Sam’s New Sister (Norman the Button Book 4), by Michelle Olson

 

Absolutely adorable. What a delight! 

Even more importantly than its adorableness, "Sam's New Sister" captures some of the ordinary worries of children, from dealing with a new sibling to feeling like an outsider in one's own family. Children will be captivated by Sam's troubles while adults will perhaps have a wistful smile as they read with a child. Both can enjoy the story as Sam, so accustomed to being the center of attention, suddenly feels displaced by the arrival of a new, "adopted sister", Maggie. 

I'm betting lots of us have at least wanted to run away from home at one time or the other, too, so that's a universal theme. I mean, come on. Even we so-called adults sometimes wish we could run away from home. I had to grin remembering one of my own "runaway" experiences, venturing no further than the apple orchard you could see from about every window in the house but feeling like I'd gone into exile forever at the time. Sam opts for, well, a distant place from his snug craft box, the edge of the counter. How that brings Sam and his little sister Maggie together is a sweet, relatable tale I'll leave for readers to discover.

I have to admit, I adored the illustrations. While many children's books are illustrated by drawings, these seem to be photo-like renditions of the action being described. Sam's button family lives in a cozy craft box, surrounded by everyday "crafty" items. My favorite, I think, was the "beadball" hoop, made using a thimble as the hoop. It'd make a fun activity to see how many items you can spy as you read. While many children may not be familiar with them all, I bet many adult readers will be. The yarn alone made me itch to reach out and touch its softness. 

I really want to know more about how the author, who is also the illustrator, created the illustrations. They most definitely spurred both my curiosity and ideas to try for some creative photography with the help of my computer. Thanks so much Michelle Olson for asking me to read and review this book. It definitely won't be my last Button Family visit.