Love this book very much. The illustrations are adorable, the story is really sweet and the book is printed very well. My little one loves it!

I loved this book! It is perfect for a class room, doctor’s office and especially a child’s home.

The book is about kindness even when it’s hard. I don’t want to say more but it is well written, well illustrated and I thought it was wonderful!

This is a great book for the beloved picky eater in your life.

My 9 year old daughter read this on her own and really liked it. She said she liked when the dragon tried the food finally and enjoyed it.

The visuals were beautiful and everything I desire in a children’s book! Very colorful and full of details.

It is a bit word heavy, so parents be prepared for that (or it is great for 8/9+ year olds— I think my 7 year old son would potentially tire)

It’s a cute read and I love that there’s practical application, a search and find, and discussion prompts at the end! Would definitely recommend

Thanks to Rebecca du Preez, Kelsey Marshalsey, and Brown Paper Fox publishers for the opportunity to read this advanced review copy.

Actual rating 4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Rebecca du Preez's The Lost Sock is a delightful journey of imagination centered on a mundane but often frustrating occurrence: the loss of one sock from a pair that has gone into the laundry, especially in the dryer! I'm sure that thousands of children and their parents have wondered and scratched their heads about just what happens to that lost sock - where does it go?

Du Preez allows children (and the adults in their lives who will no doubt share in thw reading of this picture book) to contemplate and imagine the myriad possibilities of that sock's journey in a way that can then prompt those young readers to come up with their own alternatives. The inclusion of far away places also allows the young readers to learn about other cultures and countries, fostering the mirror/window aspect of reading that is so important for children.

The text works wonderfully with Kelsey Marshalsey's whimsical illustrations that will inspire readers to learn about art and try their hand at making art as well.

Du Preez uses some rhyming in the story, but it doesn't sound forced or sing-songy, but, in reading it aloud, I did find a few of the phrases a bit awkwardly constructed, which ultimately interrupts the flow of the story (hence the .5 star deduction). I do believe, however, that this picture book will be a hit for the intended readers and inspire some great imaginative flights of fancy for both the children and their parents!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A delightful tale with wonderful illustrations, warm vibrant colour, lots of laughs and a great lesson. My kids loved Princess Diya and the hilarious Dragon. They enjoyed it so much that they wanted veggies right away!!!!

The author really hit it out of the park!

Very cute fiction children’s book about a bear who bakes delicious goodies. I loved that the author included a recipe at the end so kids can get really involved in the story. The characters were sweet. This book would be great for toddler to young elementary aged kids.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love the book!!! The book keeps the reader curious from the beginning all the way to the end. It is fun, engaging and highly educational!!

What a great read! The flow was nice and the rhymes were so fun. My toddler loved it, it kept her captivated the entire time! I was asked to read it again multiple times. It’s so exciting finding a book that captivates my busy body toddler. I see this being a fan favourite in my home.

This was a great book with a nice story and illustrations. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
five stars

This was such a cute book about trying new foods, and might be a good one for picky eaters. I also appreciated the pronunciation guide for the characters' names at the beginning of the book.

Go On Outside by Rebecca du Preez is a lively picture book that celebrates the joys of playing and being outside in nature. The illustrations by Lauren McLardy are fun and whimsical and evoke children's artwork, which may inspire the children who read it or who listen to it when a parent reads it aloud to them. Without being preachy, the story encourages children (and their parents) to step away from the electronic world we all seem to inhabit and soak up the multitudes of adventures that being outside can bring: to listen to nature, take in the smells and colors, immerse themselves in the tactile pleasures of the world outside.

The text and illustrations work perfectly together, and the text is appropriate for the age level: pre-readers and beginning readers, and interesting enough for adults to find reading it aloud multiple times without wanting to scream.

I was very much charmed by this book!

Thank you to Rebecca du Preez, Lauren McLardy, Brown Paper Fox publishers, and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this Advance Review Copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I adored Augustus the Bear by Rebecca du Preez, and I know quite a few children who will love it as well, and who will return to it time after time. The illustrations by Kelsey Marshalsey are charming, whimsical, and have a folk art style to them, so children will also be introduced to art through this book. This is what truly great picture books do!

The story teaches its lessons of kindness, sharing, compassion, and building community in non-didactic ways, through easy to read and understand text, with pleasant poetic rhymes that aren't overwhelming or too sing-songy, so it doesn't get boring or cheesy. Pre-readers will love listening to this story, especially if parents can "do the voices" - always a hit. Beginning and early readers will enjoy reading this aloud to themselves or with others for the full impact.

I think this is a truly perfect picture book!

I thank Rebecca du Preez, Kelsey Marshalsey, Brown Paper Fox publishers, and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this advance review copy for free, and I leave this review voluntarily.

Read this book to my picky 4 year old daughter. We both loved the story and illustrations. My daughter was captivated by Princess Diya and her bump in with the Dragon. The story kept her attention and she was excited to read the story again. Highly recommend this book.

Princess Diya loves her sweets (same, girl!) The only problem? She *only* loves sweets, and won't give any other foods a chance! But when a picky, fierce dragon smells the sweets from afar and breaks into the castle, Diya's in for an unexpected treat.

This is such a cute story with adorable, vibrant illustrations! It seems like a fun way to help convince the tiniest of picky eaters to broaden their palate. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Picky Princess and the Dragon is about a young girl named Princess Diya who lives in a castle. She only wants to eat sweets, not vegetables or fruit. One day a dragon smells sweets and flies to the castle where the dragon eats all the sweets. The dragon wants to eat the princess. The princess has to convince the dragon to eat the healthy vegetables and fruit instead of her but in order to convince the dragon the princess has to try the foods first. While trying the healthy foods and convincing the dragon she actually enjoys the foods she’s trying. They eat and eat till the early morning then fall asleep. From that day forward the princess eats her fruits and vegetables and eats healthy.

This children’s book was a rhyming book. The author was creative in convincing children to eat healthy. The illustrations were colorful. It was simple for children to understand and get the message of eating healthy especially fruits and vegetables which children don’t always want to eat.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC