• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: p to 2
• Reading age: 3 to 7

In this heartfelt story of friendship, a young girl is determined to save her most unlikely pet.

Beatrice desperately wants a pet of her own. Her mom has other ideas. No dog. No cat. No hedgehog. They finally reach a compromise, and Beatrice gets ... a Venus flytrap. Being a good sport, Beatrice makes the best of things. She gives her new friend a name, Barb. She does all the things with Barb that good pet owners do, such as taking walks and playing fetch. Only, now, despite all the love and care, Barb is starting to look sick, with black spots on her leaves and some parts of her turning mushy. Beatrice knows she has to find a way to save Barb. But how?

The debut picture book from author Kate Jenks Landry offers a universal and powerful message about how to take care of those we love. It also celebrates differences, unique friendships and what makes each of us special (like how Barb needs to eat bugs to survive!). This story has strong curriculum connections to social-emotional learning and offers excellent character education lessons on caring, perseverance and responsibility. Vivian Mineker's illustrations are imbued with the soft greens of plant life and beautifully convey the warmth and affection at the heart of the story.

Kate Jenks Landry wrote her first story when she was five years old, and she's been crafting fictional worlds ever since. A graduate of the creative writing program at the University of Toronto, she works as an educator and writer of stories for young readers. Beatrice and Barb is her debut picture book. Kate lives with her husband, their two daughters and their dog in Kitchener, Ontario.

Kate Jenks Landry's profile page

Vivian Mineker is a freelance illustrator whose work can be found in the picture books All Cats Welcome and The Little Coven. Nature is one of her biggest sources of inspiration, especially when she's on a walk with her dog, Darlie. Born in Taiwan and raised in Portland, Oregon, Vivian now makes her home in Amsterdam.

Vivian Mineker's profile page

• Joint winner, Growing Good Kids - Excellence in Children's Literature Award, International Junior Master Gardener Program

Mineker's digitally rendered cartoon-like artwork works perfectly with Landry's lighthearted text ...

CM Magazine