Something Beautiful is a totally modern idea of how all of us are beautiful in our own ways. It does not matter if you are a mouse who likes to play with your ball by
yourself, or an elephant who asks to play. Nor does it matter if you are a porcupine that looks different, acts different and has new games to try. It does not even matter if you are a lion who likes to sit and watch for the beautiful things around you.
The tone is set as a “house that Jack built” by having each character introduced one by one (first the mouse, elephant, giraffe and so on). It is about being your true self, learning to play with others, and to embrace our differences as we all have things to add to the mix. Everything is tenderly presented. Lita Judge has a tone to their story that is sweet, silly, and familiar. You are reading a cozy, comfortable, relatable story.
Judge also created illustrations that are equally sweet, silly (I admit I have a soft spot for the porcupine who accidentally pops the ball because of their quills and has leaves stuck on them as well) and familiar. This is old-school style with all the wonders of modern technology making delightfully special artwork.
There is not a lot of the traditional action, but more of a flow to the story that keeps you turning pages and wanting to know what is next. It is an all-ages book, working well for solo reading, one-on-one reading, or in a group reading.
