Kimber: Mom! Mom! I found some puppy books!
Mom: “Puppy books, Kimmi? What are you barking about?”
Kimber: Insert eye roll here. Moooooom! You. Know. Books for little’uns. You know. Like not yet big dogs. P-u-p-p-i-e-s. (Duh.)
Mom: “Okay, Kim. Calm down. Stop dancing for a min. What did you find?”
Kimber: Thought you’d never ask. Here, without further tail-wagging or barking, are two recently read and reviewed books for children. (You know. P-u-p-p… oh, never mind.) One is about turkeys and Christmas. The other is about a sweet little squirrel looking for a buddy. Read on for more!
Note: We received complimentary copies of these books for honest review.
Sofie Finds a Best Friend
By Carrie and Corey Webber (Buttercup books, 2026)
Genre: Children’s Fiction (ages 3 – 9 years)
Pages (print): 47
Via: Author request
Sofie is a squirrel. She’s on the lookout for a friend. Sofie sets out to find one and asks a host of candidates if they’d like to play together. Each animal declines for reasons of their own, reflecting their own personalities. Undeterred, Sofie keeps going and keeps extending invitations. Her persistence pays off when Chip the chipmunk accepts her invitation to “share acorns with me arlt a tea party in my treehouse,” showing young readers that the right friend is worth the wait.
This is a sweet picture book that touches on themes of kindness, patience, and perseverance. The tone is warm and welcoming. It has a storyline that flows naturally and is easy to follow. It’s simple but dynamic enough to engage little ones without exhausting short attention spans. The vocabulary is age appropriate and easy to understand.
Illustrations are top-notch, both bright and beautiful! The illustrations, along with a variety of animals and a lovable little squirrel, are sure to capture young imaginations and serve as a springboard to discussions about finding and keeping a true friend.
Sofie Finds a Best Friend would make a great bedtime story, the kind you want to read with a blankie and a snuggle at the end of a busy day.
Our Rating: 4.0
The Turkey Hands: The Christmas Squabble
By Susan K. Fairchild and Camille M. Easton (Turkey Hand Press, 2026)
Genre: Children’s Fiction/Holiday (ages 3 – 9 years)
Via: Publicist request
Pages: 48
Our Rating: 2.5
Set in a children’s classroom, this picture book is about how some turkey cut-outs launch a squabble and how they learn that the season is about kindness and giving instead of being in the spotlight.
Turkey cut-outs are exiled to a desk drawer and watch as other holiday décor takes their place. They wonder why the upcoming holiday doesn’t include them. They also wonder if trinkets and toys and gadgets are what Christmas is really about? The turkeys decide to stage a “holiday coup” and reclaim the classroom for Thanksgiving Day. Havoc ensues until George Washington, the “Father of Thanksgiving,” sets the record straight, urging civility and respect. (Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the modern national Thanksgiving as an annual holiday during the Civil War in 1863.)
This is a quick, fun read. Sentences are short and to the point and won’t over-tax young attention spans. Illustrations are colorful and vibrant. The writing style is dynamic and flavored with gentle rhyme. The story is brief and briskly paced. It will resonate with parents and little’uns.
Too bad this book makes no mention of “what Christmas is really all about.” Even Linus got that:
