find treasures to sale. She doesn't find saleable treasures but she does find Bog Myrtle... A quite enjoyable read.

I loved the artwork in this book, but this ambitious story needs heavy editing in my opinion to be success. There are some great parts in this book, the main protagonist, and Bog Myrtle. But the flow is choppy, and this story is too wordy, A little murky, and the sarcastic humor falls flat. Focus on the kids in Kindergarten to 2nd grade, then this book could be a real success.

This was a wonderful read! I was immediately taken in by the art style and I absolutely loved the chosen font. Beyond just the aesthetics, this wove (no pun intended) a charming tale that packages topics like conservation, ethical production, the importance of unions, and kindness in a palatable way for any age to understand. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

Not totally sure how I feel about this one. Illustrations are interesting, and I liked Beatrice's sweetness and honesty with Bog Myrtle. Some of the writing felt heavy handed or clunky. Even though I agree with much of what was touched upon in the book, suddenly jumping into labor rights in a children's book was a little jarring. I do think that the frankness of the book is part of the humor, kind of reminds me of books like Stinky Cheese Man; unexpected and a little unusual (in a good way). I will say I liked the ending (it's more in line with classic fairy tales).

A fun read with awesome graphics. This is a story of a thoughtful young girl who appreciates the world and what it has to offer yet she lives with a grumpy sister. The book explores love, crafting, friendship, and family. In the end, everyone get what they deserve. My husband saw me reading this and commented on how I was smiling.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of release in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it! 5 stars!

I absolutely loved this story! I will be contacting the publisher directly to pre-order this one so I have it in time for spooky season. There are several great things about this story: the juxtaposition between the sisters, the setting as a character, the messaging around nature, the modern folktale.

This book has everything a book needs: crabby sister, spooky house, bog witch, worker rights, knitting, magic sweaters and come uppance.

The world needs more Beatrices!

The stunning gouache illustrations, distinctive colour palette and varied composition styles make this book not only a wonderful story but a gorgeous read. I can’t wait to share this one with my class!

StoryGraph review to be posted on my Instagram on date of publication.

I absolutely adored Bog Myrtle! I even bought a copy for my friend’s kids to be delivered once published. It’s a cute short chapter book about two sisters who are entirely different from each other and thus interact with a creature in the woods known as the Bog Myrtle. Antics happen, and lessons are learned. The artwork is excellent, and the plot is delightful.
This is a well-written, adorable book that is perfect for all children and adults will enjoy it, too.

Thank you NetGalley, Annick Press, and Sid Sharp for the ARC in exchange for a voluntary honest review!

This modern folktale was a lot of fun to read.

It had so much immediate personality and wit, and I LOVE the illustrations. So dark, vivid, and gorgeous.

This story also goes full Lorax, with a nice (although mildly dark) session about sustainability and taking care of the resources we have. There's also a lesson in there about not letting people take advantage of your kindness.

The characters' little quips are hilarious. Beatrice is so bright and sunny toward the world which is really rather bleak. It’s very fun to read. I work with kids, and I could see them enjoying it. The ending was slightly dark, I will say. But all great folktales are.

My new favorite! I want to read this to my story time kids at the library!

This book checked so many boxes for me. It’s the perfect blend of a fairytale/folk story feeling with dark humor. I loved it and I will read anything Sid will write.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I adored this book!! It had the cutest illustrations-the little treasures Beatrice collects from the forest, the path through the town showing all the rows of cute houses, and the beautiful, intricate silk sweater she makes for Magnolia. I also thought the writing was witty and quirky-the sisters’ dialogue was funny and I liked how at the very end it shows Magnolia in Bog Myrtle’s stomach saying “whatever!”. Definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!!

Bog Myrtle
Sid Sharp
This is the tale of two sisters that had very little money, they lived in an old house along with a family of spiders. Beatrice is nice, friendly, and fun to be around. Magnolia is mean, cranky, grouchy and not so much fun. Magnolia was cold! Beatrice went into the forest to find something she could use to make Magnolia a warm sweater. Bog Myrtle lives in a bog in the forest. Most people thought Bog Myrtle was some kind of monster. But she was really a nice giant forest spider. She gives Beatrice a bundle of silky yarn that she made herself. Beatrice and the family of spiders knit a warm magical sweater and give it to Magnolia. Magnolia saw an opportunity to make some money, she turns the old house into a factory that makes magic sweaters. She demands Beatrice and the spiders to make a lot of warm magical sweaters. The poor spiders go on strike because they are exhausted. Bog Myrtle is very unhappy.
This is a lovely tale for children. The illustrations are delightful and add much to the story. Beatrice is a nice character; Bog Myrtle was very sweet. Magnolia wasn’t as nice, but she did make me laugh. The illustrations brought the house and forest to life. This tale covers capitalism, union, and employees.