Sophie is a lovely little snail shy about starting school and likes to pop back into her shell when it all gets too much until she makes a new friend, Stanley!



This picture book was super sweet all about overcoming shyness and the initial starting school jitters and nerves, the illustrations were great to illustrate the take and were super sweet and vibrant.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Such a sweet and lovely book with the most beautiful and adorable illustrations! This would be a wonderful gift for little ones about to begin school - even if, like Sophie, they don't realize they may be nervous.

Thank you, APA and NetGalley!

This is the perfect book for anxious students returning to school. The pictures are beautiful and the story is heartfelt and emotional. I read this to my own children and my students the first week of school. It is always reassuring to know you aren't the only one feeling anxious, nervous, or unsure. I think most children today could use a little boost of confidence as the enter unknown situations. I would recommend this book!

I received this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. I love this book about Sophie the snail who is excited about the first day of school and then realizes that she is a bit shy when she arrives. Cute story and illustrations.

Sophie's Shell is a very cute book about a shy snail's first day at school. She learns that it's okay to be nervous and afraid, but also learns that other's have their own fears. Together, she and her new friends overcome their fears and have a great time at school. Overall, the book was cute with wonderful illustrations but I don't find the story so enjoyable that it would be read again and again.

Thank you NetGalley and Magination Press for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

Fantastic book to read at the beginning of the pre-school or kindergarten year! Sophie is SO excited to start school, but even her excitement cannot outweigh her shyness. She would LIKE to be able to talk to the other kids, but she just keeps popping into her shell! Until she meets another shelled friend with exactly the same problem. They become each other's support and finally come out of their shells - literally and figuratively!

Sophie's Shell is about a little snail named Sophie who starts school and must face her newfound shyness with the help of a friend.

I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit. Often, I'm not that impressed with books that tackle emotional subjects with the aim of "helping" kids; they usually seem like they're trying too hard. But this book is pretty cute. I loved Sophie's classmates (all creepy-crawlies you might find in a garden), and the writing was fairly strong. If I have one complaint, though, it's with Sophie's defense mechanism, at least at first. When she feels shy, she suddenly (and involuntarily) retracts into her shell. This is accompanied by the word "Pop!" The first time it happened, though, it took me a moment to realize what was going on. After the pop, we see Sophie's shell, but not her head. The text doesn't say anything like, "She popped back into her shell!" so the reader needs to be paying attention to the pictures. (It's definitely not going to work as an audiobook.)

Overall, though, this is a cute story with fun illustrations about overcoming shyness and fear with the help of friends. It might be a good choice for shy kids who are just starting out at school as a tool for reassurance.

So adorable! I love snails and the artwork is fabulous. This would be cute for any kid going to school for the first time that might be nervous. Of course it would be great for any snail lovers too!

I loved the storyline and I feel that it's one that a lot of children can relate to. It tells them that they are not alone, there will always be someone else who feels the way they do. A very important lesson to be learned and the illustrations are adorable.

A cute story, with adorable illustrations, about coming out of one's shell (pun intended). Sophie is shy and needs help to come out of her shell.