Bread and Jam for Frances was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. The rhymes were simple, her individuality was awesome, and I liked that she ended up trying new things after wanting to stick with her usual snack for most of the book. I swear there was even a point in time when I got my grandmother or great-grandmother to make dishes based on it. All that is to say, when I saw that Harvey's Hideout was available on NetGalley, I requested it because of the nostalgia factor.

While I definitely saw elements that reminded me of why I liked a different book by this writing/illustrating duo, I didn't care for this book as much as the Frances ones. Harvey and his sister, Mildred, do not get along as per the typical sibling rivalry plot line. What I did like was Lillian's illustrations as they seemed to be consistent with what I remember from Frances. The animals were sweet looking, the environments nice and homey. The writing was steady enough with previous work and I don't fault that, rather I didn't like the events/relationship of Harvey's Hideout.

The book, in my mind, overestimated what siblings might do in the situation that Harvey and Mildred found themselves in. To child readers young enough not to think too deeply, the rhymes and all's-well-that-ends-well scenario might pass, but readers slightly above the age range intended for this book, as well as the adults reading it to them, may find some difficulty in believing the characters action.

Harvey doesn't retain the same kind of enjoy-ability or re-readability as previous work by the Hobans, but I think it's nice enough for a bedtime story or for siblings that might be having a rough go at things.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.