Thanks to Atmosphere Press and NetGalley for the chance to read Sydney, Bean, and the Missing Gloves ahead of its release on January 28, 2025.
This heartwarming tale follows Sydney, a lovable Labrador Retriever who tries her best to live up to her breed’s brave reputation—even though she's secretly afraid of being left home alone. When mischievous little Bean is adopted into the family, Sydney feels uncertain about sharing her space and her humans. But when a precious family heirloom disappears and Sydney gets blamed, the two pups must team up to find out what really happened.
This is a great story about fear, trust, listening, friendship, and what it means to be part of a chosen family. Young readers (and dog lovers of all ages!) will appreciate the gentle humor, relatable emotions, and uplifting message that bravery isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you grow into.
Perfect for fans of heartfelt animal stories, sibling dynamics, and cozy mysteries with a tail-wagging twist.

This children's book was an absolute delight! It's rare to find a story that's both charming and genuinely meaningful. And this one hits all the right notes. The way it gently explores big feelings like fear and power of asking for help is just brilliant. This book did such a great job telling the story in a gentle way for kids.

This is what really stood out to me:
- It was how the characters learn to work together! It's such a sweet and effective way to show kids that teamwork makes everything better. Plus, the illustrations are fantastic! They really bring the characters to life and add so much personality to the whole experience. I found myself smiling at every page.

Sure, it's perfect for story time with toddlers. But to be honest, anyone will love the heartwarming message and pure joy this book brings too. It’s a quick, fun read that leaves you feeling good. And I highly recommend picking it up!

----------
NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone's perspective. Thank you to Netgalley and Atmosphere Press for giving me the opportunity to read this early.

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

A fun, easy read with cute illustrations about a dog who gets a new sister and a mystery to solve. I thought this was a great introduction to reading mysteries and has a great family dynamic.

My daughters really liked this silly story about a dog family, especially my older daughter who loves dogs and only kind of likes her little sister. :)

Mediocre story with too complex a vocabulary for the target audience, this features a family dog, Sydney, gain both a baby sister and a task to solve when the human mother's gloves go missing and Sydney becomes a suspect. The text kind of bodges the whole bravery thing, which is key as the hound is one that likes to shred things during thunderstorms, as seem to happen daily here, allowing the whole thing really to turn into the adventure of rescuing pup Bean, which again isn't great in the telling. Two and a half stars.

As the owner of a dog named Sidney (who we affectionately call Sidney Bean), this book was an obvious choice for my 7yo son and I to read together. It turns out that our Sidney and the book’s Sydney are very much alike as they’re both anxious during storms and struggle to be brave.

I thought this was a great book for young elementary-aged readers who are starting with chapter books. There are five short chapters with a few pictures sprinkled throughout. I also thought the topics and lessons (bravery, friendship, working together, etc.) are also relevant for this age range.

Overall, I would recommend this book for young readers either to read on their own or with an adult. The cat is the “villain” so it may be better for dog lovers.

The target audience for this is kids so I’m rating this based on my son’s positive feedback.

I was wondering which age group this book is targeting. Cute dogs looking for a pair of missing gloves - this sounds like age appropriate for toddlers or small kids. However, this is not a picture book (lots of pictures with little copy) but a novel with five chapters to read out with only one picture per chapter. That suggests an older age group. And the story involves topics like anxiety of being alone, big sister responsibility, false friends, getting trapped. I have mixed feelings about this one.

This book is about a dog who wants overall to be brave but is having a hard time living up to the great expectation, on the good side I'd like to say it's good for young children who want to be brave but are not quite sure how, the downside I did not especially like the drawings ( personal preference of course )
And it being in chapters and with a little bit more text than I expected was a nice surprise so is perfect for younglings who are making that transition for an all picture book to a more "grown up" book without being to difficult.
Thansk to NetGalley and the author for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute, but kind of long and text-heavy for new readers. I think children who are into animals would probably enjoy it. The one thing I wasn't crazy about was the villianization of the cat. As a cat owner (but also dog lover), I'm not sure I'd want my nephew to get the idea that cats are evil. Plus, it's kind of a tired stereotype. That said, it was still a sweet book for children around 6 years old.

My little one (3) has been experiencing difficulty with daycare drop-offs and separation anxiety. I discovered this one as an ARC in search of books to help him build confidence. Although I initially had reservations about it being a chapter book, fearing he might not enjoy it, it turned out to be highly engaging for him. We have been reading it almost every night since I received it. This book has helped him understand that he is courageous and capable of accomplishing tasks with the support of teamwork and friends. He has learned that he does not always need me. Daycare drop-offs have shown considerable improvement. I highly recommend this book for all ages.

A heartwarming little story about two adoptive age-gap sisters growing on each other through an adventure.

Accompanied by lovely art with a cozy style, both the cover and the illustrations in each chapter.

I only found it too stereotypical at times:
- Cats are the enemies of dogs, especially stray cats.
- An unnecessary remark about black cats bringing bad luck.
- Labradors are meant to be brave.
- A German Shepard who’s a retired police dog.
- Rottweilers are aggressive.

But hey, on a positive note, some disability rep:
- One dog has a guide/service animal (a ferret) because of his aggression problems. (Well, he’s not showed to be aggressive, only says that his owners think so.)
- Sydney has an intense fear of thunder and lightning, which goes as far as her needing to stim whenever it’s about to rain – in dog’s manner that’s digging up holes and burying objects.

~

Thank you to Atmosphere Press for an e-RC.

-10.04.25

This is a sweet, slightly longer read-aloud about bravery, sibling bonds, and the unexpected adventures that come with new family. Animal-loving kids will enjoy the cozy illustrations and fun cast of furry friends helping Sydney find her courage.

This is a cute story that follows Sydney who struggles with being brave as she gets a new little sister puppy (Bean). They go on the hunt for their mom’s missing gloves, and Bean goes missing. Sydney has to be brave as she goes on a little adventure to find her sister with the help of some friends.

The story is cute but it is a little long. The story seems best for ages 4-7 but they may not be able to read it on their own. Maybe better to read this one together.

The story was cute but it was a bit of a long read for a board book. There was a bit too much filler. I didn’t enjoy the villainizing of the cat. The illustrations were nice but seems like every other book.

Sydney, Bean, and the Missing Gloves by Janice Collins is a pawsome tale. This is a beginner chapter book that can be read independently or with an adult. It is a great book to talk about anxiety and working together with others. The sequence of the story flowed well and the illustrations are really sweet. This is a darling book for all young scholars and especially ones that love dogs.

Squirrels and birds and ferrets, oh my!
Sydney is an only pet who suffers from some anxiety when staying home alone or in storms. Sometimes Sydney does things she doesn't really want to do, like rip clothes and buries them in the yard. The family brings Bean home as a sister for Sydney. That's where the adventure begins! When Bean goes missing on her search for their moms missing gloves, Sydney receives some support and help from the neighbourhood dog community to rescue her!
Sydney realizes that she loves Bean and she's not as scared with her around and together they find the lost gloves!
Absolutely adorable story with incredible illustrations. Perfect for the animal lovers out there and sends such a sweet message of acceptance and community.

I think that the overall plot and idea of this book was great!! The chapters were broken up perfectly, and the timing of the book made a lot of sense. Additionally, all of the characters were so unique and fun, and I loved that the author made sure to have the focus of the story only on the animal characters. The characters also had specific personalities, and no two characters were the same. It was also a clever idea for the author to make the "villain" a cat when all of the other characters were dogs. This takes a common trope, but the rest of the story made the overall book different from the others. Lastly, the moral of this story was great. It was clear and young readers will easily be able to understand the point that the author is trying to get across. Overall, this is a perfect book for kids that are just starting to read chapter books. Bravo!

Just like children, dogs are often frightened of the unknown. They may try to appear brave but, well, aren't. This book does a lovely, subtle job of showing young readers that it's okay to be afraid, asking for help isn't a weakness, and, finally, that working together to solve problems is the best approach. It does this via the story of Sydney, the Labrador Retriever, and her unexpected new little Labrador sister, Bean. Sydney does her best to accept Bean but isn't happy about it, even when Bean swears to be the best little sister ever. Much to Sydney's surprise, comforting Bean seems to also comfort her and she manages to sleep through a storm. Then, uh-oh, mother's beautiful pearl gloves have gone missing. It seems Sydney has had a problem with shredding and burying such items when scared, so she's the natural suspect.

That's when the story really takes off. Bean knows Sydney didn't do it as Sydney slept right there beside her all night. Bean vows to help Sydney find the gloves. Unfortunately, Bean is naive and soon falls pry to the wily neighborhood cat. It's never quite clear why Monty the junkyard cat sets out to trap Bean but the motive of bullies isn't usually really known, either. Sydney recruits help as she searches for Bean, help that includes Sgt. Riley the retired police K-9. Again, the idea that having help when you most need it isn't a weakness but a strength. Wait till you find out why a ferret is part of the group. Heck, even some squirrels and birds get involved. Love the sweet nod to a baby's first tooth via the baby bird's first lost feather. In any case, while I'm not sure how Monty managed to trap Bean, it's fun to see the group come together and work to save her.

Bottom line, a cute, fun read, though would have probably targeted a bit older audience although it'd work as a read-aloud, too. The illustrations were well done, showing personality, and add to the feel. The teacher in me liked the subtle use of the dogs to show how young children may feel and act, not to mention work together towards a common goal, in this case saving Bean. And, oh, let's not forget the bonus benefit that helps Sydney when they finally return home. Thanks #AtmospherePress for sharing this sweet introduction to Sydney and Bean, not to mention all their friends and, okay, even Monty. That junkyard cat is surely not done playing with the doggie's minds.

This story is so cute! A wholesome tale about a dog getting a little sibling, looking for something lost, and guiding the new puppy through new adventures!! My only complaint would be the lack of Oxford comma on the cover- but that’s a minor thing!

This really doesn't feel like an independent reader but it's a cute story. It's hard when you suddenly have a new sibling, but Sydney helps Bean when the cat tricks Bean and traps her.
Helping Bean and spending time with her helps Sydney feel better too. The pictures are cute and I loved how they had photos of real dogs at the beginning. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this