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A hand holding up a children's book with two pigs standing on the top of a snowy mountain under the title Toot and Puddle: On Top of the World

Children's book reviews are back and starting off with one of my favorite childhood storybook duos, Toot and Puddle! Toot and Puddle are the world’s cutest pigs, and in this book, they are on an adventure! In Toot and Puddle: On Top of the World by Holly Hobbie, homebody Puddle finds that adventurous Toot doesn’t come home from a walk. Concerned about his friend, Puddle goes looking for him and lands himself on an accidental adventure that takes him far and wide!


Review

Toot and Puddle have been a family favorite for years! These adventurous little pigs were introduced in their first book, Toot and Puddle, but I absolutely adore this specific adventure. As a matter of fact, one could probably trace my love of road trips and travel back to the first time I read a Toot and Puddle story! And just like back then, their endearing little personalities, big ears, and adventurous spirits have won my heart all over again with this tale of an accidental adventure by the more timid of the two pigs.


For me, there is no flaw in this book. However, I will say that Puddle’s tension in not knowing where his friend is located might make some children a little apprehensive. However, as always, these lighthearted pigs show us how to live a little, even when things make us a bit worried. And, of course, the ending is beyond adorable! However, the best part of this book is the art!


Illustrated by the author herself, the art of Toot and Puddle is what makes these characters so beloved! Hobbie’s watercolor art shows each pig’s personality in a cuteness overload of smiles and oversized ears. From the colors to the cozy feel and their bright red friend Tulip, the Parrot, the art is beyond amazing!


With their love of both home life and traveling, Toot and Puddle appeal to a broad audience as they are filled with joy and friendship! This book inspired me as a kid, and I could imagine it having the same impact on your child. It might even make your little one want to go on their own adventure! But don’t just take my word for it! Let’s see what our family reviewers thought!

 

Emily, Christine, and Peter

Emily gave this book four stars, saying, “I liked that it introduced children to different countries. It’s so important for our kids to learn about the world, and places outside of what they see in life!” Emily's daughter, Christine, gave this book three hearts, explaining she “liked that it showed how you can get homesick on fun trips.” She added, “I think it might help people when they grow up to think about if they will miss home too much or not.” Christine’s little brother Peter gave the book one heart, saying that he “liked Puddle” with a little note next to his review that said, “Sorry, he’s having a stinky attitude this morning!” It happens to the best of us, Peter! Thank you, Emily, Christine, and Peter, for joining us for children’s book reviews this year!

 

Kate and Josiah

Kate gave this book three stars, saying, “I like how adventurous Puddle is. It was amusing.” Kate's son, Josiah, wasn’t a fan, giving the book two hearts, saying, “I didn’t like that toot was lost.” Thank you, Kate and Josiah, for your reviews! We are all glad to have you reviewing books with us this year!

 

Alyssa and Chandler

Alyssa gave this book five stars, saying that her favorite thing about the book was the “Illustrations!” When asked why, she explained that they are “beautiful and whimsical.” Alyssa's daughter, Chandler, also gave this book five hearts, saying, “I like the bike riding in the book in the plane and the adventure and all that stuff.” When asked why she liked these things, she said, “Because I have a lot of stuff that I like in the story and also I love Toot and Puddle.” Thank you, Alyssa and Chandler, for joining us for book reviews this year! We are glad to have you!


Check out Toot and Puddle: On Top of the World by Holly Hobbie at your local library or bookstore! Make sure to leave a comment below and tell us what you think of these pig pals!


Please be aware that I am a Bookshop.org affiliate and may earn from qualifying purchases through links in this blog post.

Don't Panic!

There are few things in an author's life that are more stressful than losing an entire story! I came across this stressful event last week when I went looking for a short story I wrote and couldn't find it anywhere! I did a search of my entire file system, but nothing came up! Well, I was pretty proud of myself for not totally panicking, but I did have to give myself a few pep talks and pray. Why am I sharing this event? Well, I figured I could save you from making the same mistake I did by sharing what happened.


At first, I thought I had accidentally deleted the file. Thankfully, that was not the case. After searching for it for almost a week, I finally located it within another document. I had written the story inside an old blog content master file. I remember thinking at the time that saving it there would be fine, but I was wrong! Thankfully, if you delete your story, there are sometimes ways to get it back. However, if you are weird like me, keep the following tip in mind and save yourself the unwanted adrenaline rush: File each story in its own file under its own name. And most importantly, don't panic!!


Until next time,

Ondrea Keigh



Please be aware that I am a Bookshop.org affiliate and earn from qualifying purchases through links in this post.

My house is almost finished being remodeled after mold was found. I have been living out of a suitcase for five months and am desperately looking forward to having my tiny home back!


Hopefully, very soon, I will be back in my favorite writing place and able to get my life in order again. I have felt entirely out of whack work-wise! I can't wait to be in a place where I can fully focus without distractions interrupting my writing. I have so many projects going on (some I am not fully certain will see the light of day any time soon)! I just need my quiet place back to get them all organized and published in the right places at the right times.


However, in the last five months, I have learned many things about myself, namely that I have way too many clothes and that I am actually capable of keeping up with work even on the move and in unusual locations. This information is encouraging, as I have always wanted to work and travel. Now I know I can!


Now I'm off to do my reading for the day!


Until next time,

Ondrea Keigh



Please be aware that I am a Bookshop.org affiliate and I earn from qualifying purchases through links in this blog post.

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