Kirkus Review

Poppy the Pufferfish has a party problem! Poppy has agreed to go to a birthday party for Baby Guppy. But Poppy is worried. Parties make Poppy nervous and prompt a series of what ifs. "What if I wear the wrong hat? What if I bring the wrong gift? What if I swim around with a big pink glob of cupcake icing on my face and no one tells me?" Although Poppy attends the soiree and is greeted warmly, the other fish are exchanging hushed whispers. Has Poppy done something wrong? No, but there definitely is a party problem, and it's one that Poppy is perfectly equipped to solve. For all Poppy's fretting, the humorous solution thrills Baby Guppy and makes Poppy the star of the party. The minimal text contains a pleasing sense of repetition as Poppy worries over and over about the same what ifs. The book's small trim size makes it ideal for one-on-one reading; caregivers can snuggle up with little ones for a read-aloud and help young readers work through their own nervousness about new experiences. The eye-catching fish are varied and brightly colored. Most illustrations show the fishy characters highlighted against colorful ovals reminiscent of a goldfish bowl. An appealing tale to help little ones grappling with anxiety. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.