Behind The Secret Garden Door

I read an ARC of this book in digital format back in Novemver 2019. The book didn't exist on goodreads at the time and the holidays got so hectic I forgot to paste the review later. I'm doing that now.

Teddy the Westie has won my heart!

Told from the little doggo's perspective and illustrated with adorable art sketched by what seems to be colour pencils, this book follows Teddy's adventures in a garden. He explores plants and wildlife, most of which become his friends. Along the way, fun and fantastic things happen - including an encounter with a fox wherein his new friends prove the value of friendship - and he learns an important life lesson about thinking of others' feelings.

I enjoyed the illustrations and story and would happily share this book with the children in my family. It also just feels like a breath of fresh air - a labour of love where someone sat down and drew these pictures to fit the story. As a traditional-medium artist with a similar aesthetic that isn't the same as most published books, this inspires me!

Though I did notice a couple issues - one instance of the text being hard to read over the background and one of a word accidentally typed twice - overall I think this is a quality book that children who like animals will very much enjoy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm glad to have discovered this book, which I may have never experienced otherwise.