If I Couldn't Be Anne by Kallie George is ridiculously sweet, colourful and lovely!

This whimsical tale follows a sweet girl who wants to be Anne with an E. I grew up knowing about this story and watching the different adaptions for school. It's a very popular story, especially in Canada, so this book gave me all sorts of nostalgia back to my childhood. All the girls wanted to be Anne with an E because of the tales told in our classes.

The illustrations are gorgeous, soft and colourful. They make this story feel super sweet and magical! It takes you inside the story very well.

On a side note: I WANT THE DRESS SHE WEARS ON THE TIGHTROPE OMG ITS SO PRETTY.

Overall, this is a super cute book! I highly recommend it to those who want a whimsical picture book, love Anne with an E, or just want something fun!

Five out of five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tundra Books and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Just like the first one, this Anne of Green Gables spin-off picture book is very charming and sweet. The illustrations are gorgeous and dream-like, and the whole story gives off the vibe of being deep within Anne's imagination, which I love. The only note I have is that I can't quite decide if it's supposed to rhyme or not. It gives off the vibe that it should, as some of the lines are quite rhythmic, only when you read the next one it sometimes feels like it comes to a halt and is a bit jarring. But that could be my own imagination, I suppose. Anyway, this is very cute and I would definitely recommend for a small child!

Inspired by Anne of Green Gables, we see the iconic red-head at play as she imagines all the things she might be if she wasn't Anne - Anne with an "e".

Though readers don't need to know Anne to appreciate this story, details pulled from the novel will be appreciated best by fans. I've never been a big Anne Shirley fan, but I thought this was a lovely sweet picture book about imaginative play with some stunning illustrations. I was surprised by how much I liked it, and it would be a good way to introduce young readers to Anne's world.

This is a lovely book. Beautifully illustrated and written (I really love Kallie George), this is a great introduction to Anne of Green Gables for young readers, or a wonderful keep sake for lifelong Anne with an E fans.

THREE AND A HALF STARS

The illustrations of this book are stunning, and as a lover of Anne of Green Gables I enjoyed the intricate details and whimsical quality of them. There is not much text making this a very fast read, but I thought that the message of the story could have been more direct and less subtle. Much of the story required extensive knowledge of the Anne of Green Gables stories, so I do not know that this would serve as a good introduction for a child who knows nothing about Anne as a character. I think this book is more for the parents than the kids, but is definitely a beautiful book for die-hard Anne fans.

I've enjoyed the renewed interest in Anne of Green Gables, from fresh biographies and a miniseries to new publications. There is something captivating about Anne's presence that continues to draw new readers.

If I Couldn't be Anne is a whimsical picture book from Anne's perspective as she dreams of the world around her and the ways she would engage with it if she were not Anne. Perhaps she'd be the wind, or the echoes, or the water. 

The simple words are filled with lush illustrations, and well-versed readers will recognize scenes and references to books. On one page, Anne discusses kindred spirits, on another, she bemoans red hair (but confesses that's a better fate than green hair). On yet another, Anne is laid out in a boat with her eyes closed.

For parents who relish Anne of Green Gables but have young children not yet ready to be introduced to the series, this is a lovely placeholder.

(I was given a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Love, love, LOVE! As a lover of all things Anne, I found this book so fun to read. I loved all of the references throughout the book, and I know that children who've read or been exposed to the Montgomery's books will love picking up on them, too! I look forward to using this book in my classroom after reading Anne of Green Gables.

Ann with an e is a beautifully illustrated children's book. It's a book that talks about all that Anne hope's she could be. There's references that any Anne of Green Gables fans will love. Although it just abruptly ends talking about how some things are better than imagination with a picture of her best friend Diana I would imagine. It's not specifically stated as such. Children will love the beautiful little story.

I absolutely adored this book! It was so beautifully written, so whimsical and wonderful. I would buy all the books about Anne of Green Gables but this one I got to share with my kids, which made it all the more special.
I got a free ebook from Netgalley and Tundra books in exchange for an honest review but I will definitely buy a physical copy myself.

“Because some things are even better than imagination”

It’s no shock that I loved this picture book. It captures one of my favorite literary heroines in such a beautiful (literally, the illustrations are gorgeous) and honoring way. Anne always wants to be more than she is, but in the novel and in this picture book she realizes that her life is pretty charmed just as it is.

I was blown away by the beautiful illustrations in this delightful Anne of Green Gables inspired children’s book. The pastel and colored pencil art by Genevieve Godbout captures the spirit of Anne. I love how Anne is so frequently surrounded by her beloved trees and flowers.

The text is inspired by Anne’s wanderings and imaginings in the original book. Here, Anne imagines all the various things she would be if she couldn’t be Anne, Anne with an e. The wind, a lily maid, a fancy lady drinking tea in a “grown-up-ish” way. We even see the green hair disaster! Long-time fans of Anne will recognize these callbacks to the original story and love the book for that. But, those references that make the book so endearing will also perhaps make it confusing to a young reader (ages 3-7 is the suggested age range). The context of knowing Anne’s adventures is what really gives the text its meaning.

Readers familiar with Anne will certainly gain the most enjoyment from this picture book rendition (myself among them). If you are a fan of L.M. Montgomery’s delightful character, then yes, you definitely need a copy of this book! Suggested age range: 3-7.

Many thanks to Tundra Books and to NetGalley for the chance to review this book.

Full disclosure- I Love Anne of Green Gables! I found this book to be AMAZING!! I felt like I was reading an essay assignment assigned to Ann (with an “e”) during her schooling. Highly recommend this for those who love the original series, This would be a great introduction to the series for younger children.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely LOVED this book! Lucy Maud Montgomery's character Anne of Green Gables comes to life in this beautifully illustrated picture book. In classic Anne fashion, she fantasizes about the many different things she would like to be such as the wind, a flower, and even a tightrope walker! However, by the end, Anne is glad to be herself - Anne with an 'e'.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who love imagination, beautiful illustrations and Anne of Green Gables.

What a delightful little introduction to Anne of Green Gables! This book looks at who Ann with an e could be if she were someone or something else. The illustrations are are sweet and bring you into the story and whet early readers' appetites for more Ann with an e.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.

You thought I couldn't possibly read more Anne of Green Gables, but you were wrong. This one is a lovely picture book that just came out last week. It has all the whimsy of the original in its references and illustrations. I know there are Anne board books and there are Anne early reader chapter books, but I haven't come across any Anne picture books before!

Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite childhood characters of all time so this book was very nostalgic for me. It is a beautifully illustrated (these illustrations were EVERYTHING!) love letter to Anne. There are charming situations and words presented from the original story that children reading this will really need to be familiar with Anne of Green Gables in order to fully enjoy the experience. All that being said, I think this may be more of a book for established fans of Anne of Green Gables, both children and adults alike, rather than a standard picture book for any and all children to pick up.

For fans of Anne of Green Gables, this book would be a delightful addition to their library. I haven't read Anne of Green Gables yet, but I can say that I still enjoyed this book. The illustrations are delightful and the text uses a recurring scaffold that would work as a great model for young readers to follow in a writing workshop mini-lesson. In all, this was a pleasant read, and though it is probably destined to be biggest among Anne of Green Gables collectors, it's still a worthwhile book in its own right. Nicely done.

Simply a beautiful book, from the stunning illustrations to the whimsical, dreamy text. If you are familiar with Anne you are sure to enjoy more than those who are not, however I think most anyone could find enjoyment in this picture book. Children love to imagine and daydream up what they might be when they grow up and of course in their pretend play, and I think this book is a wonderful companion to those thoughts and the conversations that can come from it. I recognize that some may find the language too sophisticated for the typical picture book audience but I think that misses the point of the theme of the book, which I believe would resonate with even the youngest audience. If you are simply a fan of Anne, I think this would also make a wonderful addition to your library too,

'If I Couldn't Be Anne' by Kallie George with illustrations by Genevieve Godbout is a picture book in a series of books about Anne Shirley, the protagonist of 'Anne of Green Gables.'

Anyone familiar with Anne Shirley knows she has a pretty large imagination. Here she imagines all the things she could be if she couldn't be Anne. She imagines herself as a gull, or a tightrope walker or a fancy lady, among other things.

I've enjoyed this series. Kallie George has a really good sense of the original story. The real star of this series are the gorgeous illustrations by Genevieve Godbout. I'm a fan of her style and it is on full display here.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

This is a perfect retelling for a classic. The text is so whimsical and fanciful and perfectly "Anne". And the illustrations go with it perfectly. I always love illustrations by Genevieve Godbout. She does such an amazing job and I can't get enough. This is a book I have to get for myself so that I can have it in my collection to read and reread as often as I want.