The Proud Button

by Danette Richards, Annelies Vandenbosch (Illustrator)

An inspiring story about believing in a magical button and, more importantly, about believing in yourself. For children ages 5 years and up.

Isabelle is a shy little girl who loves to play. While everyone plays or works together, Isabelle always stands aside. When she gets a new button from her aunt, she considers it a treasure. Her special button reminds her to be proud and courageous. With the help of her new button, Isabelle begins to see that making friends isn’t as scary as it seems.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 14, 2021

Reviews

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Isabelle is a shy little girl who’s afraid to talk to her classmates. She’s worried they might say no to her or dislike her. She spends time playing alone and collecting little treasures. When Aunt Nancy sends her a special button for her proud collection, Isabelle calls it the proud button.

Her mother sews it onto her favorite coat, and Isabelle finds that it’s not that hard to talk to others and make friends. She has the best day of her life and realizes that she won’t know what others will say until she asks the question.

The illustrations are really cute and playful. I love the leaves dancing in the wind and the special glitter of the proud button. I do wish the text size was a bit bigger.

To sum up, The Proud Button is a good book to teach kids that it’s okay to take that step and make friends with others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Clavis Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#ClavisPublishing #NetGalley

[Anita Salát · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabelle is me, aged around 8-10.

I wasn't super shy but I had no friends, exactly like Isabelle. It would have been great to have a magic button. Actually, even as adults it is important to remember to be proud of ourselves, to be brave enough to take certain steps in life, towards other people. If you do not ask the question, you have no chance of hearing YES in return. This is a great message of this children's book.

The font size could be slightly bigger, but the illustrations and the overall coloring of the book are stunning!

I am thankful for NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for this Advance Reading Copy.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shyness can keep us from making friends and enjoying different activities. Isabelle is such a girl and she discovers that she is so much more. A little button that she can wear to remind her to be brave from her aunt, she has a new found confidence found in a beautiful button.

By making friends, Isabelle learns what is important.

If you son/daughter is suffering from a lack of confidence, this may be a good resource to have to discuss ways to build confidence. Lack of confidence can bring anxiety and isolation to a child.

A special thank you to Clavis Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Caroline D’cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read this for fun because I have no children yet to read it to. But the message of the book is so clear, true and encouraging not only too small kids like Isabelle but even too many teenagers or adults who are introverts and take time to make friends or mingle with other people. I liked how something small like a button gave Isabelle the courage to make friends.

A good book to read to your child if they are beginning school. The illustration are also very good.

[The Voracious Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Note: I received a free digital review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

Isabelle is a bright and curious little girl who keeps a jar full of special treasures which she protects as if it were a pot of gold. She lives a happy life for the most part but she is sad because she has a lot of trouble connecting with other kids her age and making friends. Sometimes it’s easier for her to work alone in class or stay in her bedroom admiring the treasures in her treasure jar than it would be for her to work with others or to venture out and play with other children.

One day when Isabelle arrives home from school, she has a letter and a present from her Aunt Nancy waiting for her. The present is a yellow porcelain button her aunt found in a field near an abandoned button factory in France—and it is christened Isabel’s Proud Button—proud because she takes such pride in caring for her treasures.

The notion of taking pride in things you care for strikes a chord in Isabelle. Perhaps, she thinks, she can treat herself and the people around her the same way she treats her treasures. And maybe, just maybe, this will help her make friends who will value her back.

Isabelle’s Proud Button gives her the courage to do just that, and soon she is connecting with others and learning the joys of friendship.

The Proud Button is a wonderful story that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It teaches (or reminds) us that there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in the things you own but that it’s much more important to care for the people in your life because your stuff can’t love you back.

The Proud Button is due to be released on September 14th, 2021 by Clavis and is now available to preorder wherever books are sold.

This review also appears on my blog The Voracious Bibliophile at https://thevoraciousbibliophile.com.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book                 


This inspirational book is a must read for kids who are shy and reserved and find themselves holding back and not wanting to pursue the friendships that they long for.  

Isabelle is a sweet little girl who is very attached to her special treasures she keeps in her treasure jar.  

" I don't want the treasures in my treasure jar to be my only friends. I want to make real friends too!" 

She is apprehensive to step out and try to make friends on her own.  She feels scared and nervous and afraid of rejection.  Then one day her Aunt Nancy sends her a new button as gift and Isabelle names it her  proud button.  Her mom sews it on her favourite coat and Isabelle uses it for a very special purpose... one that allows her to bravely approach other kids and make them her friends.  I wonder what magic lies in that button to allow her to do that? 

The illustrations are colourful, full of emotion, and beautifully done.  Isabelle is a very lovable character ( I especially love her glasses ).  Readers find themselves cheering her on in her pursuit of connecting with others and making real human treasures as her coveted playmates.  Her amazing new proud button gives her self confidence and Isabelle is proud of herself.  She comes to the realization that friends are just like her special treasures in her treasure jar, but even better!  I highly recommend this book. 

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for an advance e-ARC to review. This is a sweet story about gathering courage and confidence to build friendships and put yourself out there with other people. The proud button is a physical token of that bravery, a little reminder that you have something special to add to the lives of others when you strike up a conversation.

Only one moment took me out of the story, when our main character Isabelle suddenly has a long quote, "Mom, I want to be happy with myself and not just my special treasures. I want my classmates to treat me with care, and I want to treat them with care too. This button will remind me..." this keeps going and my ARC copy didn't have an end quotation so I just thought it unlikely the little girl would be quite so literal in summing up the big messages and themes aloud like this. Otherwise, I think it's wonderful that she realized she wants to make friend connections in addition to her more solo hobbies of collecting special trinkets.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read The Proud Button with my 5 year old granddaughter and we had mixed reactions. The book starts off well, introducing us to Isabelle, a sweet, but extremely shy little girl. She wants to play with others but is too shy to ask or approach other kids in her class or neighbourhood. One thing Isabelle does is collect treasures. Her aunt sends her a special button for her collection, so her mom sews it on her coat. It reminds Isabelle that friends are a treasure and she should not be afraid to approach them. She takes her advice and has a wonderful day. My granddaughter had lots of suggestions and said she would be her friend (she is not shy in the least). She didn't understand what the button had to do with making friends and even though I tried to explain it to her, she had lost interest in the story. She liked that Isabelle had friends by the end. The illustrations were cute and added to the story. Not sure if I would recommend this one or not.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabelle is a young girl with many treasures, but not so many friends. While she wants to make friends, Isabelle is scared of putting herself out there and not finding the friendship she seeks. Isabelle learns what it means to be proud of something when her aunt sends her a new button to add to her collection of treasures and once she learns what it means to be proud, she takes pride in herself and finds the confidence to make friends. This book shares a great message that will be beneficial when read to any shy or insecure child who wishes to make friends.

I adored the illustration style of this book. They drawings were cute and very colorful, with a lovely color palette. There wasn’t too much text on each page (though I wish the font was a bit larger), which will make it a perfect book for story time.

Thank you to NetGalley & Clavis for the eARC.

[Joy (Books with Joy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Proud Button
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Danette Richards
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Children's Fiction
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• A charming story about friendship and self-confidence.
• The accompanying cute illustrations and vibrant colours keeps the audience engaged throughout the story
• Great for young children who may benefit from discussions on building confidence, making friends, etc.

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• Some of the texts were against colours and textures and therefore may be difficult to read for some

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: anxiety, confidence

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: young children, especially shy children, children making new friends

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞.

[Melanie Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for allowing me to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This book is about a shy girl who really wants to make friends, but is afraid to take a chance. However, when her aunt sends her a special button she learns what it means to be proud of who she is and have confidence in herself.
As an elementary teacher, I loved this book! Such an important message, and one that children need to remember. I felt for Isabelle throughout the book, and really wanted her to take a chance and put herself out there with her classmates. My heart went out to her! Such a great book about making new friends for the beginning of the school year to encourage kids to be confident in themselves and overcome shyness. Her parents were very supportive and wise. The illustrations were well done, too.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for a global audience, yet by an American author, this has a clear message that a little bit of private pride and oomph can make any shy young girl a popular friend to many. The illustrator, from the Low Countries, certainly gives the book the feel of Clavis volumes that generated in Benelux, as so many do, but this distinctive look only helps it stand out on the shelf. It's a simple tale, where our heroine gets given a button dug up from a factory's waste spoil (don't ask) that joins her private treasures, and makes her confident enough to engage with classmates for the first time. She and the book are really quite cute – it's a shame the font size didn't match the clarity of the message at times, being rather shy itself and not immediately easy to see.

[MookNana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoughtful, uplifting story about gaining the confidence to reach out and make friends. Isabelle struggles with shyness and fear of rejection even though she wants to befriend her classmates and join in the fun. When she receives a special button from a supportive aunt, she uses it as a reminder that the joy of friendship is worth the risk of putting one's self out to try to connect.

I would have liked to see a bit more focus on how Isabelle overcame her timidity outside of relying on the "magical" button, but generally speaking this is a good story for kids to hear and it could inspire some great conversations about confidence, empathy, and the value of friendship.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful and heartwarming story of friendship and self confidence. It follows s girl named Isabelle, a timorous little girl afraid of making friends. Her parents assure her eventually she'll make friends but she is scared of rejection. Isabelle is fond of collecting treasure but longs for friendships.

One day her aunt Nancy sends her a special button and it changes everything. Read how this special button makes Isabelle realise her fear had no actual reasoning.

With vividly colorful illustrations, this book was an absolute delight to read. A very thoughtful message for everyone (including the introverts) to step out of their doubts of making friends. It also teaches the importance of self-confidence and boosting it.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting this book to be about making friends. Isabelle is lonely and has no friends. She is terribly shy and afraid to talk to others. That is, until her aunt sends her a special button because she knows how proud Isabelle is of her treasures. This button gives Isabelle confidence to speak up and make new friends. It is well thought out and the lesson is not overly preachy. The story is really nice, but what really makes this book are the illustrations. They are a perfect match. They are bright and colorful when they need to be. They give the book life, and make it seem real rather than just a story.

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely children's book which has a really heartwarming and touching story about a little girl called Isabelle who is shy and unable to meet friends, but once she is gifted a golden button, which she calls her proud button, she becomes more confident and she uses the button to help her to speak to her new friends. The illustrations of the book are nice, but it is the story which I loved the most, especially at the end. It really touched my heart when Isabelle found her confidence.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geen zin om het boek in het Nederlands neer te zetten, vandaag heb ik continue reCAPTCHAs dus echt geen zin meer. In dit superleuke boekje ontmoeten we een meisje dat graag vrienden wilt zijn met haar klasgenootjes... maar ze durft het niet, ze weet niet hoe. Ik vond het zo sneu, vooral omdat het me heel erg aan mij deed denken. Helaas, in tegenstelling tot dit meisje, werkte een knoopje of iets anders niet. Maar het zou zeker tof zijn geweest! Ik vond het leuk dat voor dit meisje een object werkte en ik was aan het juichen dat ze eindelijk het lef had. Goed zo!
Mooie illustraties~

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabelle is an ordinary girl but shy and afraid to fail with others. A simple gift from her aunt encourages her to take the chance and try to make friends. And it works! Wonderful book!
The illustrations by Annelies Vandenbosch are simple, eye-catching and very well done. The language of the text is suitable for reading with young people and excellent for ESL.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Clavis Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Emma book blogger Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely children’s story about Isabelle who is very shy and frightened of making friends. Her family help her to be brave and she finally gets the courage to make friends. This story would be good for children to read when they starting new school it may help them to try make friends. The illustrations are pretty and the writing style is easy to get into.

[Lellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sweet children's story about overcoming social anxiety and gaining self confidence to put yourself out there and make friends at school. I like that the parents let Isabelle figure it out on her own. The illustrations are nice as well.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Cherry London · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, sweet Isabelle was a shy little thing, she had lots of things she calls her treasure, but sadly she was a lonely little girl. She wanted to have fun with her schoolmates, but she was afraid to speak to them due to her shyness. This book tells of Isabelle’s struggles and how she found her courage.

[Sheldon D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely journey for a young lady that is looking for friends. This book teaches that confidence can be found in the smallest objects and that it is okay to be proud of yourself! What a great story to empower young children.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great way to share the message of making friends. It really shows the old adage that you must be a friend to make a friend. I’ll be buying this book for my school library and our counselor and teachers will love it!

[Liliana Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book with beautiful illustrations, which talks about the importance of friendship, but also about self-confidence.

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Clavis for a free digital copy.

A beautiful picture book about friendship and stepping out of shyness. The illustrations are so cute and the message is so sweet.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about confidence and making friends and needing some social skills and confidence in herself to accomplish the task. An aunt sends her a special button from her travels to wear. SEL.