Loving the vibrant color!!! I'm sure the children will love this for a good night story. It's simple, with lessons in it. I personally prefer the made up name to be more distinct~ but overall it's good

An adorable and funny tale! This could easily spark a child's imagination and inquisitive nature, not to mention the illustrations are very cute!

This book is very creative and strives to teach an important lesson. I wasn't overwhelmed with the content of the book. I would have liked more context to this magical world.

The story is wholesome and extremely funny, while the illustration is colourful and lively. I'm glad we read this, and now I will forever remember this hilarious explanation for why ostriches look the way they do.

A Tall Tale by Scott Sollers is a captivating read for young adventurers and families who will delight in the timeless tale of friendship, community, and the transformative power of empathy and understanding.

Thank you Mascot Kids for making this book available on Netgalley as a Read Now book! I enjoyed reading this book and looking at the illustrations. This was a fast read.

I liked this story - it was a bit whimsical and a fun read

The story was well written, it was fun to read and easy to follow.

The illustrations in the book were great - they really suited the story and helped to bring it all to life.

It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

This is a fun book that children will love to read. My library will definitely be buying this book. I can't wait to see children love it as much as I did!

I read this with my kids and they enjoyed this story! They loved the unique and creative artwork and the fun story line. It is becoming a favorite and has been requested many a night at our house.

This book was not at all what I expected based on the title, but it turned out to be a very sweet story about two different communities coming together after an event involving animals. Overall, I found the story to be truly beautiful, focusing on the importance of understanding one another and seeing beyond our differences.

The illustrations in this book are vibrant and interesting and I like the explanation of how the ostriches became stretched out. I liked the concept of this book, but I felt like the moral of the story is a bit lost. Themes of jealousy and maybe even a class system were present, but not well fleshed out.

I am always excited to read folklore and this book delivers a very quirky origin story for the ostriches' long neck. For fans of stories like "How Skunk got his Stripes", this is a wonderful addition to the bedtime story repertoire. The storytelling feels a bit choppy and there are multiple sentences per page, so this book is better for slightly older children with a better attention span/reading comprehension. 3.5 stars

‘A Tall Tale’ by Scott Sollers is intended to be a cultural read but comes across more like a Dr. Seuss-style book. It aims to entertain with whimsical language and illustrations but may not fully achieve its goal.

Plot: ★★☆☆☆

The plot is very lacking. Although it aims to present a cultural story, it feels underdeveloped and somewhat disjointed. It lacks depth and fails to provide a compelling narrative. The whimsical nature may appeal to some readers, but it doesn't compensate for the lack of a solid plot.

Character: ★★☆☆☆

The characters are very lacking in depth and development. They feel one-dimensional and do not leave a lasting impression. The story doesn't provide enough background or personality to make them relatable or memorable.

Illustrations: ★★☆☆☆

The illustrations are kind of cute but do not stand out. They have a simple charm, but they don't add much to the story or make it more engaging. They feel more like filler than a vital part of the narrative.

Engagement: ★★☆☆☆

Engagement is low. The story struggles to hold the reader's attention due to its weak plot and characters. The whimsical style may attract some readers initially, but it lacks the substance to keep them invested throughout the book.

Readability: ★★★☆☆

The readability is average. The language is simple and easy to understand, but it lacks the rhythm and flow that make similar books more enjoyable to read aloud. It doesn't have the same catchy and engaging quality as a Dr. Seuss book.

Enjoyment: ★★☆☆☆

Overall enjoyment is low. The story doesn't provide much in terms of entertainment or educational value. While it might have moments of charm, it ultimately falls flat and fails to deliver a satisfying reading experience.


‘A Tall Tale’ by Scott Sollers attempts to blend cultural storytelling with a whimsical style but falls short in execution. With a lacking plot, underdeveloped characters, and average illustrations, it struggles to engage readers and provide a memorable experience. The book may appeal to some for its light, easy-to-read nature, but it doesn't offer much beyond that.

This is a little old for my daughter now but I think she'll love this when she's older! I particularly love that the author wrote this for his daughter. My dad similarity made up stories for me, and how sweet and amazing to publish them! 5 stars!

This reminded me of the Kipling's tales I read as a child. Those were always amongst my favorites, and I really enjoyed this book as well!

This book is awesome! For the lessons it teaches, for the illustrations, and the characters. The book is very clever and so wonderful for all children to read. I love the colors selected in the artwork. Bright and beautiful. And again, I just love the message behind this book. 5 stars!

I-What? There was nothing *bad* about this book, it was just really weird to read without any context.
I must say: this author is very, very creative. This book just caught me very off-guard. It was not what I was expecting at all. I think part of that was because I didn't see the second half of the title before reading it: How the Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs. I do genuinely think that kids will find this book interesting and maybe even funny.
Back to what I said earlier: this author is wildly creative. This book is so unique. I would have never thought of a story like this, and I think very few people out there could have come up with this either. People don't think about how things came to be very often, but this book decided to take a stab at crafting a cool tale about how ostriches' necks and legs got to be so long.
There is just one thing I would change. I don't understand why the humans in this story have to be so short. I understand that it creates juxtaposition once the ostriches are tall, but I don't think it adds to the story. Honestly it just confused me further.
Overall, though, interesting and unique book.

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

How did ostriches get their long legs and necks or maybe a better question how did the No-haves and the Have-alls become friends? A cute, inventive story for little kids to enjoy with fun pictures.

The idea for this story is cute, but I don’t think the execution worked very well. I also wasn’t a fan of the illustrations. The colors were not eye catching, and the the people and animals were kind of creepy. Just didn’t work for me, and I don’t think many kids would be big fans either unfortunately.

This tale of how ostriches got their long legs and long necks gives the reader a chance to consider why sharing is important.

While I think this book has good things, I did not like it. An African tale written by a white man with caricature-seeming illustrations made me uncomfortable. Too often, I have had students uncomfortable with books that may reinforce a stereotype, so I am not willing to take that risk.

The writing was clunky and lacking the subtly children can handle for a moral.

Thank you to Net Galley and Mascot Kids for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

We teach Tall Tales as part of the curriculum in Ontario. I liked the idea of this but the storytelling just didn’t grab me. The names of the towns could have been more unique and the illustration style was not appealing as other Tall Tales I already have in my collection.