Hi friends, two new children’s titles on the review docket! Thanks to the lovely folks at Owlkids Books, I have the following fantastically fun titles for review: Bambi Edlund’s picture book How to Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich in 17 Easy Steps; and the non-fiction title Odd Couples: A Guide to Unlikely Animal Pairs written by Maria Birmingham and illustrated by Raz Latif. Happy reading!

A peanut butter sandwich seems straightforward enough to make, right? Well, for a group of grinning, dedicated animals in Canadian author-illustrator Bambi Edlund’s How to Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich in 17 Easy Steps, the making of peanut butter sandwiches is akin to a grand- and happily wacky!- expedition. Before diving into the story, readers discover precisely what items and which animals needed to make said sandwich. Loaves of bread? Absolutely! But…don’t forget a skunk, a brimmed hat, two crows, a miniature donkey, clogs, an accordion, and much, much more! Readers may wonder how exactly all of these odds and ends and seemingly sideways steps will actually come together to make a sandwich, but fear not! Through brightly coloured, sweetly illustrated spreads and clearly numbered and defined steps, readers will giggle along as our group of new, adorable animal friends get closer and closer to the last, delicious step. For readers who enjoy the awesomely funny vibes of titles such as How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth, If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed, or How to Give a Cat a Bath in 5 Easy Steps, Bambi Edlund’s debut picture book is a marvellous, giggly pick.

In Maria Birmingham and Raz Latif’s non-fiction title Odd Couples: A Guide to Unlikely Animal Pairs, readers are taken on an exploration of multiple animal pairs who have surprising things in common. Beginning with a look at a bee hummingbird and giraffe, readers are asked to consider: “What could this odd couple have in common?”. On the following pages, we get to learn that both animals hum– and why they do! With descriptive paragraphs of explanation attached to each animal, Odd Couples provides a fuller- yet still concise- dose of engaging learning. Odd Couples carries the same format of ask-and-answer-explanation through the book; and the variety of animals explored is impressive, with everything from wombats and seahorses to great white sharks and snails in the spotlight. The book closes on looking at the similarity between humans and koalas- sure to delight readers!- and also includes a short Glossary of terms. Canadian duo Birmingham and Latif have done a solid job here of blending absorbing, educative text with charming, appealing artwork in this children’s non-fiction offering. Sure to attract readers who enjoy learning cool, new animal facts in an uncomplicated format, Odd Couples: A Guide to Unlikely Animal Pairs is a terrific selection.

I received copies of these titles courtesy of Owlkids Books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.