Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc. | NorthSouth Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review. This is one of the books I picked up for Camp NetGalley 2025! #campnetgalley

This adorable story features nine diverse children who change, grow, and celebrate important moment together. I really enjoyed seeing the different backgrounds highlighted and the ranges of physical abilities represented.

I read this with my *almost 3 year old and he was very engaged throughout the story.

The illustrations were superb. They were colorful and eye-catching. The story was quick, pleasant, and it was clear my child enjoyed the rhymes.

I loved the diversity featured throughout the story and especially enjoyed the authors note in the back explaining their choice for why they went with the number 9.

There are nine children born on the same day. They are all born in different types of families and live different lives. This children's book is an excellent addition to the library and your home library.

***What I thought and what my 2-year-old thought***

Story/Plot

I thought the story was done well; it had my two-year-old completely engaged in the story.

The word nine was repeated on every page. I bring this up because this is an excellent story for parents or even teachers when teaching numbers to kids. It also teaches diversity—how not all are the same. There are many other points that I can bring up about how this story is an excellent teaching material. The story is short and has a sort of rhyming aspect to it, so that really helps to promote early readers. The best part of the story as an adult is the author's note about how changing the norm of promoting the perfect ten. I think this is an extremely powerful message.

Illustrations—

The art was more of an older style, almost like a watercolor style. The art was very eye-catching to my two-year-old. It gave the whole book a nostalgic feeling. If you took the words away from the page, the art still told the story, which is good for children that cannot read yet. It helps the child follow along with the story while someone is reading them the words. This can also help the child connect the story to the images.

Overall, this would be a great addition to any child's library.

9 Little People is a beautifully inclusive and heartwarming picture book that quietly celebrates diversity, kindness, and belonging. Through gentle rhymes and tender illustrations, we meet nine children—each born on the same day but from different walks of life. Whether they come from varying cultural backgrounds, family structures, or live with different abilities, each child is shown as equally loved, valued, and worthy.

The story’s message is simple yet powerful: our differences make us special, and love connects us all. With soft, whimsical artwork and a calm, rhythmic flow, this story is perfect for little ones an—ideal for bedtime or cozy read-alouds.

Thank you to NetGalley, Regina Feldman, and NorthSouth Books Inc. for the ARC—I truly enjoyed this lovely read.

A wonderful story about diversity through the lens of friendship. Gorgeous illustrations! I highly recommend this one.

9 Little People by Regina Feldmann is a sweet and beautifully illustrated book that celebrates diversity and friendship. I enjoyed the language and whimsy as well. Recommended.

9 Little People is a beautifully illustrated book about the way our communities shape us into who we are. I thoroughly enjoyed looking through the different pictures, and I'd imagine a child/toddler would enjoy this aspect as well. My biggest issue with this book was how tiny the writing was on each page, as well as how badly it blended in to the background of lighter colors (like clouds). This could be an issue only with the ARC and the NetGalley eReader, but I genuinely had to squint and zoom in on the pages where this issue occurred because the text was so hard to read. If the text were in black, all of these issues would be resolved.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

9 Little People by Regina Feldmann is a rhyming picture book about nine children who are born on the same day. With minimal prose and colorful imagery, the pictures are allowed to speak for themselves to tell a story about family and friendship.

I really loved how the prose emphasized that the families on the page are different and the children all lead very rich lives. There’s an Asian mother in a wheelchair, a Muslim family, Black families, a single mother, a Queer family, and more. When people are arguing that there is only one kind of family that is ‘good,’ books like this are so important for the children who come from families who don’t fit that narrow definition to be able to see themselves.

The art is very cute and has a lot of soft lines and colors. There’s a roundness to the shape of the human characters that helps add to that softness. This is the kind of picture book that I think young children might find easy to copy when they pick up a pencil to try their hand at freestyle art and I love it when picture books have that kind of style. It doesn’t make the art simple; it makes it accessible in another way.

I would recommend this to guardians of young readers and educators looking for picture books depicting a variety of families and young readers who prefer rhyming picture books.

9 Little People is a short fun read showcasing a range of cultures and diversity. I read this to my 4yo and it held his attention throughout. The art style is attractive and colourful. Great little book suitable for pre school children.

9 Little People is a sweet and simple story that gives a great message to young readers about how people may be different yet so same. The illustration complements the story beautifully.

What a cute and short book - but beware, it sparks young minds to discuss and make up their own stories for each of the 9 Little People as well as ask many many questions with every single page! It's a great book to have a discussion and teach about diversity and empathizing with others. The book is very colorful. So many little details to take notice of and talk about. Would definitely recommend this book for friends and classroom settings. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book as an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Love the art, love the message for kids, something I would read when babysitting or to my own future kids

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc. for providing an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

My son and I read this together and enjoyed it! It is an adorable and sweet book about friendship among tiny humans from different families, cultures, abilities. We're all different and that's beautiful.

I'd recommend this book to any parent with little ones, and to classroom libraries.

I love the author's explanation of her choice of 9 little people. This book is a beautiful ode to a generation of littles who can grow up to be more empathetic and diverse than ever. The diverse representation in this book as well as the rhythm reminiscent of “Everywhere Babies” make for the perfect read aloud for little kids to engage in and explore.

"9 Little People" is a story that follows nine children from diverse backgrounds and cultures
as they grow up together and form a lifelong friendship. I liked that this story is about bringing everyone together and also celebrating differences. The rhymes were sweet and fun to read aloud to my toddlers, and the illustrations were vibrant and eye-catching. The short story is probably most appropriate for children ages 0-2, but this is a book that everyone from all walks of life can enjoy. Overall, a great children's book!

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars ⭐️

9 Little People is an absolutely heartwarming and essential read for children. This beautifully illustrated story follows nine little people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, reminding us that while we may all look different, we’re all sharing this world together. It delivers a powerful and timely message: no matter where we come from or what we look like, we can be best friends and show love to one another.

As an elementary school teacher, I can confidently say this will be a must-have in my classroom. It’s the kind of book that not only engages young readers but also sparks meaningful conversations about empathy, inclusion, and kindness. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is really good for younger kids. It is super simple but I love that it represents different ethnicities and that all people can do the same thing no matter how different they are.

9 Little People is a heartfelt ode to childhood, identity, and friendship. Regina Feldmann’s gentle rhymes introduce nine children born on the same day, each nurtured in different families, each endlessly unique—and yet all united in friendship, belonging, and shared joy.

Martina Stuhlberger’s warm, richly textured art showcases diverse skin tones, and a variety of family structures, all of which invites a slow, deep look.

In her author’s note, Feldmann explains her choice to feature nine children instead of the traditional ten—a decision inspired by her own child’s thoughtful question: “Why does it always have to be ten?” It’s a poignant reminder that completeness isn’t about numbers, but about inclusion. Her reflection also acknowledges the painful legacy of older rhymes and how this book aims to undo some of that harm, particularly toward Black and Indigenous communities.

Verdict: A thoughtful, loving rethink of childhood norms—smart, subtle, and full of heart.

Lovely colour palette, great rhyming. I loved the rhythm of the book and how we saw all the children developing over time. Great representation and diversity.

Such a lovely book!
I read this to my kids (5yo and 1 yo) and they liked it very much.
And the illustrations are soooo cute.

we really liked this book, this is a sweet and inclusive book. because it talks about friendship, family; you will find about empathy, love.
You will see how the kids -different for another- grow up and changes together.
This book shows how each family is different, how everyone is different from each one, and how important is every single one.