In a Nutshell: A picture book about a little girl and her pet snake. I read it mainly to see how snakes could be appealing as pets because I am firmly against the idea. 🥴 Good story, great illustrations. A nice option for kids looking for a story of friendship and reptilian fun. Did I like the book? Quite. Did I change my mind about pet snakes? Heck, No!

Plot Preview:
Little So-Hee, an only child, is quite lonely. Because of her allergies, she cannot play freely, and she can’t even have furry pets. So when she spies a pet shop with non-furry options, she discovers Lowy, a ball python. Though her neighbours are wide-eyed at seeing Lowy, they soon get used to the little girl and her slithery pet. But one day, Lowy goes missing - Eeks! 😳

There are two reasons I cannot fathom a snake being kept as a pet.
1. I’m terrified of reptiles! For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can have snakes and lizards as pets. I mean no judgement against them and I am totally in awe of their guts. But give me a dog or a cat over a snake or a bearded dragon. *shudder!*
2. Snakes aren’t meant to be pets! Just because some animals are docile doesn’t mean they should be brought inside our homes. From a conservation point of view, keeping any reptile or other exotic species like axolotls as pets can spell disaster for their numbers.
So just to be clear, I read the book willingly, but I am against the idea of exotic animals as pets.
Now for the book review.
My main reason for grabbing this was to see if there is any appeal to snakes as pets. Well, Lowy is quite a cool snake. She plays with So-Hee, she chills on the recliner soaking up the sun, she even rides along with So-Hee on her cycle. (So all the positives are cute but fictional.) But Lowy also has the bad habit of disappearing. Or perhaps I should say, Lowy has the habit of doing what’s in her own best interest, which sometimes means that she leaves So-Hee and wanders off. The onus of responsibility should be on So-Hee and her mother; Lowy can't be blamed.
The story is fun to read. So-Hee and Lowy have a strong bond, and it shows in the writing as well as the graphics. I love how So-Hee genuinely cares for Lowy, even though she can't always guess what her pet wants. There are many comical scenes that are bound to generate giggles. Some things are farfetched, but hey, it’s a children’s picture book; it is allowed some slack in the realism department.
That said, I wish the ending had been better handled. It felt too rushed and leaves some details without explanation.
The vocabulary level is quite manageable, and the text is in legible font and well-spaced out on the page. Quite easy on the eye.
This book might encourage kids to consider getting a snake as a pet, and if so, the responsibility is on parents to make sure that they are ready for the long commitment. (Way more than a decade or two.) Don’t dump the poor snake in the wild if you can't handle its feeding or caretaking!
The illustrations are outstanding. (The illustrator and the author are a husband-wife team.) So-Hee and Lowy are cute enough. But the background detailing on every page steals the show. I especially loved the depiction of the apartment complex where So-Hee lives with her mom. Most picture books show single houses, so it was amazing to see a book showing a housing complex with multiple residents. We get a nice peek into multiple neighbours and their windows. 10 stars for the illustrations! (Any illustrator who can make me view a snake with fondness deserves extra credit.)
Overall, I liked the story enough, but my natural reservation against the idea of exotic animals as pets got in the way of my enjoyment. This picture book would work for kids aged 2-7 years.
3.5 stars.
My thanks to Two Lions for providing the DRC of “So-Hee and Lowy” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Only child So-Hee is lonely. Allergic to most everything, a friend in the form of a pet seems out of the question. But then Lowy, a cheerful yellow snake enters her life. No longer lonely, So-Hee is gently coaxed out of her shell by the antics of Lowy, and makes even more friends along the way. This is a cute story about making friends in the most unlikely ways

This picture book by award-winning husband-and-wife creative duo, featuring a young Korean American girl named So-Hee and her friendship with a yellow python named Lowy, addresses what it means to feel “different” and how just one friend can make a difference. How beautiful is that message?!

What a gem of a book! The illustrations are wonderful and so detailed. The story, with the main character suffering from allergies requiring a pet without *ahem* fur finds herself owning and loving a snake 🐍.

I love the focus on community and that it’s ok to be different. So-Hee and Lowy is such a wonderful book with such a great message! I will be saving this on the shelf for my grandson.

Thank you to Netgalley, Two Lions Publishing, @annakangbooks, and @christopherweyant for the complimentary copy.

This is a terrific story about the transformative experience of owning a pet - it is so positive and the illustrations have a gorgeous palette that fit perfectly with the characters and scenery. I especially love the details that are happening throughout the lively city scenes - it is a book you will definitely see something new in each time you read it. So-Hee and Lowy rule!

Such a cute children’s book! So-Hee is a young girl with allergies who can’t have a typical pet—but ends up with a python instead! This story beautifully captures the special bond between a child and her pet, while showing the unique adventures that come with having a not-so-ordinary companion. The artwork is absolutely adorable, and it’s a perfect read to share with a child.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this sweet story!

This story is so cute! Not all kids can have fluffy animals due to allergies and this story shares what that can look like.
I hope to get a copy of this for my school's library when it is published. Such a cute story!!

Super cute children’s book that my daughter liked. We have reptiles, two ball pythons and a bearded dragon. I will say that pythons do not need heat lamps, owners use heating mats to keep them warm. Aside from that the story was good.

3.5⭐️
This was a cute and unique book about a girl with allergies who has a hard time fitting in who finally finds a pet she isn’t allergic to: a snake! She and her pet snake have many adventures together and ultimately she finds friendship through her pet. The story was meant to be very simple, but it felt a little choppy/rushed in parts where a few more words/sentences could have helped. I thought it was nice that the pets included were not your typical pets, making the story more unique. The illustrations were well done and help connect the story where the words were lacking.

"May you find that special pet one day"

This book just killed me with kindness,
art and story was just perfect... loved it!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7180175635

Even kids with allergies can have pets. It turns out that since snakes don't have fur they can be great pets. When I was growing up, some of my friends had snakes as pets, and they loved them as much as anyone could love a pet. This fantastic little book is easy to read and has wonderful bright illustrations. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

So-Hee and Lowy is a cute nearly wordless picture book. So-Hee suffers from allergies, but desperately wants a pet. Her mom lets her get a pet snake, BUT in true snake form, the snake is a bit of an escape artist. In between trying to track her snake down, So-Hee also has some great times with it. I love the way this book presents the realistic nature of snakes as pets (many species are actually very calm and docile, although they will take opportunities to go adventuring), which also addressing the fact that many people still fear them. The illustrations are absolutely adorable and I think young readers will be very drawn to the story.

This is a book that would be great for preschool or kindergarten age children!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

This was fun and simple. Not really any plot but the art is cute and it has a cute end note. I feel like sometimes non-plot stories are fine, and sometimes they don’t carry themselves with just cute vibes. This was the former. Cute but very lukewarm.

Absolutely love this story!!! It is definitely a must buy for my library. This heartwarming story about a girl and her unconventional pet will have you feeling so warm inside. The author includes so much in so few pages, with a highly allergic only child main character who feels alone at the beginning of the story, building a friendship with a adorable snake (and I'm really not a snake person), and through this pet finding human (and Tortoise) friends as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book

This is a charming book about a girl and a snake. I don't know about some children, but when I was younger, I was terrified of snakes (and I am still somewhat scared of them today!). So this book may be good to read to children who are terrified of snakes. It could potentially teach children that snakes really aren't as scary as they seem. Furthermore, this teaches children about animals. and also important life lessons about friendship. I also must say that I found the illustrations to be delightful and eye catching.

This book was so helpful with explaining differences with each other, As a professional School Counselor it was easy to use and process allergies, not feeling like they fit in and be included! Love it!

This story had really cute illustrations but the story didn’t flow very well. Yes it’s meant to be simple but it should feel connected. It needed a few extra sentences to connect why So-Hee now had friends.

This was a very cute book!! The illustrations are very pretty and I love the pets that aren’t your typical ones! I also love that it came full circle at the end to show she wasn’t alone and she made a friend with a common interest - that could be called out a little more obviously!!

Kid review: I liked that one. I have a special pet too.
Mum review: this was a nice story about a little girl who starts off lonely, but gains a dear pet snake and a bit of a community. I thought it was nicely told and had good illustrations.

Very cute. Story is fun, funny, and engaging! Artwork is bright, colorful, and helps move the story. I would love to see further adventures with the snake. Maybe even a chapter book.

I am a 37 year old woman who is bawling her eyes out because So-Hee made a pet-friend, who helped her make human-friends.

This was so adorable! I especially loved the illustrations!

Everyone deserves a pet-friend and love!