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Valentine's Guest House
When a tiger comes to stay at Valentine's guest house, the human visitors all check out in a rush. Luckily, the hotel soon starts to fill again - but with a very different collection of residents, all with new and differing needs. Elsie and Valentine make lots of changes to accommodate the new guests, and a very popular, accessible and unusual guest house results! A beautiful debut picture book about diversity, inclusivity and empowerment.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 3, 2024
Uma boa história para ler no rescaldo do 25 de abril sobre empatia e diversidade. Um hotel singular onde os hóspedes humanos cedem ao medo e são os animais de todas as formas e feitios que ocupam o hotel.
March 15, 2023
I loved the tiger - a unique illustration that captivates - as well as the message that this place accommodates all who visit, and an empowered little girl.
February 21, 2026
A story about how everyone is welcome and deserves accommodating. I smiled so much reading it!
April 11, 2024
Cute, positive story. Felt a bit rushed (how did the tiger get there? was there no resistance from locals to this rebranding? how come in the end human guests do feel comfortable here again?) and some of the animals actually look a bit creepy the way they are drawn. Yet I love the idea here.
Liked: the animals in this book, the attitude to accommodate them as best as possible, and the actual new habitat-styled rooms.
Liked best: comparing the original guest house layout on the inside cover at the beginning with the remodeled one on the inside cover at the end.
Liked: the animals in this book, the attitude to accommodate them as best as possible, and the actual new habitat-styled rooms.
Liked best: comparing the original guest house layout on the inside cover at the beginning with the remodeled one on the inside cover at the end.
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November 20, 2022See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/valent...
VALENTINE'S GUEST HOUSE is a cute picture book about acceptance and inclusion. Elsie loves working at her family's guest house and helping the guests get what they need. When she finds a tiger who needs a place to stay, Elsie comes up with a great solution to help make a room to suit. However, all the human guests do not like that and they leave. Valentine fears they won't have guests anymore, but the tiger has a plan and invites others. As animals arrive, they make changes to the guest house, which makes it more welcoming for all their new guests.
What I loved: This is a whimsical and sweet story about inclusion. Elsie is a lovely character who really loves to go the extra mile to make guests feel welcome, no matter who they are. She and Valentine work to make each room to suit their new animal guests, improving the house along the way. While there may be some stumbles in making sure everyone is welcome and included such as when they lose their human guests, it really behooves them all in the end. This lesson is present throughout.
The illustrations are vivid and capture the story really well. Elsie and the tiger really come to life in the images. The font is large and clear throughout, making this easy to read. The length is great for young readers, and it will work well for toddlers and preschoolers.
Final verdict: VALENTINE'S GUEST HOUSE is a lovely picture book about inclusion and welcoming.
VALENTINE'S GUEST HOUSE is a cute picture book about acceptance and inclusion. Elsie loves working at her family's guest house and helping the guests get what they need. When she finds a tiger who needs a place to stay, Elsie comes up with a great solution to help make a room to suit. However, all the human guests do not like that and they leave. Valentine fears they won't have guests anymore, but the tiger has a plan and invites others. As animals arrive, they make changes to the guest house, which makes it more welcoming for all their new guests.
What I loved: This is a whimsical and sweet story about inclusion. Elsie is a lovely character who really loves to go the extra mile to make guests feel welcome, no matter who they are. She and Valentine work to make each room to suit their new animal guests, improving the house along the way. While there may be some stumbles in making sure everyone is welcome and included such as when they lose their human guests, it really behooves them all in the end. This lesson is present throughout.
The illustrations are vivid and capture the story really well. Elsie and the tiger really come to life in the images. The font is large and clear throughout, making this easy to read. The length is great for young readers, and it will work well for toddlers and preschoolers.
Final verdict: VALENTINE'S GUEST HOUSE is a lovely picture book about inclusion and welcoming.
December 25, 2022
Valentine's popular Guest House loses all its patrons after Valentine's daughter Elsie makes room for a tiger named Emmet to stay in her room. The other guests are frightened of the tiger and don't take the time to get to know it. But Emmet sends messages to his animal friends, and one by one, they arrive to fill the guestrooms. Valentine and Elsie have no problem making changes such as a pulley system to reach high floors, a larger entrance door, extra space, varied temperatures, and even rooms underground, all to allow their new guests to feel comfortable at home. Using colorful, luminous artwork featuring characters with personality and some humorous scenes alongside matter-of-fact text, this picture book effectively uses animals to demonstrate the importance of embracing diversity, having an open mind, and making sure that everyone feels included and valued. In some cases, the modifications were small and easy to accomplish while in others, much work was needed. Either way, it's clear that everyone truly is welcome at Valentine's Guest House. Young readers may be particularly impressed that it is a child who is the first to befriend and welcome the tiger and come up with a way for the turtle to reach a room with a view despite the hurdle of those stairs. While readers won't know exactly what made Valentine's Guest House so appealing at the start of the story, by its conclusion they will have a firm idea and perhaps take its focus on inclusion to heart.
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September 21, 2022An imaginative story of a young girl who befriends a tiger visiting her mom's guesthouse and wants it to stay. The human guests don't care for this but Valentine and her daughter Elsie adjust and make the guest house for animals instead. This reminds me of the old book But No Elephants but with not enough humor to it. I appreciate the imagination here but was taken out of the story too much with the practicalities (i.e. how is Valentine making a living if no one is paying to stay at her guest house?) I think, in a way, the story here needed a bit more humor and craziness to hit home.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.
November 28, 2022
A tiger comes to stay at Valentine's Guest House and all the humans quickly depart. Slowly, new guests arrive, and each new guest has a special need that Valentine tries to accommodate. The guest house fills with a new diverse group of interesting and exciting new guests.
A lovely story that makes me think about what we can gain from an initial loss, what we can gain from diversity.
A lovely story that makes me think about what we can gain from an initial loss, what we can gain from diversity.
December 10, 2022
It's a cute story about animals who come to stay at Valentine's Guest House. The people move out because of a tiger, but animals start to move in. Large and simple text accompany the painted illustrations. It feels reminiscent of Babar or Lyle.
Reviewed from a library copy.
Reviewed from a library copy.
August 31, 2022
Wonderful book with beautiful illustrations that provoked many, many questions from my children! Certainly a book to fuel the imagination.
September 26, 2022
|| VALENTINE'S GUEST HOUSE ||
A wonderful bebut about inclusion and diversity. We love this book! Simple yet meaningful with super sweet artwork, reading age 3-6.
A wonderful bebut about inclusion and diversity. We love this book! Simple yet meaningful with super sweet artwork, reading age 3-6.
May 30, 2026
Lovely little library find!
The toddler loved it so much we may need to get our own copy!
Lovely message about inclusivity and accepting others!
The toddler loved it so much we may need to get our own copy!
Lovely message about inclusivity and accepting others!
March 31, 2024
This book is fantastic and one we reach for most nights. It's such a heart warming story of inclusion. Sam is my favourite new children's book writer and illustrator
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews