With Winslow’s bravery and Rosie’s cleverness, the duo has already collected specimens of insects, leaves, fungi, and more. But with just enough room for one more item, they set off into the forest to find the perfect addition to their collection. They find plenty of extraordinary things on their journey, but none of them seem quite right. They return to their treehouse and work through their feelings of disappointment, only to discover that something extraordinary was right under their noses the whole time.

The Collectors is a wonderful female-led adventure tale with lots of STEM and nature talking points, but what I really loved about it was the way it handles the disappointment of not achieving a goal. As someone who was a perfectionist as a child (okay, and maybe a little bit as an adult, too), I often put so much pressure on myself to achieve a goal that I missed out on the experience of achieving it. This is a wonderful resource to discuss “failure” with young readers, particularly young girls who often feel the weight of perfectionism early on.

The illustrations are absolutely wonderful! Even with so much to look at on each page, the muted neutral color scheme reminded me of the minimalist warmth of a museum, and I wanted to peruse the girls’ treehouse for hours.

The Collectors is available today wherever books are sold, including Bookshop and Amazon. (Please note: Some links provided are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to receive a small commission for recommendations at no cost to you. This commission is used to maintain this site and to continue bringing content to you. I always appreciate your support!)

Alice Feagan is an illustrator based in Colorado, and The Collectors is her authorial debut. Please visit her website at alicefeagan.com to learn more about her and her work.

Thank you to Kids Can Press for providing me with a review copy of The Collectors. I absolutely adored this one!

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