What a great book! Eye catching pictures, super cute designs, and easy to understand instructions. I love that the author has provided qr codes to videos. I can't wait to start my first project!

This is a super cute collection of small amigurumi patterns, ranging in difficulty from beginner to moderate skill level. For the simple patterns, many are in the same general shape with some small modifications, which would be great for a beginner wanting practice. I’d caution that, while this book does give some basic instructions, I think the patterns are suitable for beginners to amigurumi rather than beginners to crochet.

I thought the instructions were clear, and I love when patterns are written in a continuous round so that you don’t get a seam up the side of your design. My favorites are the shark and the turtle. Very cute!

This is a really fun book with so many cute critters to make! The book does say that these patterns start out at intermediate-beginner just as a heads up. This means a knowledge of basic stiches is needed to get off the ground running with these patterns. There are so many tips and tricks as well which is great! The patterns are easy to follow, and again, so many amazing options to try!

I will be the first to admit I am not a crafty person whatsoever…however, this book could convince me to give crocheting a try! I enjoyed how for each animal pattern, there was a set of notes outlining the important parts for what you were about to see as far as steps. And then each major part of the pattern was broken out into steps. This is helpful for beginners like myself who might get overwhelmed otherwise.

Also, how cute are those animals!! My personal favorites were the duck, otter family, and fox. This was a great guide and good read!

This was an excellent book. It was well-written. I would highly recommend this book. It's very easy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This book has the cutest animals to make! My kids cannot wait to maked every single one. The directions are extremely easy to follow, with pictures in the beginning to show you how to make the knots. There are many different animals to choose from, as well as alot of different combinations. This is a great books for beginners or even advanced knitters.

This is a great book for learning how to crochet stuffed animals. Easy to follow and explained very well. Would recommend if you are just starting to try crocheting animals.

I love crocheting, so this felt like a real find!

The instructions are clear, with step-by-step photos and QR codes linking to videos — super convenient. I especially appreciated that the projects vary in difficulty, from beginner-friendly to more advanced, and include not just common animals but also unique ones like an axolotl, capybara, and sea otter.

Perfect for both beginners and those looking to try something new in amigurumi.

The most adorable crochet critters I've ever seen. I LOVED the formatting in this book, as a novice crocheter it's really important to me to have step by step photos and visuals to follow. The abbreviations can get overwhelming. I also noticed the author has video tutorials on youtube! So cool. I read through it only, but I look forward to attempting my own crochet critters! Highly recommend this for fellow yarn hobby-lovers.

Amigurumi Critters features a unique range of crochet patterns! I really enjoyed that there were many animals I haven't commonly seen patterns for such as the capybaras, which are adorable. You can tell that Amy understands how word-y and difficult written patterns can be to follow and she does an excellent job making sure that the instructions were clear and that the important points were well highlighted. This is certainly not for people who are just learning to crochet, but if you know your basics it's a great resource. I wish there were a few more progress pictures throughout, and reading on dark mode made it difficult to see everything at all times.

The instructions are great: clear and concise, and all the animals are super cute! I first made the shark and the sloth and both turned out amazing!

As a left handed knitter-crocheter, its always hard, wait impossible for me to find books for lefties. That being said, I have adapted over the years. I'm always critical of the instructions because as a lefty, everything is a mirror image as well as how we handle needles and hooks. I really enjoyed this book and its instructions. They were clear, concise, easy to follow and I have enjoyed creating little critters for my niece and nephew! Yay!!

This book is a great resource when learning how to do different amigurumi figures. It is well-organized with recommended materials, special terms, and any techniques for the project. All of the critters look cute. I'm excited about Merlin the frog and the turtles!

this is so cute and so fun. very detailed, providing tips and tricks to help you creating seamless little critters. it lists everything you'll need and why certain tools/materials are useful. even has pictures and detailed descriptions to keep you on track of how your project is supposed to look depending on your preference. really great for beginners!

i love to crochet, especially when i'm mentally overwhelmed and need a little peace. this book is very easy to follow and allows you to enjoy the process, which makes you excited to simply create and have FUN. even though my "Koa the Koala" & "Shredder the Shark" looks a little wonky thanks to my doggos distracting me, i love them. haha!

while it is beginner friendly, it also caters to those who are also experienced in crocheting. the helpful tips, tricks, and little insights to certain methods really sold me! even though i've crocheted for years, i've only ever really done simple projects with simple patterns. this allowed me to experiment and feel more confident in trying new things.

all in all, i HIGHLY recommend. i can see myself gifting this to family and friends who crochet. or even gifting completed critters!

a big THANK YOU to Cider Mill Press for providing me with an advanced copy via NetGalley. i leave this review voluntarily. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've been crocheting since I was about 8. I learned from my Nana and then I learned from books like Klutz. I love these books for their clear illustrations for showing exactly what to do.

This book has a lot of wonderful and cute patterns for making cute little critters. There are more photos in this book to help with technique. They are clear photos that take up a lot of space in the book. This is such a god send for learning. It truly starts with basics and specific amigurumi terms and answers many questions in a great and clear way.

Most books might stop with the photos but not this one. There are photos for just about every unique part for the different critters. Seeing this would give me a little confidence boost when making things just to check to see if things are coming along right.

Give it a shot! Try making and learning a new craft.

p.s. The second one will always look better.

I love to crochet and already own quite a few crochet pattern books, so I was so excited to receive an ARC copy of this one! The patterns are easy to understand with lots of photos and description. There are many unique patterns that I am looking forward to crocheting including Taffy the Axolotl, Samson and Scout the Spiders, and Nelly and Nelson the Sloths. Thanks NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is great! The animals are adorable with great designs, and the instructions on how to make them are very clear to me and easy to follow. How the book is designed is also very cute and fits the vibe of the animals.

I think this book is also suitable for people who have not crocheted that long, because there are some great tips and tricks in it, and some great explanations on why you should do things a certain way. And, like I already said, it's very easy to follow. That is great for when you are not experienced enough for complex patterns!

I really recommend this book if you like to crochet!

I just started crochet a couple months ago, and I don't work on it all that often, but this is super useful! The images are wonderful and easy to understand making it easy to follow and learn new stitches. It has information for all levels of learning. I am super excited to continually use this to help make little critters!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC
⭐️=5

thoughts: this was so fun! very cute patterns and helpful tips—I’ve been crocheting for a few years and am pretty experienced, and I still found some of them helpful. the instructions were clear and concise with helpful pictures when necessary. highly recommend, especially the panda!

Amigurumi Critters by Amy Ting is a highly informative crochet pattern book that stands out for its thoughtful organization and charming character design. While it doesn't include traditional beginner-level patterns, it’s still an excellent resource for anyone just getting into the world of crochet, especially those eager to dive into amigurumi.

The patterns are clearly grouped by skill level: intermediate-beginner +, intermediate, and experienced. This makes it easy for readers to pick projects that match their comfort zone while still offering a clear path to skill progression. There are around four patterns in the intermediate-beginner + range and four in the experienced category, making it well-suited to intermediate crocheters overall, with 19 other patterns.

What really sets this book apart is how educational it is. Amy Ting doesn’t just give you step-by-step instructions; she explains why things are done a certain way. These helpful blurbs provide valuable insight into the logic behind each step, which is especially useful for newer crocheters who want to deepen their understanding.

The book is packed with helpful tools and resources: a hook size chart, guidance on yarn, pins, and needles, and even detailed explanations on techniques like the magic circle, including pictures and a link to a video tutorial. It also covers essentials like identifying the right side vs. the wrong side of crochet work. I’ve been crocheting for five years, and I still found new tips and tricks in this book.

The variety of animals makes flipping through the pages a fun and surprising experience. Each critter has its own name and backstory (like Sheldon and Neville the capybara twins, whose motto is “There is always good in life if you look for it”), which adds a layer of whimsy and personality.

In short, Amigurumi Critters is a great pick for intermediate crocheters and a valuable resource for ambitious beginners. With clear instructions, thoughtful explanations, and irresistibly cute characters, it’s a great choice to grab off the shelf.