Many of us spent so many months inside hidden away from others that reemerging is an anxiety inducing event. And that is exactly what it is for Pina. They have run out of cheese and the only way to get more is to walk down the road into town and to the cheese shop. The task is daunting but doable and with a little anxiety busting can be repeated. The story is a great one that is heavily needed in our current times. The illustrations are phenomenal. It’s hard to tell if they’re drawings or clay figures or anything else. It reminds me of Oscar worthy short story illustration. And I would love to see this turned into an animated Oscar story

Pina is a really fantastical book, almost other worldly in its illustrations. Some of the illustrations looked like photographs! I loved the techniques used by Pina to calm himself down about going outside- these are great for fear and anxiety.

As someone who despises leaving her house, I found this book absolutely enchanting. Much like Pina, I like staying home, in my cozy house with my soft blankets and warm comfort food. And again, much like Pina, I find that when I finally do venture out, it isn't as scary and horrible as I have made it in my mind and I have a lovely time.

Pina is a lovely story about learning to overcome the things that scare you and about finding the joy in whatever situation you are in. The illustrations for this book were just so cool; richly colored, they often felt like the stop-motion cartoons of my childhood and that made it extra special. There is so much to see in each illustration that will add so much fun to the reading of the story as you search out what is in the background.

Overall, this was absolutely delightful and I loved every second of it. I cannot recommend this one enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elif Yemenici, Sidney Wade - Translator, and Publishing Spotlight/Tilsbury House Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pina is the story of a little creature who loves his home. He has books, art, plants, and good food to keep him company. But one day, he finds he needs to venture outside into the big, scary world. At first, Pina is terrified and does not want to leave the comfort of his home. Pina uses coping skills to help himself calm down and is very brave in deciding to do something that is past his comfort zone, such as going outside, venturing farther, and even talking to people. He decides in the end that some good adventures can start outside the home. I really like how the author used multiple coping skills to help Pina get through what gave him anxiety rather than just relying on a single tactic. The art style was interesting, there was a lot to look at and the visual medium is interesting.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.