Review - Don't Drink the Pink

Don't Drink the Pink
by B. C. R. Fegan
illustrated by Lenny Wen
Date: 2019
Publisher: TaleBlade
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Follow the special relationship between Madeline and her Grandfather as they both grow and share in the most magical birthday experiences. Filled with secrets to uncover and brimming with imagination, Don't Drink the Pink explores a number of basic concepts including colors, numbers and the reality of growing older.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This colourful book is actually kind of a unicorn: it's a self-published picture-book that's actually good. I can probably count on one hand the number of those I've come across.

Don't Drink the Pink is a sweet rhyming story chronicling the ongoing relationship between a little girl and her grandfather. Every year on her birthday, her grandfather lets her choose a new potion from his stash, always with the same admonition: "Just don't drink the pink." As Madeline works through the various potions between her first and fourteenth birthdays, she gets to experience (presumably temporary) effects such as invisibility, flying, telekinesis, and even being a mermaid. The twist arrives on her fifteenth birthday, when we finally discover what happens if you "drink the pink".

The meter and rhyme are surprisingly good here, making it a great title to read aloud. And the illustrations are really quite lovely. The setting seems to be historical, based on the clothes and technological level portrayed in the pictures. Both the story and the illustrations work together seamlessly to produce a magical tale of a special relationship.

Be sure to check this one out if you like stories of grandparent/grandchild relationships and fun fantasy twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and TaleBlade for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4.14 out of 5