What do you think?
Rate this book
My Island
A young girl imagines a lovely island populated by thousands of birds, where she picnics with her animals, plays games, reads, and collects flowers. You too are welcome on this island, if you know how to dream. Gorgeous, colorful illustrations accompany this gentle yet impactful story that celebrates the imagination of young readers.
24 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
46 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 3, 2019
I jumped at the chance to read My Island the moment I spotted the illustrations. I immediately recognized the work of the fantastic Seng Soun Ratanavanh whose illustrations leapt off the pages of my top picture book pick of 2018, Time for Bed, Miyuki.
Unfortunately, I didn't love My Island nearly as much. There wasn't really any plot to speak of, so the whimsy of the illustrations weren't complemented well. I'd hoped for a bit of a playful story of some sort, but there just really isn't much happening here at all.
I'm sure some children will enjoy looking through these pages -- there is a lot to see. But story-wise, there's so little I can't even comment much.
2 stars for My Island, mostly for the illustrations.
Thank you to NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for providing me with a DRC of this book.
Unfortunately, I didn't love My Island nearly as much. There wasn't really any plot to speak of, so the whimsy of the illustrations weren't complemented well. I'd hoped for a bit of a playful story of some sort, but there just really isn't much happening here at all.
I'm sure some children will enjoy looking through these pages -- there is a lot to see. But story-wise, there's so little I can't even comment much.
2 stars for My Island, mostly for the illustrations.
Thank you to NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for providing me with a DRC of this book.
April 22, 2019
There is no real story here. This children's illustrated book is really just a description of a child's imaginary world. The little girl describing her special place calls it an island; yet the second page drawing shows her inside a snow globe on her 'island'.
The illustrations are vibrant and fun with lots of yellows, fluorescent green and bright reds. Each page has text describing what the illustrations are showing. One about music, another about sharing; but all of it lacks a cohesive reason. And while we are invited to her island to play it is never clear the why or how. Maybe this wouldn't matter to a child. Maybe they only need to have a stepping stone to imagining their own island. For me I need more than that. A little bit of context or actual story is needed.
I personally wouldn't purchase this book as it lacks any real message or meaning to me. The best I can infer from it is that it's about promoting imagination; but that's just not enough. I can't see too many children wanting this one read to them over and over again as there just isn't enough content here to be excited about.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
The illustrations are vibrant and fun with lots of yellows, fluorescent green and bright reds. Each page has text describing what the illustrations are showing. One about music, another about sharing; but all of it lacks a cohesive reason. And while we are invited to her island to play it is never clear the why or how. Maybe this wouldn't matter to a child. Maybe they only need to have a stepping stone to imagining their own island. For me I need more than that. A little bit of context or actual story is needed.
I personally wouldn't purchase this book as it lacks any real message or meaning to me. The best I can infer from it is that it's about promoting imagination; but that's just not enough. I can't see too many children wanting this one read to them over and over again as there just isn't enough content here to be excited about.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
January 2, 2019
Honestly not that good. The illustrations style are unique, that's good, but not really pretty or not for me anyway, which isn't good. The story celebrate the joy of being yourself and happy with who you are I think, but it was tell in a weird way, closer to just get yourself isolated to feel good. I think the intention behind the message was good but the execution and the impression it left behind wasn't really. Didn't like it.
March 26, 2019
Taken in by the colourful cover, I thought I'd give this one a try. It's one of those books with strong illustrations and not very much story. On top of that, the writing isn't great. There's one glaring comma splice at the halfway point that drove me to distraction, and the rest of the text isn't anything special.
The illustrations, however, are beautiful. Using a limited colour palette, Ratanavanh creates a child's fantasy world that includes animals, birds, sea life, and plenty of friendly get-togethers. The addition of some of the elements that look like they're stitched (such as you see on the cover with the title and kite strings) is different and adds a bit more whimsy to the overall look.
I'd recommend this one for the illustrations, but not for the writing. It's a much prettier book to look at than to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for providing a digital ARC.
The illustrations, however, are beautiful. Using a limited colour palette, Ratanavanh creates a child's fantasy world that includes animals, birds, sea life, and plenty of friendly get-togethers. The addition of some of the elements that look like they're stitched (such as you see on the cover with the title and kite strings) is different and adds a bit more whimsy to the overall look.
I'd recommend this one for the illustrations, but not for the writing. It's a much prettier book to look at than to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Princeton Architectural Press for providing a digital ARC.
January 26, 2019
I really wanted to love this book because of its beautiful illustrations, but the story wasn't much of a story at all -- just a series of whimsical observations from a little girl's fantasy world. Its whimsy and art would make it more suited to a board book, in my opinion, because kids who are old enough to handle a book with paper pages will be bored and kids young enough to appreciate a hollow story with lovely pictures will obliterate the book.
arc received from the publisher
arc received from the publisher
November 26, 2021
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.
My Island was mostly disappointing. The synopsis made it sound like we were going to see a girl having adventures, but really it's just a narrator making observations. My Island mentions sharing as a requirement for the island, but doesn't elaborate further. I wish the story had given more details about what happens on the island, and why visitors needed to know how to sing, share, and dream. It was a super quick read, maybe two minutes, and probably not one I will read again.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin' | Amazon | Pinterest
My Island was mostly disappointing. The synopsis made it sound like we were going to see a girl having adventures, but really it's just a narrator making observations. My Island mentions sharing as a requirement for the island, but doesn't elaborate further. I wish the story had given more details about what happens on the island, and why visitors needed to know how to sing, share, and dream. It was a super quick read, maybe two minutes, and probably not one I will read again.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin' | Amazon | Pinterest
April 24, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |
My Island by Stephanie Demasse-Pottier and Seng Soun Ratanavanh is the sort of book that will really capture a kid's attention if they're into pictures and images. Since, typically, that's most children I can definitely see this book being a success to an extent. It's very pretty and colorful, filled with a multitude of exciting animals and definitely gives you a really good picture into the mind of the young girl telling you about her island. You really get the feeling that this is a place she has created rather than one that actually exists.
I loved the artwork in this book, finding it incredibly well done and exciting to see. Each page was bright and beautiful and I really enjoyed seeing all the pieces of this young girl's imagination. The only problem with this book is the fact that I don't quite understand its purpose. Barring showing off that this girl has an imagination and potentially building ideas for a kid, this book really doesn't teach anything. And while I don't think that every single book should teach something, I'm always somewhat disappointed in the children's books that don't.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
My Island by Stephanie Demasse-Pottier and Seng Soun Ratanavanh is the sort of book that will really capture a kid's attention if they're into pictures and images. Since, typically, that's most children I can definitely see this book being a success to an extent. It's very pretty and colorful, filled with a multitude of exciting animals and definitely gives you a really good picture into the mind of the young girl telling you about her island. You really get the feeling that this is a place she has created rather than one that actually exists.
I loved the artwork in this book, finding it incredibly well done and exciting to see. Each page was bright and beautiful and I really enjoyed seeing all the pieces of this young girl's imagination. The only problem with this book is the fact that I don't quite understand its purpose. Barring showing off that this girl has an imagination and potentially building ideas for a kid, this book really doesn't teach anything. And while I don't think that every single book should teach something, I'm always somewhat disappointed in the children's books that don't.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
January 8, 2019
Lovely illustrations, but the story is far too brief, and seemed to have no real point or message to it.
January 3, 2019
2 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley for this Arc Preview.
I think this was supposed to be an inspirational book about being yourself- and doing your own thing... but it was a little bland. I thought the illustrations were the best part of the book. It was way too short with an unclear plot. I was not very impressed and honestly did not think it was that great.
Thank you to Netgalley for this Arc Preview.
I think this was supposed to be an inspirational book about being yourself- and doing your own thing... but it was a little bland. I thought the illustrations were the best part of the book. It was way too short with an unclear plot. I was not very impressed and honestly did not think it was that great.
January 19, 2022
I absolutely loved the illustrations!
February 23, 2019
I absolutely loved this picture book! The illustrations are beautiful and the story is great! Great read-aloud for 3-6 y/o. (Publishing in April 2019.)
February 3, 2019
My Island is a wonderful book for young children. The illustrations beautifully express the story of the little girl. Children who are imaginative, creative, and dream big dreams will enjoy this story! In the classroom, teachers will be able to use it for visualizing and having children create their own "island" of dreams where all friends are included.
January 31, 2019
A simple, dreamy story of imagination paired with Ratanavanh's genius illustrations.
August 24, 2019
Right away, when you see the cover of Stéphanie Demasse-Pottier and Seng Soun Ratanavanh’s picture book My Island, you sense that it will be whimsical, and maybe a little strange. After all, there’s a girl standing on top of an enormous seashell, and there’s a bird on top of her head! What’s happening? She’s also holding kites with stitched threads in her hands. The overall feeling is that this book will require some imagination – and it does, a bit – but it also encourages flights of fancy and dreaming as well. It’s a feast for the eyes and the daydreaming part of your soul.
Do you know how to sing, how to share, and how to dream? Then you are welcome on the unnamed island and in the house found in this book! While the story itself is minimal, it includes just enough detail to go along with gorgeous page spreads full of charming, vibrant detail. Animals, flowers, sea creatures, birds, and more sail, dance, perform, and go to parties on each page. The scale changes again and again, so readers are left to imagine why and/or how certain elements and characters are growling larger or smaller, depending on the circumstance. The constant is the little girl and her chickadee bird friend – you’ll see them adventuring together on every page spread.
Seng Soun Ratanavanh’s art is meticulous, gorgeous, and worth the read alone. Her patterned illustrations create a pencil, watercolor, and stenciled wonderland full of unlikely capers and situations, à la Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Flower garden snow globes, sea snail-back islands and paper boat sailors, picnic basket parties and more are rendered in shades of yellow, teal, and red are all at once charming, inventive, quaint, and marvelously-detailed – so much so that they require long perusal (or multiple re-reads!).
In all, My Island is an ode to the imagination, and is sure to be a hit with children and adults alike.
Recommended for: curious readers ages 4-7 who enjoy magical visuals that prompt day dreaming, and picture book aficionados of any age with a penchant for gorgeous illustration.
Do you know how to sing, how to share, and how to dream? Then you are welcome on the unnamed island and in the house found in this book! While the story itself is minimal, it includes just enough detail to go along with gorgeous page spreads full of charming, vibrant detail. Animals, flowers, sea creatures, birds, and more sail, dance, perform, and go to parties on each page. The scale changes again and again, so readers are left to imagine why and/or how certain elements and characters are growling larger or smaller, depending on the circumstance. The constant is the little girl and her chickadee bird friend – you’ll see them adventuring together on every page spread.
Seng Soun Ratanavanh’s art is meticulous, gorgeous, and worth the read alone. Her patterned illustrations create a pencil, watercolor, and stenciled wonderland full of unlikely capers and situations, à la Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Flower garden snow globes, sea snail-back islands and paper boat sailors, picnic basket parties and more are rendered in shades of yellow, teal, and red are all at once charming, inventive, quaint, and marvelously-detailed – so much so that they require long perusal (or multiple re-reads!).
In all, My Island is an ode to the imagination, and is sure to be a hit with children and adults alike.
Recommended for: curious readers ages 4-7 who enjoy magical visuals that prompt day dreaming, and picture book aficionados of any age with a penchant for gorgeous illustration.
March 6, 2019
A little girl invites others to join her on her island in her little house with her friends provided they are kind and imaginative too.
I absolutely love the whimsical illustration style of this book. It is a little complex in that it is never stated outright that the girl’s house and island are imaginary (though the illustrations hint strongly at this). I think many little readers will be able to figure it out and join in on the celebration of imagination. It would be a great book to use as an example of how an artist can portray abstract concepts in art (or to have older art classes analyze the art for meaning). It’s also a nice little book for the sentiment of open friendship and the willingness to welcome others into play times. Recommended for art lovers, those who like letting their imaginations run wild, and kind hearts willing to welcome new friends into their imaginary worlds.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely love the whimsical illustration style of this book. It is a little complex in that it is never stated outright that the girl’s house and island are imaginary (though the illustrations hint strongly at this). I think many little readers will be able to figure it out and join in on the celebration of imagination. It would be a great book to use as an example of how an artist can portray abstract concepts in art (or to have older art classes analyze the art for meaning). It’s also a nice little book for the sentiment of open friendship and the willingness to welcome others into play times. Recommended for art lovers, those who like letting their imaginations run wild, and kind hearts willing to welcome new friends into their imaginary worlds.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 5, 2019
My Island by Stephanie Demasse-Pottier, illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh. PICTURE BOOK. Princeton Architectural Press, 2019. $17. 9781616898137.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL(K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
A young girl's imagination comes to life in this beautifully illustrated picture book. She has lots to do on her island with birds and snails, and friends occasionally come to visit for picnics. The reader is invited to come too, as long as they understand how to share and imagine.
This is the kind of book adults love and kids can somewhat appreciate for the pretty pictures. The girl's imagination is lovely but the entire concept is a bit abstract. I adored the color palette used and the book grew on me with more readings. Any book about imagination is a nice pick, but I think this one will appeal more to the adults who want to read it aloud than to the kids.
Reviewer: TC
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL(K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
A young girl's imagination comes to life in this beautifully illustrated picture book. She has lots to do on her island with birds and snails, and friends occasionally come to visit for picnics. The reader is invited to come too, as long as they understand how to share and imagine.
This is the kind of book adults love and kids can somewhat appreciate for the pretty pictures. The girl's imagination is lovely but the entire concept is a bit abstract. I adored the color palette used and the book grew on me with more readings. Any book about imagination is a nice pick, but I think this one will appeal more to the adults who want to read it aloud than to the kids.
Reviewer: TC
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
January 18, 2019
This story takes place inside the imagination of a little girl. She pictures a lovely, colourful island where thousands of colourful birds reside. She enjoys the company of the many animal inhabitants, plays games, takes time to read her favourite books, and gathers beautiful flowers. The reader is not forgotten and is invited to join her, only if you know how to dream.
The illustrations are lovely and detailed. They enrich the sparse text. The story is a celebration of being yourself and encourages readers to ignite their imaginations because when you do anything is possible. The story is very short and without the wonderful illustrations would have been flat. I did not think the book was that dynamic. I am not sure how well that age group would connect to it therefore I only gave it 3 Hugs!
The illustrations are lovely and detailed. They enrich the sparse text. The story is a celebration of being yourself and encourages readers to ignite their imaginations because when you do anything is possible. The story is very short and without the wonderful illustrations would have been flat. I did not think the book was that dynamic. I am not sure how well that age group would connect to it therefore I only gave it 3 Hugs!
October 18, 2019
I absolutely loved this picture book, which takes the reader on a journey through the imagination of a young girl and the island she creates in a mind. This book is a perfect demonstration of the vast, wide imagination of young children and how as adults, we often forget to use our imagination. The words are limited in this picture book, and the illustrations tell the story. I particularly liked how the first person narrative directed the speech at the reader 'if you know how to imagine, if you know how to share, if you know how to dream.'
August 13, 2021
My Island is a beautifully illustrated book that invites children into its world. There are lots of blues in the initial illustrations and the feeling is one of harmony. There is much to see on every two page spread.
The story is about a little girl who imagines that she lives on this island. She has a wonderful and vivid ability to create a world and would be happy to have children enjoy the island with her.
This is a lovely book and one that young children will, I think, enjoy.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
The story is about a little girl who imagines that she lives on this island. She has a wonderful and vivid ability to create a world and would be happy to have children enjoy the island with her.
This is a lovely book and one that young children will, I think, enjoy.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
January 10, 2019
Changes in scale, finely done animals and principally a wonderful eye for patterning in nature and design make the images for this picture book stand out, but the story (such as it is) is a little wanting. It tries to get a full fantasia to convey the necessity of imagination, alongside other positive attributes, but the publisher's descriptor "impactful" is very inaccurate. "Slight" is more the thing. Three stars, and mostly for the artist.
January 27, 2019
Thank you to Princeton Architectural Press and NetGalley for access to this ARC.
This book is surreal and strange but not in the way that I like. The art is very cool so I wish it had some kind of coherent, meaningful story to go with it. I would definitely chalk this up to translation issues which is just too bad.
This book is surreal and strange but not in the way that I like. The art is very cool so I wish it had some kind of coherent, meaningful story to go with it. I would definitely chalk this up to translation issues which is just too bad.
March 24, 2019
I received an electronic ARC from Princeton Architectural Press through NetGalley.
The young girl has quite an imagination. She draws the reader in to her island and invites them to come along and explore her life.
Interesting color palette for the illustrations. Heavy oranges and yellows with blue skies.
Young readers will be drawn to the details on each page as they explore the island too.
The young girl has quite an imagination. She draws the reader in to her island and invites them to come along and explore her life.
Interesting color palette for the illustrations. Heavy oranges and yellows with blue skies.
Young readers will be drawn to the details on each page as they explore the island too.
January 5, 2019
Short and sweet. A little book littles will enjoy listen to again and again. The illustrations look good on my Kindle, but I'd bet they look even better in color! I can't wait to see a hard copy!
I recevied a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I recevied a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
January 15, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital ARC for review.
The illustrations in this picture book are gorgeous and carry the story. The words are brief—maybe even a bit too brief but tell the story of a creative imagination and all it’s capable of providing.
The illustrations in this picture book are gorgeous and carry the story. The words are brief—maybe even a bit too brief but tell the story of a creative imagination and all it’s capable of providing.
January 25, 2019
The illustrations are pretty but this book is so short that there’s nothing to it.
I finished it and thought where’s the rest of it? It’s too short even to read for toddlers.
The idea is nice but it takes less than 30 seconds to read aloud.
I finished it and thought where’s the rest of it? It’s too short even to read for toddlers.
The idea is nice but it takes less than 30 seconds to read aloud.
February 14, 2019
It just *sigh* didn't. I had high expectations from the description on Net Galley, but they weren't fulfilled. The text couldn't stand as a story on its own. While I love the color scheme of the illustrations, I found the actual pictures to be distracting.
April 13, 2019
Stunning story and illustrations, which aren't just artistic, but feel almost like the illustrator has an interior design background the way that space and color are in such harmony with one another.
September 29, 2020
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. That's really the only thing I liked about the book. Would be fine to own to look at the pictures.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. That's really the only thing I liked about the book. Would be fine to own to look at the pictures.
December 15, 2024
A girl tells the reader about her island of imagination and invites them to join her.
A simple celebration of imagination with a very different art style that looks like a mix between drawing and sewing that isn't generally my style, but I quite liked!
No content issues.
March 9, 2019
A simple story about imagination and caring. It is short, but big in heart. Beautifully illustrated and written this story is one that will have kids dreaming up their own private island.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews