Age: Preschool-1st grade
Family: Grandpa, granddaughter and grandson

Grandpa tries to remember that old saying about what girls and boys are made of and comes up with a whole variety of silly options. Delightful artistic interpretations bring these absurdities to life.

I was given an ARC for an honest review.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. I did not really like it. The artwork is lovely and fun and whimsical. It is actually what had drawn me to wanting to read it in the first place. I mean just look at the colors and the imagery! It is so beautiful! The rhyming is simplistic yet catchy and works well with the imagery. But the overall message was just something that bothered me. I usually steer clear of messages involving gender or stereotypes when reading children’s books. I find books of this nature more didactic and just not for me.



Sugar and Snails was not overly preachy or in your face with its message which I liked. But personally, if I realized what it had been about, I would not have read it. There is no real plot to this children’s book. It reads as poem with images that help convey the message of the overall concept or idea. Which is: girls and boys can enjoy what they like to enjoy. In other words, like something because you like it, not because you are expected to. This is a fairly positive message. And I do think it has some weight in teaching children that being an individual is important. Letting children decide for themselves what they like and don’t like.

My advice is, if you do read this book with your kids, let the conversation be about what they love and what they like. Not about what you want them to love or want them to like. If a girl likes princesses and dresses that is ok. If she doesn’t like princesses or dresses that’s also ok. Everyone has different tastes and love different flavors.



For me personally I am giving this book a 1 star because it’s just not for me (not my personal flavor you might say). And I was not that entertained when reading it. But the artwork is still very lovely and beautiful!

I was excited to have received this book for review because the synopsis was adorable and I love the concept of twisting classics. I have even been on a retelling 'kick' in the MG and YA books I have been reading.

This book was whimsically illustrated as it re-told the rhyme about girls being made of sugar and spice and boys being made of snails and puppy dog tails. The illustrations show the new rhymes - all were hilarious and cute. I really liked this spin on the classic. It allowed for girls to be made of dirty things, and boys to like flowers and balloons. I think it was really well done. The ending kind of drops off and leaves the reader hanging but it might makes for an interesting question to talk about - What are you made of?

I LOVE THIS BOOK. It takes the rhyme/saying about boys being made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails and girls being made of sugar and spice and everything nice and dumps it on its head. The gorgeous illustrations suggest various other combinations that both boys and girls are made of, like girls being made of monkeys and dirt and lemon dessert and boys being made of flowers and swings and bumblebee wings. I love that it takes gender stereotypes and dumps them on their heads, letting both boys and girls be made of all sorts of things, from balloons to whales to rubber rain boots to fresh chicken butts.

I need copies of this on both my boys' bookshelves, and I need copies for all my friends with kids. My 3 and 1 year old would both love the illustrations and the fun ideas of what little boys and girls are made of.

I'm sure we have all heard the saying:

What are little girls made of? Sugar and Spice and everything nice. What are little boys made of? Frogs and snails and puppy dogs tails.

And if you have heard it, did you grimice, or just think it wasn't worth bothering with, or did you wonder why?

That is what this book does. It wonders why. The grandfather is telling the old rhyme to his grandchildren, and they ask why? Why can't it be other things? And so they come up with so many other things that it would be.

And so they muse, and it is so much fun, and the pictures, are great too, and very whimsical.



This should be a delight to all kids, and bring up discussions, or just read it on the level of being fun.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Love this! Sugar and Snails offers a fun, modern twist on a classic children's rhyme. The illustrations are really fun and whimsical and reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland with their juxtaposition of cute and gross, big and small, animal and human etc.

Sugar and Snails takes that little saying about what boys and girls are each made of and spins it on its head in the best possible way.

Reading this as an adult, I appreciate a children's book that takes the idea of gender norms and tosses it aside in favour of personal preferences and identity. As a kid, I would have loved this. (I was very girl power, but also a tomboy). I think it makes for a really fun and funny way for kids to also maybe see themselves. The illustrations are super cute and fun and pretty.

Definitely recommended for kids in need of a fun picture book. I would say it's worth a read for anyone though. I wish it had been around twenty years ago.

Delightful and important picture book about pushing back against gender norms/expectations.

Story unravels the saying, "What are little boys made of? What are little girls made of?," by challenging the stereotypes of snails and puppies, sugar and spice. I like the where the book is trying to go, however, it still supports a boxed male/female view of child play/characteristic. The embroidered words are unraveled at the end, however they don't quite reach the words "boys" and "girls." What a powerful message if it did. While short enough for storytime, I wouldn't use it.

I liked how this was a modern take on the traditional saying and it shows kids they can be whatever they want and don't have to fit in to these traditional roles that society has built. I particularly loved the last page and how they were undoing the stitching. Great message for kids!

I received an Arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.