Next to You: a Book of Adorableness, written by Lori Haskins Houran, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Dania Z.
Summary: In the book, the narrator is comparing several animals, such as baby ducks and giraffes to the reader. Essentially, no matter how cute the animal is, the narrator still thinks the reader (who he addresses as you) is the cutest. The narrator is trying to convey that no matter what options he or she has, the narrator would rather be with the reader because the reader is adorable. The entire book is the narrator making comparisons to emphasize how much he admires and cares for the reader. For example, the narrator says “ Next to you, the softest puppy in the world is only kind of cute”. This quote for example, though portraying the puppies to be adorable, is used to emphasize how the reader is adorable. This book is a cute way to compliment the readers by referencing them to be even cuter than the animals mentioned. At the end of the book, the last quote is “I’m happy to be...next to you”. This is an uplifting tone at the end that makes the reader feel content as well as being an effective way to have full closure of the book.

Straight Talk for Librarians: I could see this book being used in the classroom to teach kids about animals, as lots of examples such as baby pigs and elephants, were addressed. The kids would get a good, positive outlook on animals and have a better understanding of how they look like. Furthermore, this could be used to have a fun read in class that could help the students gain more confidence as the personal pronoun usage of “you” makes it very personal. I feel this overall is great for getting the children familiar with more animals along with leaving them in a happier and more appreciative mood. The colors of the book have very pastel, light colors that are calming and satisfying to see. The drawings of the animals are very cute and simple, thus not being overwhelming. This book would make for a good read-aloud in a one-on-one setting. It would also make a perfect addition to an animal picture book display. It is definitely adorable!