Let’s Look, Not Touch

by Kateryna Dronova, Valeriia Pertiia (Illustrator)

Wherever Mom and her boy go—beach, park, or brook—the curious child loves to stop and look. From frogs that leap to turtles that clutch, Mom always smiles and says, " Let’s Look, Not Touch."

But when a birthday surprise pops up just right, will Mom's rule change on this special night?

Let’s Look, Not Touch is a rhythmic read-aloud picture book for kids that celebrates a child's curiosity, teaches respect for wildlife, and shares the gentle lessons of patience and care. With its repetitive refrain and heartwarming message, this book makes learning about nature and animals an adventure—and builds a love of wildlife that lasts a lifetime.

Perfect for bedtime reading, early learning classrooms, and families who love exploring the outdoors together.

Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2025

About the author

Kateryna Dronova is a children’s writer who loves turning imagination into playful and heartfelt stories. Growing up surrounded by rich traditions and storytelling, she draws inspiration for her tales that nurture curiosity, courage, and kindness in young readers. Kateryna believes books can spark magic in every child—and she writes to share that wonder.

Reviews

[Amethyst Maxey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came at the perfect time as my 2 year old wants to touch everything. It’s been a challenge to teach him. This was a cute book but it should’ve kept with the theme of touch and not catch. Otherwise it was a cute book and my son enjoyed the pictures.

[Paula Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This was a good read that held my daughter attention from the beginning to the end I’m looking forward to reading more from this author

[Kameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.



Kids are inquisitive, and how they learn about the world changes over time. Babies and toddlers explore through touch. Their brain sends a signal instructing them to touch and feel everything. While some objects are safe to touch, others are not. Let’s Look, Not Touch is a rhythmic story that follows a mom and her little boy as they explore different locations, discovering new friends in nature, and learning to observe without touching. The beautiful story teaches young kids to respect nature and be kind to all living things, important lessons to begin learning at a young age.

Join the mom and son as they observe a starfish that has washed up on the beach. Teach kids to be mindful of snakes and spiders, especially when you don’t know whether they are poisonous. Take this engaging book to the park and feed the birds like the characters do in the story. Reminding kids to follow the book’s mantra: “Let’s look, not touch.” Listen to the frogs’ croak and watch as fireflies light up the night sky. Again, helping kids remember these four words: “Let’s look, not touch.” There is so much more to see and explore in this wonderful tale. The mom prompts the child to keep their hands away from certain animals and bugs, but there’s one animal the mom says yes they can touch. Read the story to find out what it is!

Kids do learn by touching objects, but they also learn through repetition. Repeating “Let’s look, not touch” in daily routines reinforces understanding of what is safe to touch and what should only be observed. I recommend sharing Let’s Look, Not Touch with your baby and/or toddler, especially before heading outside, to help instill respectful exploration habits early on. It’s beautifully written and illustrated. I even found the spider cute, and that is an amazing, artistic feat! My only small change, in the overall great story, would be the presentation of text. Placing the text on a solid color or less busy section of each page would make the words pop more. It was still a great read, though, and deserves four stars!


(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)

[Anne Fly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pure magic—so incredibly cute, warm, and beautifully written!
From the very first page, my son was completely captivated. He kept pointing at the illustrations, eyes wide, asking the sweetest questions about every single animal. We ended up having the most wonderful conversations, learning so many lovely things together while giggling and cuddling on the sofa.

It’s rare to find a children’s book that is this perfect blend of heart-melting charm and gentle learning. The story feels like a big, cosy hug, and the animals are drawn and described so adorably that my little boy now wants to “meet them all in real life!”

We honestly adore this book—it’s already become our favourite bedtime treasure.
Kateryna, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for creating something so special.
We are counting down the days until your next story—we can’t wait to fall in love all over again!

[Abigail L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever chased a frog, poked a bug, or tried to “just hold it for one second,” this book is calling your name!

I had the BEST time reading Let’s Look, Not Touch—it’s like a mini-adventure with adorable creatures popping up on every page, from starfish at the beach to sneaky little lizards by the riverbank.. As a spunky reader who loves cute chaos, I was rooting for this curious kid the whole way, even while Mom kept reminding him to slooow down and just look (relatable!). The rhymes are catchy, the art is super bright and happy, and honestly, it made me want to go outside and explore immediately. Kids will love it, parents will love it, and nature will thank you for reading it. 🌿✨

[Heather Tall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read your beautiful book to my little daughter, and she was completely enchanted!
She keeps asking me to “show her ALL the animals in the story without touching them” (her exact words!), and she’s bouncing with excitement wanting to do the same magical thing that happens at the end.

This story brought us so close together—snuggled up, laughing, gasping, and feeling pure wonder. It’s one of those rare, lovely books that creates real heart-to-heart moments between parent and child.

We absolutely can’t wait to buy all of Kateryna’s stories and fill our bookshelf with more of this magic. Thank you for creating something so special! ❤️

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s Look, Not Touch is such a sweet and gentle picture book that follows a curious little boy and his mom as they explore beaches, parks, forests, and ponds, discovering starfish, snakes, frogs, fireflies, turtles, and more along the way. I loved the rhythmic, sing-song phrasing on each page and the consistent refrain — it felt comforting and made it easy for kids to join in. The soft, colorful illustrations really bring every creature to life, and I appreciated how the story teaches respect for wildlife without being heavy-handed. As someone who enjoys nature myself, I really liked how this book captures that sense of wonder while reminding kids to admire animals safely.

[Jacqueline Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a wonderful time reading this book, smiling all the way through! The illustrations are beautiful, captivating, and perfectly show each moment of the boy’s curiosity and discovery with his mom. It’s a tender and gentle story that young children will easily relate to. It was really heartwarming to see that, in the end, there was someone very special the boy could finally touch.
I’d also like to add that this story inspired me to reflect on how everything beautiful that we can’t hold in our hands, we hold in our hearts — and keep forever in our memories.

[Sally Wilsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's Look, Not Touch by Kateryna Dronova

This is a cute story about a little boy and his Mom.
They go different places like the beach, park, pond and more. Each time the little boy asks if he can touch a creature and Mom says no,
It goes on with a surprise in the end.
This is a great way to open dialog on what is safe to touch and what is not. For younger children it is a nice way to introduce animals to them.
The illustrations are cute and sure to capture any child's imagination. I especially liked the spider.
This is a good story time story.

[Hamzah Tarzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book for kids! My son learned so much from it, especially the importance of being cautious and always asking an adult before approaching any animal. The illustrations are beautiful, clear, and really help support the learning message. It's also a wonderful rhyming book that makes reading fun and engaging. Highly recommend for young children!