This is a cute story about a little girl who wants a pet so she finds backyard friends and makes pets out of them. There are many different languages and cultures highlighted in this story due to a poem project the girl does at school. It’s cute, but there’s a lot going on and the rhyming is weird to me. I could never get in the flow.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a fine book. I didn’t think the story was super substantial, but really, how much can you ask for of a children’s book? Highlighting the different languages was interesting though, and the deliberate pronunciation indicators I appreciated. The art style is also very charming.

This is a colorful children's book which features Japanese, Spanish, and Yiddish words throughout the story. I love this style of book, and so do my children.

netgalley ARC - I really like the idea of this but the execution just didn't work for me. It's very text-heavy and tries to incorporate too many ideas and plots for the picture book it's trying to be.

I can't tell if it's just me, or if this book is actually really confusing. It felt like it jumped around more than kids books need to (for length).
Adding the pronunciation, translation, and new phrases in other languages is great, and some of this is written with such vivid imagery.

But at times there wasn't much translation and I'm not sure kids will continue to be captivated by the story when that's the case.

Thank you bunches to Phyllis Schwartz, Catch a Leaf Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!