Daisy Dawson is on her way! by Steve Voake, illustrated by Jessica Meserve

I bought this book for the library back in 2008 and just noticed that the sequel is coming out in the US in May. I bought it for the cover and the cute description, but never actually read it....so I decided to see if it was worth getting the sequels.

Daisy Dawson is an independent individual and loves her morning walks to school....although she has a tendency to be late. One morning, she rescues a butterfly and mysteriously gains the power to talk to animals. Her new ability gets her into trouble, but makes life a lot more interesting too!

This is a charming and unique beginning chapter book. There were a few parts where the plot dragged a little and the description felt a bit long-winded, but on the whole the story is engaging and the characters - human and animal - delightful. I especially liked the strong ink and pencil illustrations, which made an excellent blend with the characters and plot.

Verdict: Not quite fantasy, not quite school story, not quite family story - there's something here for a wide variety of beginning readers, especially those who like animals. I'm definitely getting the rest of the series!

ISBN: 978-0763637408; Published March 2008 by Candlewick; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library