This is such a cute and unique story! Beatrice wants a pet, but her mom won't let her get an animal. Instead, Beatrice gets a plant named Barb! She does her best to lovingly care for her new plant by providing it with what plants typically need. Frustratingly, Barb is dying so Beatrice reaches out to others for help. She eventually figures out what Barb needs to thrive.
Taking care of an animal is a big responsibility and maybe mom couldn't handle it! I think a plant is a great compromise and a way for Beatrice to prove that she's responsible. Beatrice has taught me to look into solutions when my plants start dying instead of giving up lol!
Such a well-written story with fantastic illustrations. I can't wait to add it to our library and read it with my classes.
I received an advanced release copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Beatrice wanted a pet, but Mom said no and gave her a plant. the plant gets droopy so se tries to take care of t like a pet. Finally she gets help from a plant person and it gets better. Not sure if kids will like this book.

Ah, the love of a girl for her Venus Flytrap!

Beatrice desperately wants a pet, but her mother says "NO!" to all of her suggestions. Then Barb appears on the scene, and a true friendship is born. Until the day that Barb begins to droop. Beatrice consults the experts, and discovers the best way to care for her special friend.

I loved the story, though I wish Beatrice's mother had given a reason for the NO PETS edict, instead of just tossing off glib negatives.

With happy illustrations by Vivian Mineker.

This story was so fun and so unexpected. Beatrice wants a pet so bad, like most kids. So after a compromise she gets a pet, Barb, the Venus fly-trap. Yes, you heard it right. She makes the best of it all and takes care of her new pet and learns to love it. When something seems wrong with her pet she does whatever it takes to make it happy and healthy again. This is a fun story that your child and family will want to read over and over again. We love how much Beatrice cares for her pet and teaches us that no matter what we can make the best of things and be happy. Great illustrations to add to this adventure that you will love. We highly recommend this story. I even encourage this story to be used in an early childhood classroom or elementary classroom. It can be the start of some fun and adventurous conversations and ideas. Enjoy.

This book was adorable ! It made me giggle quite a bit.

My 7 year old daughter loved this story and its illustrations. We are most likely purchasing a Venus fly trap after this read. Was that the intention of this book? … lol cause it worked !

Beatrice and Barb
4.5 Stars 

Beatrice wants a pet and hopes for a fur baby of her own. But her mom had other ideas: a venus fly trap. Lol, I loved this one. I enjoyed the banter between mother and daughter.

This heartwarming story is cute and funny. I liked Beatrice's mom's unconventional pet and her daughter's persistence in becoming a responsible pet owner. Or a caring person. The illustrations are engaging, with a bright and cheerful color palette that flows well with the story. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Kids Can Press, for providing me with an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As a plant lover, this is one of the cutest plant based children’s books I have ever seen. I adored the premise of the story, even if the mom made me mad (let her have a pet!). And the way she dedicates herself to “barb” is just so cute. I am hoping to get my son interested in plants (he’s three) and I feel like this book is going to help. It’’s so stinking cute.

I received an advanced release copy from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is a cute story about a young girl who wants a pet but can’t convince her mom to commit to a mammal, so she gets a plant instead. The girl then makes it her mission to take the best care of this unusual plant. The illustrations are great and the story is adorable. My 5 year old loved it and we ended up going to the plant store to get her own pet plant. I made things a little easier on my daughter by helping her choose a succulent! Thanks for this great ARC, my daughter gives it 2 thumbs up!

Beatrice and Barb by Kate Jenks Landry - 5/5
Children's Fiction - Home & Garden

Beatrice and Barb is a fascinating story about friendship and learning responsibility. Beatrice desperately wants a pet of her own but is told no repeatedly by her mother. Finally, her mom decides Beatrice can have something to take care of, a Venus Fly Trap. I do love this story and now it demonstrates the responsibility even a plant can take to keep alive. This is a great read with fun and vibrant illustrations to keep littles entertained while listening.

Thank you NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the eARC.

An adorable story about unconventional pets and persistence! Beatrice and Barb by Kate Jenks Landry is a picture book about a girl named Beatrice with an interesting pet, a Venus flytrap. Beatrice does her best to care for her pet, but when things go south can she figure out how to make her sick pet feel better? Landry does a fantastic job weaving in the hard work and care of having a pet with a deeper message about taking the time to find what's best for our "pets". Readers of all ages will find joy in this picture book AND learn about Venus flytraps along the way.

This is a great book about responsibility and persistence as a little girl cares for a Venus fly trap to show she can care for a future pet.

Cute story with vibrant pictures. Unique since it was about a plant as a pet instead of an animal. Educational and entertaining

‘Taking care of each other is what best friends do’

Beatrice has always wished for a pet of her own to care for, but her mom was against the idea. After discussions, debates and negotiations they finally reached a compromise and Beatrice got Barb, a venus fly trap plant. It wasn’t quite what she wanted, but she made the best of it and tried her best to look after her pet. However Barb didn’t seem to be doing well so Beatrice has to find out how to keep her pet happy.

The illustration in this book is GORGEOUS! I love the lineless art style and gouache effect, Vivian Mineker has definitely gained a follower after this. I really liked the writing in this book and how Beatrice was so dedicated to looking after her pet even though it wasn’t quite the pet she originally wanted. I also liked how the characters featured in this story were all diverse, we can see a range of ethnicities and abilities in the people that Beatrice interacts with. Of course it is a bit unrealistic that someone would take a plant to a veterinarian, however I don’t think that’s a real negative at all to the story. When I read it out to my children (4 and 5) they laughed when I asked them if plants go to the vet and told me ‘No that’s for animals!’ So I actually really enjoyed that moment. I also like how this book shows how Beatrice then changed up her tactic when caring for Barb following Millicent’s instructions. Overall this book was really sweet and fun and a great way to introduce children to the different ways we can care for plants.

AGE: 3+
GENRE: Children’s Fiction, Nature, Friendship
DETAILS: 32 Pages, Picture Book

Now that’s a different book! The kids will absolutely love it and so does the adults reading to them. Just think about a very unusual pet and what Beatrice get to make the pet happy and healthy. This book is just the book if you feel kids need to understand what they have to prepare for before we get pets, not just the common ones we are thinking about. I love how Beatrice approaches someone who actually knows how to handle an “emergency” when the “pet” requires.

Love the illustrations. It’s just perfect.

Thank you, Kids Can Press, for the advance reading copy.

Beatrice and Barb is an adorable story about Beatrice, a young girl who desperately wants a pet. But her parents say no to every animal she can think of, and eventually they let her get a Venus flytrap for a pet instead.

Beatrice takes really great care of Barb, but the plant gets sicker and sicker. She eventually takes her to the vet, who isn't very much help! Beatrice eventually takes her flytrap to a little plant shop, and the lady there helps her understand what her beloved plant needs to be healthy. Bugs!

This is a lovely story about caring for friends and loved ones and listening to them to understand what they need. Even if we don't understand someone right away, if we keep trying, we can find ways to improve any situation!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

Thank you so much to Kids Can Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Beatrice wants a pet, but her mom says no at every suggestion. Then Beatrice gets Barb a plant that loves and cares for like a pet, but she gets sick and Beatrice doesn’t know why and has to find help to save her pet.

This was utterly adorable, the story of a child and her best friend who is a plant. It was seriously the cutest story and it had little bits that made me giggle and bits that made you feel sad, then other parts that were just beautiful.

Beatrice was a wonderful character wanting nothing more than to have a pet and she treated it so lovingly and gently. She sought out the help and she found out so much more about Barb so she was able to help her thrive and keep her longer and continue caring for her.

I throughly enjoyed this story it was so sweet and lovely, such a gentle caring book that children, especially those that love plants and nature will really adore. I also really loved the beautiful illustrations throughout the book, my favourites were the animal clouds right near the beginning they were so creative.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Beatrice wants a pet. A dog or a cat or something, but her mom always says "no." So, in turn, her mother gives her a plant, but not something so simple but a Venus fly trap! But, suddenly, her "pet" starts dying off; what can Beatrice do?
All it takes is a little love and some bugs for a girl like Beatrice. It's sweet, their relationship is, and how determined she is for a pet to keep her company. Even though it's an odd choice for a plant, I loved how Beatrice babied it, and with the right tricks, she kept it alive. It's a friendship that matters.

Totally hooked on this adorable children's book! 🌱👧 'Beatrice and Barb' takes us on a wild adventure with a spunky young girl and her Venus flytrap. The illustrations are vibrant and capture the curiosity of kids perfectly. From feeding time to unexpected mishaps, this story teaches kids about responsibility and the wonders of nature in a super fun way. A must-read for any budding scientist or nature lover!

This was such a cute story! I think many children will be able to relate to desperately wanting a pet as a child. I thought this story was unique and the illustrations are beautiful

This is such an adorable story! I love the message about looking after plants being like looking after people and the fact that Beatrice really loved Barb as a friend was heartwarming. The book had good disabled rep, which is important, and the illustrations were lovely. I'd definitely read this to my nephew.