Mini Reviews [3] Little White Fish and His Daddy, Audrey the Amazing Inventor & Rusty The Squeaky Robot

Little White Fish and His Daddy

by Guido Genechten
*Expected Publication: May 2019

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Little White Fish has a lot of friends. And they all have amazing daddies. Little Sea Horse's dad is really fast. Little Whale's dad is the biggest in the ocean. But, of course Little White Fish's daddy is very good at something, too!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I know this is a children's book, but the language felt too simple. I wish there had been more dialogue between Little White Fish and the others, or maybe even a rhyme scheme, but it started to feel repetitive about halfway through.

I do think there is a valuable message there... Dad's are important and each excel at something different. It's good to acknowledge what other father's can do, but also be proud of the father you have.

Normally, when I read books to my children, the words and the story flow from page to page. Little White Fish and His Daddy felt choppy and wasn't very engaging. I think making the book longer with more dialogue would have better conveyed the message within the story.

♡

Rusty the Squeaky Robot by Neil Clark

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Rusty is a friendly robot, but not a very happy one; he’s feeling down about the way that he sounds. The other robots on Planet Robotone – Belle, Twango, Hoot and Boom-Bot – show Rusty that being a little bit different is the best way to be, and together make a raucous song and dance that celebrates their differences. This charming story about friendship, self-discovery and the strength of pooling everyone's talents together has a strong, empowering message of acceptance and embracing individuality. With wonderful, contemporary illustrations that will appeal to young children and parents alike, the story will provoke thought – and conversation – about being different, and how we should all embrace our characteristics and be comfortable and confident in ourselves.

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I adored this book! My son made me read it to him three times in a row before he would go to bed, and he was still asking about it the next morning. 

Rusty doesn't like his squeak, but he meets other robots with similar differences. Everyone has something that makes them stand out, and they show him how to embrace the unique qualities about himself. His squeak mixed with their various sounds created something beautiful and brilliant. I loved the colors and the sounds... everything was wonderful!

I enjoyed how Rusty the Squeaky Robot was worded, and how easy it was for my son to follow along. He enjoyed making the noises with me, and it was fun watching him smile as he listened to the story. I highly recommend this one!

♡

Audrey the Amazing Inventor by Rachel Valentine

Katie Weymouth (Illustrator)

*Expected Publication: June 2018

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Audrey wants to be an inventor, but her inventions are not entirely successful: the egg collectors and jam dispenser are a bit messy, and her faithful pet, Happy Cat, can only watch in horror as she tries out her spring-loaded trainers. It's enough for Audrey to lose heart and give up altogether, but with some encouraging words she gives inventing one last try. Hilarious, heartfelt and utterly bonkers, Audrey the Inventor is a new heroine with plenty to say and do.

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Audrey is persistent and doesn't give up! I really enjoyed reading about the wacky inventions she created (wondering what they would be and how they would work), and they aren't small or simple. She goes big every time. 

Her father is incredibly encouraging, even though I'm sure his house/yard will be forever damaged. He wants Audrey to succeed, and I think that helps her stay motivated when things don't work out the way she wants them to. 

Eventually one of her inventions does what she intended it to do, and now her cat can rest easy (for now) without worrying about being cat-apulted into the air. I think this was a creative book about having big ideas and bringing them to life.