This looks like a promising children’s story from the outside. Unfortunately the great formatting, lovely illustrations and decent idea are let down by one fundamental thing. The English is readable but extremely poor. There are few typos, just bad grammar and a general lack of readability. An editor, proof reader, or beta reader should have spotted this and corrected it. In a book aimed at children of the age where they are learning to read, this is a very severe error.

The plot is very simple: bear, wolf, and fox are exiled from the forest, discover a pot of honey, and fox pulls a trick that loses her both her tail and her companions. It is familiar, reminding me of a blend of several traditional fairytales, like ‘The Jar of Honey’ and ‘The Musicians of Bremen’ among them.

While children will love the story, it is best read to them by adults who can correct the English. I can’t understate this enough: this book is one editor away from a four star. As it is, even with the gorgeous artwork and excellent formatting, the ideal children’s story and the nice ideas, this is a two at best.

While children may love the story, adults who have to read it to them, and children reading it for themselves may struggle with the unusual phrasing and poor English.