The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, picture e-book, published by Kids Can Press Ltd in 2014.

Along with her doggy side-kick a little girl plans and attempts to construct her vision. She measures, she cuts, she twists and she builds, but it’s just not right. She becomes frustrated and upset, how can she make it work?

This gorgeous picture book reminds me so much of my eldest daughter. Trying over and over to get something just right, and then quitting because she doesn’t think she’ll ever be good enough. It’s painful to watch a child go through that, and I wish this book had been around when my daughter was smaller. It shows that even when things aren’t perfect, they can still be magnificent!

One of my favourite parts of this book is when she hires an assistant and finds a place out of the way to get to work. It is amusing and so true to life. I also like the girl’s invention, and how is turns out in the end. It’s very sweet. Some of her off-casts were helpful to others too, which was nice.

The illustrations are grand as well. The little dog is so cute! I love the apparent simplicity of the pictures, but there is really quite a lot of detail in them. The pictures of the girl becoming upset and exploding reflects my own daughter’s tantrums when things don’t work the way she expected. It was like watching a cartoon version of something I’ve seen a thousand times!

Suitable for preschoolers through to lower and middle primary school children, The Most Magnificent Thing is a book worthy of any home or public library.

*I obtained this book as a digital copy from Netgalley. I did not receive any other remuneration, and this is an honest review composed entirely of my own opinions.