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Appletree Animal Agency #1
The Appletree Animal Agency
The first book in a new series by award-winning creators Katya Balen and Gill Smith, featuring heart-warming adventures for readers who love animals.
When Mattie wishes on a shooting star for a puppy, she knows her wish is hopeless. Her dad just doesn't believe Mattie is responsible enough to look after a puppy. She finds the next best thing when she and her friend Zoë start helping the new vet and animal rescuer, Dr Polly. Mattie still may not have a pet of her own, but she has amazing adventures rescuing a runaway ferret, trying to stop a greedy goat from eating everything in the garden and looking after an adorable puppy with a hurt paw. But as the animal rescue gets more and more crowded, Mattie, Zoë and the vet's son, Casper, realize that they need to do something more. Can they help the animals find their forever homes?
When Mattie wishes on a shooting star for a puppy, she knows her wish is hopeless. Her dad just doesn't believe Mattie is responsible enough to look after a puppy. She finds the next best thing when she and her friend Zoë start helping the new vet and animal rescuer, Dr Polly. Mattie still may not have a pet of her own, but she has amazing adventures rescuing a runaway ferret, trying to stop a greedy goat from eating everything in the garden and looking after an adorable puppy with a hurt paw. But as the animal rescue gets more and more crowded, Mattie, Zoë and the vet's son, Casper, realize that they need to do something more. Can they help the animals find their forever homes?
160 pages, Paperback
Published March 6, 2025
About the author
Katya Balen
30 books219 followersKatya Balen is a British author of children's literature. She was born in 1989, in London. Her novel
October, October
won the 2022 Carnegie Medal. Her work has also been nominated for the Branford Boase Award and the Wainwright Prize for Children's Writing on Nature and Conservation.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 4, 2025
In a Nutshell: A wonderful middle-grade animal adventure story. Amazing plot, diverse human characters, adorable animals, great life lessons, excellent illustrations. Much recommended!
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Plot Preview:
This isn't my first Katya Balen novel. I have read four of her books so far, and in each of them, there are some features you will find consistently: relatable child characters, realistic emotional struggles, amazing animals, and excellent nature descriptions. In fact, she is among the few children’s fiction writers who pays so much attention to natural imagery even when writing a character-driven book. I simply love the vividness of her writing. This book is no exception.
The content reminded me of the wonderful animal adventure stories by Enid Blyton I used to read in my childhood. This has the same old-world charm, partly because the story is set in a small village filled with loveable characters, many of whom seem to know each other. All the characters are endearing, and none are shown as perfect. They make mistakes, and they learn from their mistakes.
There are four children with prominent roles in the book: Mattie, Zoe, Casper, and Nate (not as main as the other three.) Each of them has a distinct personality, and I love how the story shows them working together (mostly) in harmony and making the best of their individual strengths. The three main children get an equal role to play in the plot, even though we get the story from Mattie’s perspective. I appreciate this; children’s books where the lead character does everything alone don’t set a realistic standard nor the right example for kids.
There are plenty of important positive values in the book such as sharing, helping/volunteering, respecting your parents’ opinion, making the best of a disappointing situation, persevering towards your dreams, working as a team, and always giving your best even when you aren’t sure of the result. The book also highlights how mere good intentions aren’t enough without a concrete action plan. All important lessons for today’s children.
I would have liked a couple of background details added to the plot. For instance, knowing the age of the children. Little readers are free to assume that a middle-grade book will have middle-grade-aged children, but there is much difference in what a ten-year-old can do independently vis-à-vis what a fourteen-year-old can do.
(Also, a plot-related query I genuinely wanted answered – who was matched with the iguana???)
There is only one parent mentioned for each of the three main child characters. Mattie has her dad, while Zoe and Casper have their respective mums. I suppose this is a new normal in today’s world with so many single-parent families. But I wish there had been some mention of the other parent at least for Mattie. That said, I did appreciate the depiction of the parents. None of them bend over backwards for the children but present a good balance of friendly plus firm. At the same time, they aren’t shown as flawless adults. Mattie’s dad has a habit of repeatedly calling her too whimsical, which he doesn’t mean as an insult but it affects her self-confidence – a good lesson here for parents (and kids) here to stop labelling anyone negatively.
As the title and the cover indicate, there are many animals in this book, and not just the usual dogs and cats. Little animal lovers will enjoy the escapades of the creatures, especially the adventure with the ferret and the antics of the goat. Of the Katya Balen books I have read so far, this is the only one that has so many comical scenes. Her stories are usually more on the sombre and introspective side even though aimed at kids. I loved discovering this new aspect of her writing.
The book is peppered with gorgeous B&W illustrations on every page. All the sketches are rich in detail and elevate the reading experience even further.
This is the first of a planned animal adventure series, and based on this amazing initial experience, I would surely love to read every future book that the Appletree Animal Agency will be a part of.
Much recommended! This middle-grade story will be a delight for little and not-so-little animal lovers. It would work wonderfully in homes as well as classrooms, and also be a great gifting option.
4.5 stars, happy to round up.
My thanks to Walker Books for providing the DRC of “The Appletree Animal Agency” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Mattie’s dad loves his only daughter but doesn’t believe her capable of handling responsibility. As such, Mattie’s deepest desire of wanting her own puppy stays unfulfilled. As a relentless animal lover, she finds solace by helping the local vet and playing with her friends’ pets.
When there’s a new vet in town, Mattie and her best friend Zoe both volunteer to help Dr. Polly, who also happens to be an animal rescuer, and her son Casper navigate the chaos of handling so many rescue animals, and maybe even to find forever homes for them. But is Mattie responsible enough to handle such a big task?
The story comes to us in Mattie’s third-person perspective.
This isn't my first Katya Balen novel. I have read four of her books so far, and in each of them, there are some features you will find consistently: relatable child characters, realistic emotional struggles, amazing animals, and excellent nature descriptions. In fact, she is among the few children’s fiction writers who pays so much attention to natural imagery even when writing a character-driven book. I simply love the vividness of her writing. This book is no exception.
The content reminded me of the wonderful animal adventure stories by Enid Blyton I used to read in my childhood. This has the same old-world charm, partly because the story is set in a small village filled with loveable characters, many of whom seem to know each other. All the characters are endearing, and none are shown as perfect. They make mistakes, and they learn from their mistakes.
There are four children with prominent roles in the book: Mattie, Zoe, Casper, and Nate (not as main as the other three.) Each of them has a distinct personality, and I love how the story shows them working together (mostly) in harmony and making the best of their individual strengths. The three main children get an equal role to play in the plot, even though we get the story from Mattie’s perspective. I appreciate this; children’s books where the lead character does everything alone don’t set a realistic standard nor the right example for kids.
There are plenty of important positive values in the book such as sharing, helping/volunteering, respecting your parents’ opinion, making the best of a disappointing situation, persevering towards your dreams, working as a team, and always giving your best even when you aren’t sure of the result. The book also highlights how mere good intentions aren’t enough without a concrete action plan. All important lessons for today’s children.
I would have liked a couple of background details added to the plot. For instance, knowing the age of the children. Little readers are free to assume that a middle-grade book will have middle-grade-aged children, but there is much difference in what a ten-year-old can do independently vis-à-vis what a fourteen-year-old can do.
(Also, a plot-related query I genuinely wanted answered – who was matched with the iguana???)
There is only one parent mentioned for each of the three main child characters. Mattie has her dad, while Zoe and Casper have their respective mums. I suppose this is a new normal in today’s world with so many single-parent families. But I wish there had been some mention of the other parent at least for Mattie. That said, I did appreciate the depiction of the parents. None of them bend over backwards for the children but present a good balance of friendly plus firm. At the same time, they aren’t shown as flawless adults. Mattie’s dad has a habit of repeatedly calling her too whimsical, which he doesn’t mean as an insult but it affects her self-confidence – a good lesson here for parents (and kids) here to stop labelling anyone negatively.
As the title and the cover indicate, there are many animals in this book, and not just the usual dogs and cats. Little animal lovers will enjoy the escapades of the creatures, especially the adventure with the ferret and the antics of the goat. Of the Katya Balen books I have read so far, this is the only one that has so many comical scenes. Her stories are usually more on the sombre and introspective side even though aimed at kids. I loved discovering this new aspect of her writing.
The book is peppered with gorgeous B&W illustrations on every page. All the sketches are rich in detail and elevate the reading experience even further.
This is the first of a planned animal adventure series, and based on this amazing initial experience, I would surely love to read every future book that the Appletree Animal Agency will be a part of.
Much recommended! This middle-grade story will be a delight for little and not-so-little animal lovers. It would work wonderfully in homes as well as classrooms, and also be a great gifting option.
4.5 stars, happy to round up.
My thanks to Walker Books for providing the DRC of “The Appletree Animal Agency” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
March 12, 2025
4.5 stars
One Liner: Can it get any more adorable? I think not!
Mattie Robins loves animals, birds, and all furry/ winged creatures. She wishes for a puppy on a shooting star hoping her dad would agree to get her one.
Lo and behold! She finds a pup that needs some help. When a new vet arrives in town with her son and a lot of rescue animals, Mattie and her bestie Zoe, volunteer to help. With so many animals that need rescuing, they need to find a way to rehome the cuties with responsible adults.
The story comes in Mattie’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
I enjoy the author’s stories and knew I had to read this the moment I saw the book. While I’m not an animal lover like these kiddos, I do love animals from a distance and want them to be safe, healthy, and happy.
The book starts with Mattie in her treehouse which is a proper home with a functioning kitchen! Of course, she lives with her dad in a normal brick home but this place is her haven.
As the story progresses, we meet more people and many, many animals! From rats to ferrets to tortoises and several kittens, you can pick the one you want. I have to mention Liquorice the jackdaw and his penchant for stealing shiny things.
There are four kids in the book. Mattie and Zoe are best friends with opposite traits. Mattie is a whirlwind and Zoe is a proper planner. That girl and her color-coded charts; I love organized kids! Casper is fun and responsible, and soon becomes a part of the group. Though their ages are not mentioned, they are illustrated, so I put them around 8-10.
Naturally, kids do fight and have arguments. But they apologize and accept their faults, which I 100% approve. The same goes for adults who realize their mistakes and apologize to kids or make amendments.
Since this is middle-grade, all adults in the book love animals even when the little ones are being unruly monsters. Not realistic but well, we need an example of how one can react in similar situations. I’ll take it.
As you can guess, the book ends on a happy note with a promise that there will be more adventures to follow. After all, animals need rescuing and loving homes.
The font is neat and aptly sized. There are several black & white illustrations throughout the book. These are either pencil sketches or a blend of pencil and charcoal. The rough lines and shading work perfectly to enhance the vibe and make the story even more endearing. The artwork aligns with the content on the pages. We see the kids and some adults with the animals again taking the spotlight. I love those little posters and forms. So cute!
To summarize, The Appletree Animal Agency is a beautiful, adorable, and lovely book about kids, animals, and responsible adults. I’d be delighted to read more books in the series.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Walker Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #TheAppletreeAnimalAgency
One Liner: Can it get any more adorable? I think not!
Mattie Robins loves animals, birds, and all furry/ winged creatures. She wishes for a puppy on a shooting star hoping her dad would agree to get her one.
Lo and behold! She finds a pup that needs some help. When a new vet arrives in town with her son and a lot of rescue animals, Mattie and her bestie Zoe, volunteer to help. With so many animals that need rescuing, they need to find a way to rehome the cuties with responsible adults.
The story comes in Mattie’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
I enjoy the author’s stories and knew I had to read this the moment I saw the book. While I’m not an animal lover like these kiddos, I do love animals from a distance and want them to be safe, healthy, and happy.
The book starts with Mattie in her treehouse which is a proper home with a functioning kitchen! Of course, she lives with her dad in a normal brick home but this place is her haven.
As the story progresses, we meet more people and many, many animals! From rats to ferrets to tortoises and several kittens, you can pick the one you want. I have to mention Liquorice the jackdaw and his penchant for stealing shiny things.
There are four kids in the book. Mattie and Zoe are best friends with opposite traits. Mattie is a whirlwind and Zoe is a proper planner. That girl and her color-coded charts; I love organized kids! Casper is fun and responsible, and soon becomes a part of the group. Though their ages are not mentioned, they are illustrated, so I put them around 8-10.
Naturally, kids do fight and have arguments. But they apologize and accept their faults, which I 100% approve. The same goes for adults who realize their mistakes and apologize to kids or make amendments.
Since this is middle-grade, all adults in the book love animals even when the little ones are being unruly monsters. Not realistic but well, we need an example of how one can react in similar situations. I’ll take it.
As you can guess, the book ends on a happy note with a promise that there will be more adventures to follow. After all, animals need rescuing and loving homes.
The font is neat and aptly sized. There are several black & white illustrations throughout the book. These are either pencil sketches or a blend of pencil and charcoal. The rough lines and shading work perfectly to enhance the vibe and make the story even more endearing. The artwork aligns with the content on the pages. We see the kids and some adults with the animals again taking the spotlight. I love those little posters and forms. So cute!
To summarize, The Appletree Animal Agency is a beautiful, adorable, and lovely book about kids, animals, and responsible adults. I’d be delighted to read more books in the series.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Walker Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #TheAppletreeAnimalAgency
March 11, 2025
Can see this being a popular series. One for young animal lovers.
Lots to enjoy here, plenty of children taking control, having influence and with lots of love for and knowledge about the animals they are trying to take care of.
In their little village, Mattie has never been allowed a dog, she's just too zany and irresponsible according to her dad. She wishes for a puppy anyway, on a shooting star, soonafter seeing a stray, and managing to catch it with some clever animal psychology and patience.
Doing the right thing and taking it to the new vet, she and best friend Zoe find the vet and her son are overrun with animals all needing new homes and taking care of. Deciding they will help Dr Polly, they draw up rotas and even plan an event to match animals with new owners... though Mattie only has eyes for the little puppy she saved.
This adventure sees the children taking charge really, readers will love seeing their careful planning and the three main roles taken by children who step up to take responsibility and want the best for a whole range of adorable animals.
Will make a great series following Mattie, Zoe and vet's son Casper in their friendly little village. A quick read with lots of short chapters, a good choice for newly confident readers.
For ages 6-10.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
Lots to enjoy here, plenty of children taking control, having influence and with lots of love for and knowledge about the animals they are trying to take care of.
In their little village, Mattie has never been allowed a dog, she's just too zany and irresponsible according to her dad. She wishes for a puppy anyway, on a shooting star, soonafter seeing a stray, and managing to catch it with some clever animal psychology and patience.
Doing the right thing and taking it to the new vet, she and best friend Zoe find the vet and her son are overrun with animals all needing new homes and taking care of. Deciding they will help Dr Polly, they draw up rotas and even plan an event to match animals with new owners... though Mattie only has eyes for the little puppy she saved.
This adventure sees the children taking charge really, readers will love seeing their careful planning and the three main roles taken by children who step up to take responsibility and want the best for a whole range of adorable animals.
Will make a great series following Mattie, Zoe and vet's son Casper in their friendly little village. A quick read with lots of short chapters, a good choice for newly confident readers.
For ages 6-10.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
May 5, 2025
Well this was a Werther's Original of a book – sickly sweet and very old-fashioned. But also pretty successful for a certain crowd. There is a newly abandoned puppy in town, and animal-loving Mattie is desperate for one, especially if she can rescue it. But however much she wishes for it, the right place for it first is the vet's, as it's got a limp. However one vet has just been replaced by another – and this new one has come with a whole array of animals that need rehousing. Mattie and her friends are determined to help out, for the fun and for the critters' sake, but they also see how over-run they are. Could they – should they – set up a pet-matching service for the summer fete? But there's high drama with a runaway ferret first…
This is so lashings-of-ginger-toms it hurts at times, with such a quaint feel to it. Everybody knows everyone else in this small village, everyone forgives each other absolutely everything, and the children even buy a round of ice-creams for the adult volunteers on the fete. And get all the flavours right without asking. It's an incredibly false and unrealistic look at a sunshine-filled summer holiday, and more importantly is so close to the borderline of encouraging juvenile pestering about pet ownership. I never condone or recommend books that flat out allow the expectation of pet ownership among readers without saying anything about the consequences, and this is so "what's a little pet wee?!" and "nah, broken vases don't matter" that it's really close to dismissal.
But this is abundant with joy and happiness and froth, and a very obvious yet totally heartwarming ending, so it just about gets away with it. I rarely come across something with such a saccharine feel as this these days, and were this a reprint of a read as old as I am I would not have been surprised at all. But among the merits of its joie de vivre is the fact this doesn't read like a Book One – it clearly is the start of a series, but you never get the lapse in energy and drama while the world is set up. No, this makes itself out to be a high-octane yet cosy delight and again succeeds in quite winning manner. OK, many will dismiss this as really too far-fetched, goody-goody perfect, but for those who think grit should stay on the bottom of the budgie's cage, this will charm itself to four strong stars.
This is so lashings-of-ginger-toms it hurts at times, with such a quaint feel to it. Everybody knows everyone else in this small village, everyone forgives each other absolutely everything, and the children even buy a round of ice-creams for the adult volunteers on the fete. And get all the flavours right without asking. It's an incredibly false and unrealistic look at a sunshine-filled summer holiday, and more importantly is so close to the borderline of encouraging juvenile pestering about pet ownership. I never condone or recommend books that flat out allow the expectation of pet ownership among readers without saying anything about the consequences, and this is so "what's a little pet wee?!" and "nah, broken vases don't matter" that it's really close to dismissal.
But this is abundant with joy and happiness and froth, and a very obvious yet totally heartwarming ending, so it just about gets away with it. I rarely come across something with such a saccharine feel as this these days, and were this a reprint of a read as old as I am I would not have been surprised at all. But among the merits of its joie de vivre is the fact this doesn't read like a Book One – it clearly is the start of a series, but you never get the lapse in energy and drama while the world is set up. No, this makes itself out to be a high-octane yet cosy delight and again succeeds in quite winning manner. OK, many will dismiss this as really too far-fetched, goody-goody perfect, but for those who think grit should stay on the bottom of the budgie's cage, this will charm itself to four strong stars.
February 26, 2025
Absolutely perfect start to a new series by an author that I love. Short (156 pages) with lots of beautiful illustrations by Gill Smith. Perfect for those with lower resilience in reading. I pretty much begged Katya's publisher for a copy of this but with them not wanting new reviewers, I was very lucky for the school to win this copy from Toppsta.co.uk.
Mattie and her Dad live in Mossdale. Mattie has always wanted a pet but Dad says no. This night as she sits her her treehouse talking to the wild animals out at night she sees a puppy! But when she gets down it's gone.
The next day when she is with Zoe and her dachshund Heinz, Heinz suddenly disappears. When they find him, he's found the puppy. They have to take it to teh vet - but teh vet garden is covered in animals! Dr Joseph has had to go on leave and his friend Dr Polly is looking after teh practice but she runs an animal rescue. Her son, Casper, becomes friends with the girls but the animals are a lot to look after and they need new homes or Dr Polly can't help any more.
So what can the children do?
The children in this are nice - bit of a boring word - but they are. They are polite to their neighbours and friends: they want to help others and they want animals to be happy. They are good role models!
Mattie and her Dad live in Mossdale. Mattie has always wanted a pet but Dad says no. This night as she sits her her treehouse talking to the wild animals out at night she sees a puppy! But when she gets down it's gone.
The next day when she is with Zoe and her dachshund Heinz, Heinz suddenly disappears. When they find him, he's found the puppy. They have to take it to teh vet - but teh vet garden is covered in animals! Dr Joseph has had to go on leave and his friend Dr Polly is looking after teh practice but she runs an animal rescue. Her son, Casper, becomes friends with the girls but the animals are a lot to look after and they need new homes or Dr Polly can't help any more.
So what can the children do?
The children in this are nice - bit of a boring word - but they are. They are polite to their neighbours and friends: they want to help others and they want animals to be happy. They are good role models!
May 8, 2025
The Appletree Animal Agency is a cute middle-grade children’s book that has an old-fashioned feel to it.
In the story we meet Mattie Robins, a young girl who adores all animals and is desperate for a dog of her own but her dad doesn’t think that she is responsible enough to look after one.
After wishing on a shooting star Mattie finds a stray dog who needs looking after and with a new vet in town who has lots of animals that need rescuing and looking after, Mattie and her friends agree to help out and to find loving homes for the desperate animals.
The book is easy to read and is completely enjoyable. It is beautifully written and the characters are all likeable and realistic. The chapters are short and there are small illustrations throughout.
Overall, for young readers who love animals and want a book filled with adventure and friendships, this would be the perfect read.
In the story we meet Mattie Robins, a young girl who adores all animals and is desperate for a dog of her own but her dad doesn’t think that she is responsible enough to look after one.
After wishing on a shooting star Mattie finds a stray dog who needs looking after and with a new vet in town who has lots of animals that need rescuing and looking after, Mattie and her friends agree to help out and to find loving homes for the desperate animals.
The book is easy to read and is completely enjoyable. It is beautifully written and the characters are all likeable and realistic. The chapters are short and there are small illustrations throughout.
Overall, for young readers who love animals and want a book filled with adventure and friendships, this would be the perfect read.
January 27, 2025
Mattie is a sparky young girl who knows what she wants and is good at executing her plans too! Her friends Zoe and Casper make excellent sidekicks and very good supporting characters.
They love animals, and have plans for the fete and the practice as well as how to get Mattie her dream pet. The animals were adorable, even things didn't go quite according to plan with the ferret, and Luna was my favourite. Mattie's eventual understanding with her father is moving.
Katya Balen is an amazing writer and one whose books I always look forward to! This story was no exception and will be a big hit with readers in the target age group (and beyond!)
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
They love animals, and have plans for the fete and the practice as well as how to get Mattie her dream pet. The animals were adorable, even things didn't go quite according to plan with the ferret, and Luna was my favourite. Mattie's eventual understanding with her father is moving.
Katya Balen is an amazing writer and one whose books I always look forward to! This story was no exception and will be a big hit with readers in the target age group (and beyond!)
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
February 14, 2025
I have always liked a book by Katya Balen with October October being a favourite so I was interested in this book.
This is a fun read, with cute animals in it. I have always found the author to be very versatile in what she writes and she can turn her hand to any age group.
The characters are extremely nice and it will be good for children to see these characters
in books.
I look forward to seeing where the series goes next.
November 15, 2025
I was at a meet and greet with an author and as they were signing my book, we talked about the two different series he has written and I advised that I did have a favourite (and it wasn't the one he was signing the book for). But he did say, that this is what happens when an author has more than one series, people will always have a favourite.
Sadly, this is not my favourite, I prefer the Thames and Tide Club series and that's ok. However, this is still really cute. Well told and beautifully illustrated.
Sadly, this is not my favourite, I prefer the Thames and Tide Club series and that's ok. However, this is still really cute. Well told and beautifully illustrated.
March 9, 2025
Super cute book, My friend and I are super big fans of Katya and as soon as we saw this book for sale in Waterstones, we added to the basket. It’s sweet and has a lovely outlook on things, if you like animals you’re in for a treat! This book is like a warm hug, I now need another new Katya book please! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 19, 2025
I love all of the author's books. She is such a versatile writer that can write beautifully for children from different age groups. This is a story about a group of children trying to help rescued animals. It has such a magical start that it just hooks me right from the beginning.
June 25, 2025
Great little young reader book. Short chapters, plenty of illustrations, fun likeable characters. Can see this being a popular series for animal lovers for the 6-8yrs.
August 5, 2025
Review to follow.
August 9, 2026
Our Little Reader Book Club loved this book and are excited to continue the series on their own.
January 20, 2025
I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
🐶 Mattie was such a fun and cute character and I was rooting for her. I know the feeling of being judged for your madcap adventures, though for most of the book I just saw a girl who had big plans and executed them to almost perfect. The only one that didn’t work out that well was the ferret, but even that one we learn is not entirely her fault. The old man should have warned them that this may happen. Mattie really has her heart in the right place and I love how she immediately went to help out the new vet and also tried to help out with the animals that needed to rehomed. She wanted to give them all a chance and there was no day that she was bored, she just kept going.
🐶 The various animals we meet were adorable! The hamsters of course my favourite, but followed by Luna the little dog that Mattie and her friends found, and the dream dog for Mattie.
🐶 Rooting so hard that Luna and Mattie would be together and that her dad would see that Mattie had some madcap ideas but that she was really trying. It was just so clear that these two had to be together, Mattie had endless wells of love and the dog wanted to be with her.
🐶 Reading about the small town that Mattie and her friends lived in + also read about fete and all that came with that! There were quite a few times that I wished I could just step inside the book and be part of this small town.
🐶 The plan that Mattie, Zoe, Casper made for the fete and for the vet practice! They really thought of everything and while there was a bit of drama because someone immediately got judgemental things went off without a problem after that. I loved seeing them work hard to get the plan to become real, and I absolutely loved seeing the day that everything came together. They really did an amazing job and I I hope that the town loves their new critters.
🐶 That moment at the end with the dad. OMG, I was crying so hard then. I won’t spoiled anything, but I was just so happy.
🐶 The illustrations were so cute!
🐶 Zoe and Casper were fun characters.
🐶 I love that the vicar was a woman! This may sound odd, but most vicars/preachers I know are guys, generally older. So I am delighted that here it is a woman.
🐶 The ending made me smile and now I definitely want more books!
🐶 The kids having a tree house! And not just a small one but a pretty fun decent sized one! As a kid I always wanted a tree house, but sadly my parents’ garden was too small for a tree. And even in my current home a full grown tree is just not going to work, there is not that much room + I am sure the neighbours are not going to be happy with a giant tree. XD
All in all, I had oodles of fun reading this one! A MC to root for, cute critters, lots of fun adventures, and more~
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
🐶 Mattie was such a fun and cute character and I was rooting for her. I know the feeling of being judged for your madcap adventures, though for most of the book I just saw a girl who had big plans and executed them to almost perfect. The only one that didn’t work out that well was the ferret, but even that one we learn is not entirely her fault. The old man should have warned them that this may happen. Mattie really has her heart in the right place and I love how she immediately went to help out the new vet and also tried to help out with the animals that needed to rehomed. She wanted to give them all a chance and there was no day that she was bored, she just kept going.
🐶 The various animals we meet were adorable! The hamsters of course my favourite, but followed by Luna the little dog that Mattie and her friends found, and the dream dog for Mattie.
🐶 Rooting so hard that Luna and Mattie would be together and that her dad would see that Mattie had some madcap ideas but that she was really trying. It was just so clear that these two had to be together, Mattie had endless wells of love and the dog wanted to be with her.
🐶 Reading about the small town that Mattie and her friends lived in + also read about fete and all that came with that! There were quite a few times that I wished I could just step inside the book and be part of this small town.
🐶 The plan that Mattie, Zoe, Casper made for the fete and for the vet practice! They really thought of everything and while there was a bit of drama because someone immediately got judgemental things went off without a problem after that. I loved seeing them work hard to get the plan to become real, and I absolutely loved seeing the day that everything came together. They really did an amazing job and I I hope that the town loves their new critters.
🐶 That moment at the end with the dad. OMG, I was crying so hard then. I won’t spoiled anything, but I was just so happy.
🐶 The illustrations were so cute!
🐶 Zoe and Casper were fun characters.
🐶 I love that the vicar was a woman! This may sound odd, but most vicars/preachers I know are guys, generally older. So I am delighted that here it is a woman.
🐶 The ending made me smile and now I definitely want more books!
🐶 The kids having a tree house! And not just a small one but a pretty fun decent sized one! As a kid I always wanted a tree house, but sadly my parents’ garden was too small for a tree. And even in my current home a full grown tree is just not going to work, there is not that much room + I am sure the neighbours are not going to be happy with a giant tree. XD
All in all, I had oodles of fun reading this one! A MC to root for, cute critters, lots of fun adventures, and more~
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
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