The Glow Show by Susi Schaefer is a delightful and whimsical picture book that will captivate young readers with its enchanting illustrations and magical storyline. Schaefer's imaginative storytelling and vibrant artwork make for an engaging and captivating reading experience. The book takes readers on a journey into a world filled with glowing creatures and explores the beauty of nature's wonders.

One of the strengths of The Glow Show is the mesmerizing illustrations that bring the story to life. Schaefer's artwork is filled with vibrant colors and intricate details, creating a visually stunning world for readers to immerse themselves in. The glow-in-the-dark elements add an extra layer of excitement and wonder, making the reading experience truly magical.

The story itself is simple yet enchanting. It follows a group of curious children as they venture into the night and discover a magical glow show put on by the creatures of the forest. The book celebrates the beauty and awe-inspiring wonders of nature, reminding young readers to appreciate and cherish the world around them.

Schaefer's writing is lyrical and engaging, capturing the sense of wonder and curiosity that children possess. The pacing is well-suited for young readers, with short and engaging sentences that keep the story moving forward. The language used is accessible and inviting, making it a perfect choice for read-aloud sessions.

In conclusion, The Glow Show is a captivating and enchanting picture book that will spark the imaginations of young readers. Susi Schaefer's imaginative storytelling and stunning illustrations make this book a delightful choice for those seeking a magical and visually engaging read. If you're looking for a book that celebrates the wonders of nature and ignites a sense of curiosity in young minds, The Glow Show is the perfect pick.

This fun and colorful book talks about a squid who is bioluminescent & glows whenever he twirls!

However whenever he goes up up up from the deep to the shallow area of the ocean, his glow is suddenly GONE!

Although all of his fans loved his glow, they weren’t around when he lost his way. 
So, who was around? His friends, of course!

What a fun and colorful way to show that you truly shine better when you are around/with your friends. ✨😊

The Glow Show depicts what every toddler goes through when they venture outside their homes and into schools. Thats the experience of gaining praise and sharing it with others. The illustrations will grab young readers attention and teach them some ocean facts in a fun way. The transitions from story to lesson could have been a little cleaner but over all a great book on sharing the spotlight.

Based off the title, I wasn't expecting the name of the main character to be Glow. I was definitely expecting something about bioluminescence. It is a cute book about a little squid that learns how important friends are. 

The illustrations are gorgeous - and my son loved studying each page and pointing out every fish friend. 

I was given a copy of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids for the chance to read this book!

I absolutely love this book! The colors and illustrations are vibrant and fun, and the message is outstanding. My son was reading over my shoulder, and I ended up just letting him read it to me. He loved it as well!!!!! Fabulous story!

The Glow Show, is so important right now with the impact of social media. It shows the difference between fans and friends, and how important friends are. Great illustrations to accompany this story. 

Thank you, Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids, for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Delightful illustrations and colours. I was really hoping for some facts about bioluminescence and the deep dark to be intertwined with the story - but it is still a cute, pleasant tale. 

[[There is a continuation error regarding the three friends. Pink is originally the painter and blue is the navigator but later in the story they are switched.]]

This was a bit disappointing. I thought it was going to be about bioluminescence, but instead it's a silly tale about an egotistical squid who realizes that he needs his friends after all.

I found the few factual pages at the end of the book far more interesting than the actual story.

Kids are sure to love the adorable illustrations, I'm sure, though don't expect them to ask for this one again and again.

The Glow Show was a very cute educational picture book. You meet Glow and learn all about squid! The artwork was adorable!

I read this book to my two year old and she loves it. The descriptive words made her dance and sing along with the book. It was cute and we loved the art work.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Kids, Sourcebooks Explore, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed the artwork in this book. The color choices were great, and the whimsical style was such fun!

Unfortunately, I don't think the author was effective with the point they were trying to make - I wasn't even sure *which* point they were trying to make. Glow does not like to include others in his performance activities and is unhappy with the number of "fans" he has; as part of the story, he loses his glow when he leaves The Deep to go to The Shallows. I couldn't tell if the author was trying to highlight the importance of living somewhere that you could thrive as yourself, if the bigger picture was supposed to show the fleetingness of chasing "fame," OR if the point was was the importance of learning from and including others? Yes, those stories could occur simultaneously, but while there were *hints* to each one, I didn't feel like there was enough resounding support for any one of them.

Having said that, I'm sure that many children and families will enjoy reading this story about Glow and learning some fascinating facts about squids at the end of the book.

Super cute children’s book by author Susi Schaefer. The Glow Show follows a group of creatures who live deep deep in the ocean. One of these creatures is able to glow and light up when he spins. He wants to be more well known and popular and so decides to leave his friends and take his show on the ‘road’.  Once he gets to shallower waters, he discovers that his glow does not work in other depths besides his and he doesn’t become the star he thought he would be.   In his attempt to become more popular, did he risk his friendships at home? 

This book teaches lessons of gratitude and being grateful for the things and people you have in your life and not pushing away when you think you can do better. It’s also about friendship and excepting people back and teaches kids a valuable lesson in all of the above.   The illustrations were beautiful and the amount of words per page or perfect to not take away from the illustrations, but to get the story across.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E arc copy of this book in exchange, for my honest review an opinion.

Glow is a bioluminescent squid who loves to dance and twirl. But he becomes a bit show-offy and soon forgets about his friends. Luckily, for Glow, his friends are still there for him when he needs them.


Adult review:

Can we just agree to send a copy of The Glow Show to every single so-called 'influencer'? In the age of aspirations of *going viral* sometimes we need to step back and realize where we came from and who was there for us along the way.

Librarian review:

The Glow Show is an absolutely adorably bubbly bright picture book that I know will be a hit with the kids at our library. It kind of reminds me of SpongeBob. Give me a cartoon version immediately. Please and thank you. Disney the ball is in your court. The squid is in your ocean? Idk. Just gimme. I also love all the fun facts at the end of the book. I will definitely be adding The Glow Show to our acquisitions list.


***Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids for providing me with a review copy.***

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Kids, Sourcebooks Explore and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

Glow is a squid who loves to twirl and glow!  Glow is looking for fans and ignores her friends in the process. Good also swim closer to the surface of the ocean to find more friends but Glow finds she isn't as special there and they can't see her glow!  Glow returns to her part of the ocean and becomes a better friend. 

This book touches on an important topic that will impact kids in the times social media and influencers. Fans vs friends is discussed.  The squid facts in the back are fantastic too!

My preschool-aged boys are very interested in undersea animals, and enjoy reading about animals that have a bioluminescent glow.  The Glow Show was cute, and offered up lessons about letting everyone have time to shine. I would compare this to the Rainbow Fish books by Marcus Pfister, as in each case, an animal is admired, has a fall from grace, then learns to share and give to others.

This book is sweet - so sweet!  - and informative.  The beautiful illustrations captured my interest right away. The characters are cute and relatable., and the story is entertaining and moves quickly along.. Children will learn about squid, and their environment, but also learn about the nature of friendship.  The storyline and expressive illustrations will provide opportunities for discussing the feelings children experience as they they enter preschool and kindergarten.  There’s lots of scientific information presented in a clear manner that shows respect for the curiosity and intelligence of children. I highly recommend The Glow Show. It would be a great book for parents and children to enjoy together, and also a great read aloud for the classroom.

Cute book about a squid with great vocab words and a ton of info about squid at the end.  The story was a bit 'fluffy' with no real clear message, but I can see many of my students, especially the girls, finding it fun.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a picture book about friendship and wanting to be the center of attention.

This story is incredibly heartwarming and informative. I think this book could be utilized in many ways in an elementary classroom, from literacy to SEL lessons and potentially more. I would love a physical copy of this book for my classroom!

Susi Schaefer's The Glow Show is about a bio-luminescent squid who loves to dance and twirl around. The more he does this his friends begin to get upset with him showing off so much! When Glow gets lost one day, he realizes he doesn't need to show off for his friends. He just needs to be a friend, the type of friend who will look for you when you get lost and bring you back.
I read this with my granddaughte4r and she loved the illustrations and talking about being a good friend and not a show off!