Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Garcia & Colette Go Exploring by Hannah Barnaby / Book Review


By: Hannah Barnaby

Illustrated by: Andrew Joyner
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons / Penguin Random House
Released on: June 6, 2017
Ages: 3 & Up
Rating: 5 Owlets- We Loved it!
Purchase from: Publisher | Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Thank you Penguin Random House for sending a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Exploring outer space and the ocean is exciting, but what if you left something very important at home?


Best friends Garcia and Colette are eager to go exploring, only they can’t agree on where to go. Garcia loves everything about space (Stars! Planets!)­ and Colette is obsessed with the sea (Waves! Fish!).

Staying home is not an option, so they each get busy. Garcia builds a rocket ship that’s snazzy and silver. Colette’s shiny submarine is perfect for deep-sea dives. And they wish each other well on their travels.

It turns out the Milky Way really is amazing and the ocean floor is truly spectacular, but Garcia and Colette both realize they left something very important back home.

Exploring your favorite place can be terrific, but maybe the company is more important than the destination.


This book is as cute as it looks! From the cover, we were in love with the illustrations and the adventure of Garcia and Colette. This is a wonderful book about friendship and adventure. 


As can happen in friendships, Garcia and Colette could not agree on their next adventure together. Instead of a compromise, they decide to separate and go their own ways. Garcia builds a spaceship (out of everyday objects like a yo-yo) and Colette builds an amazing submarine. While one explores space, the other explores the Ocean. They both discover very similar things but most importantly, they discover how lonely it is to take adventures alone. The shared experience was more important than reaching the stars or seeing the Ocean floor. Once they are reunited, they decide on a desert adventure. Colette can sit in the sand and Garcia can perfectly see the stars.


Kids will love the story and illustrations and parents will love the focus on friends, adventure and imagination. It is a playful book that will quickly become a family favorite!


I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~