Herbie's Big Adventure by Jennie Poh

★★★★

Herbie is a little hedgehog who is more than fine just staying home, but one day his mother tells him he can go on his first forging trip by himself.  Herbie is a little worried, but soon finds himself liking the freedom of being able to explore the world outside of his home.  He travels farther and farther away, he suddenly finds himself in a snow covered area.  Will Herbie be able to make it home to him mom?

This is a great story about a very cute little hedgehog.  It teaches about the four season, exploring nature, and love between a mother and her baby.  The story was good, but my favorite aspect about this book was the beautifully colored illustrations and changed throughout the story.  I loved how Herbie and his surroundings really stood out on the page due to the color schemes that were used and the details were wonderful!!!

Thank you to netgally, Capstone, and Jennie Poh for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Storybook Knight by Helen Docherty

★★★★★

"Leo was a gentle knight in thought and word and deed.While other knights liked fighting, Leo liked to sit and read."

Leo is a young mouse from a family of knights - his parents expect him to grow up to fight dragons but Leo has other ideas.  He wants nothing more than to sit home and read book.  When a ferocious dragon is starts causing destruction to the town, Leo is sent off to save the day.  He meets a handful of creatures before finally facing the dragon.  He brings a sword and a shield, but his most helpful weapon is an arm-full of books! 

This is very cute story about a mouse who is a little different than everyone else.  Instead of knighthood, he wants to read books - and his reading ends up being what saves the town from the dragon.  'The Storybook Knight' has everything that makes a great picture books - bright illustrations, fun text, and a wonderful story.

Thank you to Netgalley. Jabberwocky, and Helen Docherty for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

★★★★★

This is the story of a little girl and her best friend, her dog.  They do everything together and one day, the girl decides that she is going to make “the most magnificent thing.”  Her dog becomes her assistant, plans are made, and everything seems to fall into place.  After a lot of hard work, she the “thing” is finally finished!  But there’s a problem.  It just doesn’t look right to her.  Or seem to work right.  And it certainly isn’t magnificent.  The girl and her dog go to work again and again, but nothing she makes works.  There is a lot of anger.  And frustration.  And a walk.  And then she realizes that maybe all of her hard work isn’t a disaster after all. 

This is a lovely book with a wonderful message.  It shows something that nearly all young children  - and adults - can relate to: trying and trying and never getting something right.  Things don’t always work out as planned.  But that’s ok.  And it’s ok not to be perfect all the time.  What’s important is the creativity and the process that goes into completing a project.  A concept that I can definitely relate to and a valuable lesson for children of all ages.

The girl’s emotions were realistically portrayed in the story - and her dog was adorable.  The writing was simple and had a perfect pace throughout the book.  I loved the unique illustrations and how the girl and her dog stood out on each black-and-white lined or blue page.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kids Can Press, and Ashley Spires.