"Piece Out" is a story of adventure, bravery, and bettering yourself. The cover art and title will likely bring the reader a nostalgic feeling of playing board games with friends and family or interest in beginning this tradition in other households. The story follows "Red Piece" as his family finishes an exciting and competitive night of games and fun; unfortunately, he finds himself outside the box and is left to fend for himself in a strange and scary world of humans and their items. Red Piece uses his skills, problem-solving, and bravery to travel across rooms with obstacles, such as the family dog and vacuum cleaner, all threatening his goal of finding his way home.
Giving Red Piece human characteristics allows any reader to understand what is happening; making shoes into hills and building blocks into ruins adds to the excitement and imagination found throughout the story. My 9 and 10-year-olds (and myself) found it to be an enjoyable read and worthwhile to have in any home library. The overall story gives vibes of Disney's Toy Story, sure to excite readers of all ages.

This is a cute story of a game piece who is left out of his box on game night and his journey to get back into his box.

This picture book is creative, unique, and funny. I loved seeing household items from the perspective of a missing board game piece, and the text and illustrations are fun and engaging for kids and adults. This is really cute story that will relatable for many families, and I love how the book conveys positive messages in an understated way, showing the main character's courage and problem-solving skills throughout the journey.

The drama! The humor! The adventure!! I absolutely adore this book!

I’ve been a big fan of Alex Willan since I discovered his The Worst! series (Unicorns are the Worst, Elves are the Worst, etc.). If you love The Worst! books as much as I do, then you are going to absolutely love Piece Out!

First, there is a map in the front of the book. A MAP! I love a good map and this one is hilarious!

Second, the illustrations are top-notch and incredibly clever. Honestly, I feel like Willan writes more for the parents than the kids, but both age groups will find so much humor in this silly and exciting picture book. Make sure you look at every detail or you will miss out on something absolutely hilarious!

This adventure about a game piece left out of the box and trying to find his way home is an absolute gem. And the ending? It’s the best and funniest possible conclusion!

Honestly, I will read every book Willan ever writes. They are so fun!

Thank you @netgalley and Astra Publishing House/Astra Young Readers for the eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed voluntarily.

Thank you for the advanced copy! This was a great story for young readers and very well written! The pictures were entertaining!

I read this to my 6 year old son and we both loved it. We’ll be buying the hardcover once it’s out. The illustrations and the interpretation of the human world were very cute and had my son laughing. It inspired him to want to play a game right after we read it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC.

This is the story of the piece left out of the box! After family game night, the red token rolls under the table and gets left behind. After scurrying under the sofa to hide from the scary vacuum cleaner, he goes on a daring adventure to return to his friends in time for the next family game night. The story itself is pretty much what you would expect, but the illustrations are a delight. There are so many little jokes and Easter eggs for readers to pick up on. This will definitely be a fun one to display for summer reading, given that the theme is all about games and gaming.

I really enjoyed this book! I think kids will love seeing the Red game piece go on an adventure through the house to find his way back to his boardgame's box. It had some silly moments that are sure to keep kids entertained.

LOVED this title. What a gun story for both kids and their caregivers. Being a family who loves games, and family gamenights, this book hit home. Illustrations are well done, and story is well told and creative. Highly recommend.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Thank you NetGalley! What an adorable book! I loved the storyline and could see myself reading it with my own kids. I absolutely loved this book and how different the plot was. The illustrations were amazing!

OMG. This is the most adorable and fun book I have read in a while. The perspective of the house through the game piece's eyes is so creative and definitely taps into that childhood whimsy of naming things that you don't know the names too. This book is full of adventure, perseverance, and fun.
I love the main characters confidence. Definitely a perfect book for a read-aloud or storytime.

Adorable! Have you ever wondered what happens to a board games missing pieces, or what adventures they may be up to while returning to their box? This was laugh out loud fun. I used it to teach my kids a lesson about the importance of cleaning up after themselves. Thanks for the fun read!

Thank you to Alex Willan, Astra Publishing House and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well, this may just be the cutest book I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a long time (and as a mum of 7 and retired preschool teacher I’ve read A LOT!)

This story was an adorable little adventure about a lost game piece and his journey back to his own box. I loved the illustrations but what I appreciated the most in this story was the use of “big words” not conventionally found in children’s books such as - transparent, ferocious, ancient civilization, and determined. 


My 6 &9 year olds loved this story as well as following along on the included map during his adventure back to his box. I know it will now be a part of our bedtime book rotation.