Grace tells the story of how her brother disappeared, and how she followed him into a land where she was tiny as a bug. She befriends some silly insects, but is then kidnapped by a monstrous crab and forced to dive deep into the river looking for pearls. How will Grace ever escape the crab and find her lost brother?

This story is so whimsical and imaginative! I love the mellow story-telling and the rich writing. The story has a positive message that together we can overcome any obstacle and rescue ourselves if we work together.

I adore the beautiful illustrations! The art is warm and delicate, and makes me think of sunny summer days and cool shade by the water. It’s a little window into a fantasy world.

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A wild bird with blue feet finds a discarded mirror and begins to worry that his feet are too blue, his wings are too big, or his beak is too long. He tries to hide his body image problems with hilarious results. Eventually, he learns to appreciate that his wonderful feet allow him to swim, his long beak is perfect for catching fish, and his big wings lift him into the air to fly with his family.

I loved this adorable book! Poor Benjamin gets so confused about his body image, but I love how he is curious and resourceful and he is willing to learn and accept his own wonderfully-created body. He tries to use trash to hide his wings and feet and shorten his beak, so there is also a good message about human trash affecting animals.

The best thing about this book is the rich wording and silly descriptions! Benjamin finds the old mirror and promptly calls it a “twink-um-doodle” because it twinkles in the sunshine. There are some fun descriptions as Benjamin “wobble-waddles” or “kick-flips, flap-slaps” or “churn-turns, worm-squirms” to get the pieces of trash off his body. It’s a delight to read aloud and sure to bring giggles and chuckles to little readers. Continue reading →