The illustrations in this book are the best part of it.

Honestly, though, I was not thrilled about the story.

I was disturbed immediately when we were told that the little girl Grace, the focus of this story, lived with people who “behaved very badly” and so she was “often sad and lonely.” These facts added nothing to the story.

I don't understand why the author felt the need to make Grace a neglected child of bad parents.
There could be children who identify with difficult parental situations, and seeing a sad and lonely little girl just like them—and she does often look this way—could be difficult for these children. Their natural empathy could make them feel every scary thing she feels, and she does have some gruesome encounters.

The book is supposed to teach lessons about facing your fears, dealing with difficult situations and being brave. However, I didn't think that the author pulled these lessons together well.

That would make it up to the parent or caregiver reading this to the child to do so.

All in all, other than the illustrations, I didn't really like this book.

wow, the cover and the illustrations just blew me away.
since I only read this as an ebook, I sadly didn't get to experience the watercolours on rough paper, but I can imagine it being absolutely stunning.

the plot itself isn't too imaginative and it felt like there was just some basic background information missing. maybe I have high standards for children's books, but kids are curious and want to know why things happen - hence the endless "but why" questions. just stating that Grace's parents behaved very badly doesn't say much, in my opinion, and often smaller kids can't make the connection between certain behaviours and the word "bad" (random e.g. a parent makes a joke at the expense of the child and the child doesn't like it, but has always been told that jokes are funny; thus they wouldn't classify making jokes as bad behaviour).

I wouldn't recommend this book to be used in a classroom setting.

The Little Hero review: A nice little book with good illustrations and a good read. Interesting story line. Five stars

Gorgeous Illustrations; Not Wild About Story

The illustrations in this book are the best part of it. Most are at least very good, and some in the later part of the book are actually amazingly beautiful. The illustrator has used watercolor on rough paper. The color palette used is dramatic, even on the darker pages. I did think, however, that some text page colors were jarring, especially when side by side with the beautiful illustrations. They were often too bright in comparison. Honestly, though, I was not thrilled about the story. I was disturbed immediately when we were told that the little girl Grace, the focus of this story, lived with people who “behaved very badly” and so she was “often sad and lonely.” These facts added nothing to the story. I don't understand why the author felt the need to make Grace a neglected child of bad parents. There could be children who identify with difficult parental situations, and seeing a sad and lonely little girl just like them—and she does often look this way—could be difficult for these children. Their natural empathy could make them feel every scary thing she feels, and she does have some gruesome encounters. The book is supposed to teach lessons about facing your fears, dealing with difficult situations, and being brave. However, I didn't think that the author pulled these lessons together well. That would make it up to the parent or caregiver reading this to the child to do so. All in all, other than the illustrations, I didn't really like this book.

This is a beautiful story. It is full of adventure and lovely illustrations. We love the outdoors, so this little adventure really sparked Ada's imagination, and made her very happy. We have already read it several times! We highly highly recommend this book.

This is a wonderful children's book about not giving into your fears and being brave. I also loved the beautiful watercolor illustrations!

A little girl is playing in the garden when she is approached by a panther who takes her on an adventure where she faces some of her fears and receives a reward in the shape of a bird in a golden cage. With beautiful pictures depicting the safety of the outside world and the terror of the darkness this is a lovely story introducing us to the brave little girl. It ends set up nicely for another adventure and I think there are plenty of teaching opportunities for PSHE and English as well as art and forest schools.

I received an eARC of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (less)

The Little Hero is a very sweet book about a little girl called Grace who along with a magic feather and a few friends is hiding from a cruel world.

The book has the most adorable illustrations which bring the story to life. Especially how Grace overcomes her fears, which have been written about with care and understanding.

The story has been beautifully told and I can see this being a book children will ask to be read to them over and over again.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

3.5

A short and sweet children's book with stunning illustrations about a little girl called Grace who goes on an
adventure with her new friend, Blueberry, the black jaguar.

It's perfect for kids, the plot it´s pretty simple and it leaves you wanting more. Apparently, there will be a second book which I wanna read like now!

The illustrations are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, they are watercolor and very colorful. The way Blueberry is drawn is just beautiful, you can even notice the fur.
I recommend this to little kids and their parents.

The Little Hero is an adorable book with meaning. I enjoyed the narrative around strangers and bravery. This book is one that we can reread and still enjoy the story and illustrations. Enjoyed by the whole family!

This is an interesting tale of finding your confidence, learning about trust & overcoming fear all wrapped in a nice story with stylish illustrations.
(I'm hoping the formatting will be tidied up for the final version to be published - I had to turn the tablet to see the whole illustration sometimes & a bit of text gets cropped off too)
The pictures have such a unique feel - watercolour style with a bit of fun too. There's an animal called Blueberry. Can you guess what he is? Youngsters developing their reading skills will enjoy the tale with a bit of magic in it & the secret garden element.
Enjoy this artful, mini-adventure.

I really enjoyed reading this children's book!
This book is about a young girl learning how to be brave. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and add more emotion to the scenes. The darkness that was painted seemed to represent overwhelming emotions really well.
I think that Michelle did a great job in portraying a young child learning how to be brave and in a sense, believe in herself. And I think that is a great thing to teach young children.
I definitely recommend this book. I think it would be a great story for parents to read to their kids.

I love this book ❤🥺
It is so cute that I can cry and get excited about how precious this short story is.
The characters are precious 💖
This is a perfect book to read with your children before bed. 🌟

The little hero is the story of grace, who has a tough life. In this moving story she finds hope to keep going. This book was truly moving and very inspiring. This book is great for anyone looking for an adventurous story, but also therapeutic for the children who need it.

The art in this book was nice, but it felt like just the outline of a story. Why does she follow him? Why does she take the bird? I don't see the reasons for the actions in this book at all.

The Little Hero was an interesting read. I liked both the adventure little Grace embarks on as well as her fellow companion, Blueberry. I found the illustrations to be cute, though some were prettier than others. I liked the themes it has interwoven in it: about not talking with strangers, as well as facing your fears/being brave.

I usually don't complain about formatting from ARCs I've received via Netgalley since I know they'll be changed and ready for publication, but with this book, I certainly do hope so. Based on the copy I received, I'd say the format they had was better suited for it to be read in tablets/iPads or kindles, but definitely not on phones since it didn't fit my screen (there was a margin of about two words that was cut off from my screen).

Overall, I think this is a great adventure that little girls will enjoy to embark on, and its ending is open enough that it lives the door open for the next episode/adventure to happen.

A really cute book about overcoming your fears with the help of those around you. I loved the supporting characters and, of course, the illustrations!

Gorgeous water color pictures!! Sends the message to just have faith in yourself. Sometimes, our friends may assist us on our path.

A charming book for children with lovely illustrations.

A little Girl named Grace overcomes her fears with a little help from some wonderful & colorful characters in the story.

A magical story about courage and believing in yourself. It will show kids how they can achieve anything with confidence and bravery.

Grace is a little girl hiding from the cruel world but with the help of a few friends and a magic feather, Grace learns she is braver than she knows. This book is beautifully illustrated and the only sad thing about it was that there wasn't more. I enjoy the fact that Grace has the help of friends in order to over come fear. I say over come fear because she is afraid, she is not ridiculed by the Tall lady or Blueberry for being afraid, but genuinely told that they are there for her in her time of need. This book teaches the reader that it is okay to rely on others when you are afraid. The fact that the finch in the cage was added was a brilliant move, the cage is courage and the finch is your happy feelings, courage stands strong when facing your fears to protect your happiness. Overall a great book and I would recommend it as a school read. Parents of children with anxiety problems should also have this book read to them as the twisting shadows could also be used as another descriptor for worries.