Barnaby is not only a cute little half-mouse, half-elephant; he is also pink and fully trained! He is the most perfect ‘perfect pet’ in the store, until a rainbow version comes along. It’s a sweet story with the most adorable perfect pet and wonderful other character designs. It’s a standalone picture book set in the world of The Barnabus Project. I haven’t read the other books before, but now I definitely will!

Oh, Fan brothers! Your work never ceases to amaze me! The art, the story, all of it! This one is slightly reminiscent of Toy Story, but in its own unique way. I cannot wait to share Barnaby with my little readers!

I received an electronic ARC from Penguin Random House Canada through NetGalley.
Sweet story of stuffed animal/perfect pet. A little girl claims Barnaby at the Perfect Pet store and they bond quickly. Readers see them do everything together until one morning a new and "improved" Barnaby is introduced on their TV show. After this, the girl doesn't pay much attention to Barnaby. One morning, Barnaby runs away and gets lost. Readers see the adventures and may think this is his forever life. However, readers who pay attention to the illustrations will see that the girl is searching from him all along. When he sees her, he hardly remembers their life until she asks him to do his special trick. After this, there is a happy ending.
The artwork captures the joy and other emotions throughout the story. The text is easy to follow and will make a terrific read aloud. A terrific partner for The Velveteen Rabbit for compare and contrast.

Another wonderful book from the Fan brothers.

I love the message in this book, reminding us that the newest shiny thing is not always needed (the grass is not always greener). I loved the part where Barnaby goes and lives with the squirrels and almost has a Rambo look while he is living in the wild. The ending was great and I am glad that the little girl made a trip to the dumpster.

The illustrations perfectly highlighted each scene and the accompanying text.

Looking forward to reading more of the Fan brothers work in the future.

The illustrations are beautiful in the book and I love the uniqueness of Barnaby. I felt the book was a bit confusing. The girl didn’t want Barnaby but then goes all over the city looking for him? She wasn’t taking care of him or spending time with him. I guess I was confused about the toys in the dumpster too. I was unsure what message this book would be trying to get to the reader and I was unclear of it. I would absolutely look for books to share with my students by this illustrator though. They are warm and creative.

Barnaby Unboxed reminds me of Knufflebunny and Paddington. Barnaby felt unloved sitting at the perfect pet shop that is until a little girl brings him home. He loves the little girl and she loves him, until a new version of Barnaby is seen on TV. Barnaby runs away feeling unloved. Can Barnaby and his little girl be reunited or have they both forgotten each other.
A sweet story of the love children have for special toys.
The illustrations are beautiful and soft. Barnaby definitely seems cuddly.

Get ready for this heartwarming story all about Barnaby. He is the perfect pet living the perfect life being cared for by his very own little girl. That is until the new pet arrives. Then his little girl isn’t paying him any attention and is so focused on the pet. Barnaby decides to run away and ends up in an unexpected and wild journey trying to find love and home again. Soon he realizes the girl was looking for him the whole time. This story is a creative adventure showing us all about friendship, love and belonging. I love the illustrations, they are so colorful and expressive, helping us see the emotions in this adorable story. Enjoy the sweet adventure with your family.

THE BARNABUS PROJECT is one of, if not my very favorite, picture books that read aloud to kids. So I was over-the-moon happy about a sequel! And while I didn't love it quite as much as BARNABUS, it is definitely a worthy companion. The Fan Brothers never fail to stun me with their illustrations. The art is so captivating. I can already envision a great storytime pairing the two books. I am so grateful to have had the chance to read this early!

I loved the Barnabus Project, so I was excited to read this one. A cute story in the land of Perfect Pets. Barnaby is part elephant and part mouse, with a dash of flamingo. I want a Barnaby, and I think students will enjoy and relate to this heartfelt story.

Barnaby just wants to find a home. This was a very cute story about belonging and having worth just as you are. I like the tie in with the original Barnabus Project.

Do you remember Barnabus?

No? How about all of his friends? They caused quite a stir at Perfect Pets.

Still no? No matter. Meet Barnaby. He's everything you could want in a perfect pet. He's trained, adorable, and if you take him home he'll love you forever.

The question is: will you always love him?

Barnaby Unboxed! is another sweet story by the Fan brothers about a cute little creature whose world is rocked by unexpected circumstances. Just like the Barnabus Project, Barnaby Unboxed! is a delightful tale full of sweetness and adventure, and most importantly, a happy ending.

I have never been so excited to receive and review an ARC book before! My boys adore The Barnabus Project, but my Kindergartner is obsessed with it. I sat down to read Barnaby Unboxed! with them, and they were immediately smitten. The second I finished this book they were begging for a reread, and we will definitely be purchasing this one.

The Fans are back with another story in the world of The Barnabus Project. While Barnabus was wholly unique and immersive, I found Barnaby to be a bit predictable and it fell a little flat - this concept has been done before, and although the illustrations are as lush as always, it's not my favourite offering from the brothers.

Barnaby is the lonely last edition of the Barnaby pet line, and is waiting to be adopted from the Perfect Pets shelf. When a little girl chooses him and takes him home, he thinks life is perfect: until the new Rainbow Barnaby is released, and he slowly starts to be forgotten. This book follows Barnaby as he runs away from home, meets new friends, and maybe is eventually found again.

I read this without having read The Barnabus Project, and thought it was a really charming story. Now, having read the Barnabus Project, I have more of an appreciation for the little easter eggs and references throughout the text. Barnaby (and Barnabus) is illustrated so well and is so adorable, the emotional impact of this book hit a little harder. The length of the story is nice considering its a picture book, as you get to spend a lot of time with the story. Having read The Barnabus Project now, I think it is stronger: but I still really enjoyed this one.

Adorable follow-up story to "The Barnabus Project" featuring a Barnaby that gets forgotten. Will his little girl find him when he runs away? Does absence make the heart grow fonder?

Some strong undertones of the dangers of capitalism and the need to produce new even when there is nothing wrong with the old.

Thank you to Tundra Books, NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC.

This is not a follow up or sequel to The Barnabus Project so much as it is a companion. Set in the same world as the previous book, it follows perfect pet Barnaby as he becomes a beloved pet, feels he has been replaced by a newer pet, leaves, and finally returns. Readers will feel sympathetic for Barnaby. It was well written, with beautiful illustrations, but less compelling than The Barnabus Project.

The Fan Brothers have added another delightful book with Barnaby Unboxed. Will Barnaby be replaced? Find out in this beautifully illustrated book.

I will be adding this book to my school's library collection in September as I know my students will adore it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada & Tundra Books for the ARC.

Thank you to Terry Fan, Eric Fan, Devin Fan and Net Galley for giving me an ARC to review.

When you first open the book you immediately are drawn to the uniquely drawn illustrations. They are cute and bring a sense of life to the characters. While the overall plot of the story was great, I struggled to stay engaged in this story. When I read this book to my five year old son, he loved looking at the illustrations but wasn't able to grasp the underlying lesson within the story. I think this book would be better suited for kids maybe 7 and up.

The Fan brothers strike again!! Another really fun picture book about finding your place in this world. So original and creative, this picture book was absolutely beautifully illustrated and the story had a very fun "dystopia for kids" vibe. Barnaby is so cute and tries to find a true home despite the threat of being replaced by a cooler "Rainbow Barnaby" pet. All about belonging and self acceptance, kids will love this book!

I heard a lot of good reviews about this book. It was for my 9-year-old I didn't think he was going to like it at first.. He said he really enjoyed it, and kept asking me questions before I could even get the book finished because he was so curious about it. At 100% kept his attention and that is very hard to say for him either me reading it to him or him reading it his self..

Barnaby is a perfect pet, an elephant/mouse hybrid with just a touch of flamingo. He is well-loved until a shinier, striped version of Barnaby premiers on TV. Barnaby becomes neglected and then becomes an accidental runaway.

The story started out as a typical ‘what happens to toys/stuffies/pets when something better comes along’ but took a nice turn when Barnaby goes feral. Overall a nice story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this DRC.
#BarnabyUnboxed! #NetGalley