Powerfully affirmative books on a vast range of qualities.
The true test of whether a new children’s book hits the mark is the kids’ call for repeat reads. Using this standard, and I might add with two bilingual (English/French) grandchildren aged 5 and 7, the author and illustrator of both “Land of AND” and “Land of OR” have themselves two winners by enthusiastic acclaim.
The unprompted requests to have these handsomely large volumes read to them over and over again, announces a list of compelling reasons why these gorgeous tomes will become classics with a wide age range of tiny citizens.
Youngsters are so alive in their sensory life, so that any book placed in front of them, particularly at this point in time with the plethora of media devices competing for their eyes, must have a certain magic to attract them, and added value mystique to do it a second time, then repeat curtain calls thereafter.
The illustrations by Toby Allen in both books, are at once powerful, playful, original, and likeable, quite a recipe for succeeding with a progressively hipper and more discerning audience. My grandson and granddaughter both love the illustrations, so this is a remarkable feat in and of itself.
Much as in a dramatic feature film or memorable documentary, the most successful offerings place unforgettable characters in front of us, and we simply must return to them over and over.
In “Land of AND”, we meet alluring characters such as “The Guide”, “The Kid”, “Yabbut”, “Handi”, and so many more, then in “Land of OR”, a very different cast arrives in the forms of “Happy”, Patience”, “Timid”, “Playful”, “Grateful”, “Strong”, and my personal favourite “Skittish”.
Author Katie Mullaly is a self‐confessed lover of rhyme, rhythm, and reason, and if I could make copies of her to place in every school under the sun, we would have a much kinder, more serendipitous populace.
These are powerfully affirmative books on a vast range of qualities, and just like the very best entertainers in the world; if they make it look easy on stage, you know a ton of work has gone into their performance.
So it is with Katie Mullaly and Toby Allen, I feel the love and professionalism these two artists invest in these important works, and all I can say in the end is: encore, encore, encore.
Gregory B. Gallagher is an award‐winning filmmaker, travel writer, and one of the original Canadian writers of the Sesame Street TV Show. He lives on an island in French Canada with his wife, artist Linda Hart.
Such a great book on including others!
These books are all so creative and helpful! I’m using them in my therapy practice and my clients are getting lots of insight. Definitely recommend!!
Amazing
My toddler & I loved this read tonight. We’ll be buying your other books. Cheers
Great lessons-beautiful books
I purchased this and the rest of Katie Mullaly and Toby Allen’s books for my therapy practice. I really enjoy these books. They’re beautiful and they teach important lessons in a cute, fun way (not an eye-roll, gag on how cheesey this is kind of way) that makes my job as a therapist a little easier.
Such a fun book!
This is such a fun book. The pictures are incredible and it’s a fun way to teach kindness and inclusiveness at any age.
Emotionally Healthy Message
I really like the language and poetic cadence. She does not dumb down her vocabulary, kids are smart and understand. The art is really fun as well.
The message is beautiful and inspiring and I cant wait to share this …
This message of inclusiveness radiates so true in these interested world times! The message is beautiful and inspiring and I cant wait to share this book with friends and family this holiday season.
Kids of All Ages Will Love This Fun Story and Whimsical Drawings
Excellent story teaching inclusion in a fun way as we float through this whimsical land. Love the fun story and the beautiful illustrations. LOVE the Yabbuts. Good for all ages.
Meaningful and beautiful book!
The “Land of…” series of books is nothing short of spectacular. This story illustrates the important message of inclusion from a place of love, acceptance, and appreciation for diversity. Children and adults will explore what it means to truly be inclusive of others and our unique differences. Now more than ever it feels like this idea should be shared with those around you. I have purchased this book for many friends and am always thrilled by the high praise the book receives!
My go-to author
An excellent book about the lessons of inclusion, love, tolerance, and acceptance. The story and lesson truly teaches those things as core, essential human values, rather than simply outlining a story to overtly explore how they can manifest. I turn to this book, and all Katie’s books, as my go-to gifts for niece/nephew birthdays and friends baby showers.
A must-have for children of all ages!
This very beautiful book contains a wonderfully written story on the benefits and joys of inclusion. It brings home the message that differences among us are to be celebrated and not to frighten us. I’ll be getting the whole series for my grandchildren!
Katie doesn’t disappoint in the next installment in the “Land of” series
Katie doesn’t disappoint in the next installment in the “Land of” series. Another timely and timeless message. I bought this and the Land of Or to give as gifts and I’m keeping them for myself!
We love the Land of AND
We love the Land of AND!!! My children have been eagerly awaiting the second book in the series and author Katie Mullaly did not disappoint. My kids love the graphics (which once again are marvelous) and enjoy the map in the back of the book and are excited to explore the website dedicated to this series. This book has become a favorite and we enjoy reading it together. As a parent, I enjoy having a message taught as we are reading and then having the opportunity to discuss the message with my kids. We have loved this series and can’t wait for the others!
Continues the wonderful learning message and enchants with the beautiful illustrations
LAND OF AND – Wow! What a follow up to Land of Or by Katie Mullaly. Continues the wonderful learning message and enchants with the beautiful illustrations. Keep up the great writing and illustrating. Can’t wait for the next book.
LOVED the first book
I LOVED the first book, Land of OR, by Mullaly. I think I love Land of AND even more! The educational journey down the river discovering the importance of inclusion is a reader’s time well spent. The clever rhyming and vibrant images are just the best. My kids and I love the maps in the front and back of the books and the web interaction is also a bonus. I highly recommend both of Katie Mullaly’s books and can’t wait to see what she writes next so I can add it to our collection! I have a feeling the series she is creating is going to be the next big children’s book craze. At least, I think it should be.
I don’t even have children and I’m in love with this storybook collection
I don’t even have children and I’m in love with this storybook collection. The Land of AND is even better than The Land of OR, if that’s possible. This story carries the theme of being inclusive to everyone we meet on our journey in life, and that our differences are really the gifts that make us all special. it’s an important message for children growing up in today’s world where bullying and exclusion seem to have gotten worse. The messages is awesome, but the delivery is even better. Author Katie Mullaly embeds the message with a Suesse-like rhyme that carries throughout the whole story. It’s brilliant, really. But what puts these books over the top is the illustrations; it’s a feast for the eyes. The gorgeous colors and super-cute characters are eye candy that make me linger over each page. These books just make me happy. I hear the author has something like a dozen in this series coming out; I plan on collecting every one. We never had books like this when I was a kid. These are the books your child will request for nightly readings over and over again.
A Great Message for All Ages!!!
This book is not just for children. Its message can carry over to teens and adults as well. After reading it, I bought a copy for each of my adult children and they loved it! The story will take you to a place where magical things happen when you open your heart to everyone. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all did just that! And it is true, your raft will expand to fit everyone! Read this book and you will see what I mean!
Great messages for adults
My 11 year old has been talking at school and with friends about bullying. This book helped her with examples of how to include other kinds of kids into her circle of friends. Great messages for adults, as well.
This book is the sweetest!! And I feel like I’m on a Disney ride with the illustrations!!
The Land of AND will literally make you and your child want to get lost inside of it. The illustrations, the characters, the whole vibe makes you feel like you’re on an adventurous water ride at Disney eagerly anticipating what’s to come next. The beautiful thing about this story is that it speaks of diversity and inclusion yet in a 100% positive way. Celebrating what makes each little creature in the story unique and that each one has something special to bring to the table.
There are so many new things to experience when we open ourselves to inclusion.
The Land of AND is the sequel. Humph, I think, they seldom measure up to the first. But, I was wrong. We manage to drift along the river of life gathering, adding, and expanding as we go. There are so many new things to experience when we open ourselves to inclusion. The artistic rhythm again carries the enchanting little craft as it grows, accommodates, and teaches acceptance. I found the maps of the lands inside the book covers to be a unique and winning feature. Two thumbs up for these great additions to any family library.
Why We Love This Book:
- Teaches children that our uniqueness makes us special
- The rhyme in the book reminds us of many a Dr. Seuss book with it’s delivery
- The illustrations are amazing – you will spend more time looking at the pictures with your kids than you ever thought possible
- The characters are overly adorable and make you not want to turn the page, but the story does, so you may be in a quandary
- This book is not just for children – adults alike will LOVE it!
- Your kids will ask for this to be read to them over and over
- There is web interaction with a Travel Guide to help you and your young travelers navigate through the Land of And
- There are descriptions of all the fun characters as well as printable guides to use as daily reminders of the journey.
The life lessons Mullaly concentrates on in both her books are the foundation of an upstanding human.
When I sit down with my kids and open a new book; in the back of my mind I think, wouldn’t it be amazing if this book could be entertaining, smart, colorful, funny, have captivating pictures and thought provoking content for young children. Rarely does a children’s book capture all of these criteria.
Katie Mullaly’s writing and Toby Allen’s artistry in the Land of AND is all of the above and more! It is an extremely creative and innovative travel book. It appeals to both children and adults. It is something special when you can read a book over and over and still learn something during your last read. You open the book and your first page is the Map of AND. I don’t know about your kids, but when mine see a map they get really excited and immediately assume a travel adventure is about to begin. Even though we stayed in the same seat and were covered by the same blanket the whole time; this book immediately catapulted our imaginations to a level that needs to be visited more often.
Mullaly’s is also the author of Land of OR. In my opinion, this book has the potential of becoming the next Oh the Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss. Millions of parents and Life Guides have given Dr. Seuss’ book to high school graduates, teenagers at a crossroad, young adults finding the transition from child to adult tough as a friendly “guide” for life. I believe Land of OR will soon take its place and can be given and understood earlier in life.
Mullaly teaches about choices and obstacles you may come up against and persuasions (for example the family favorite the Yabbut) that may get in your way. My daughter, age 6 was fascinated by this story, completely engaged and full of questions during our reading and after.
Land of AND is Mullaly’s second book. It’s theme focuses on inclusion and acceptance. As I said before, I have a 6 year old girl as well as a 4 year old boy. It is startling to me that my young children are already dealing with inclusion/exclusion and acceptance/disapproval. This story is beautiful; the pages are filled with color, wonderful characters and life lessons regarding kindness, self worth, empathy, respect and companionship. My 4 year old son was concentrating on the pictures and the adventure of the characters (his favorite continuing to be the Yabbut) and my 6 year old daughter would recap the ideas after a few pages to keep the story straight in her mind. While I believe they are on the young side of the “age appropriate” spectrum, they absolutely understood the themes Mullaly is outlining in a fun and creative way and will grow up continuing to read, learn and practice what she is preaching.
The life lessons Mullaly concentrates on in both her books are the foundation of an upstanding human. The earlier children learn these traits the better. With the focus of our future in technology, it saddens me that personality characteristics are losing their luster. I believe Mullaly is just the author we need to build our children’s self esteem and comradery and for that I thank her.
I can not describe how much I loved this story.
It has to do with including others and accepting them for who they are. I recently had the opportunity to spend time with this amazing author and I loved her. Her stories aren’t just for children but stories we can all learn from. I look forward to reading more if her work.
We love the Land of AND!!!
My children have been eagerly awaiting the second book in the series and author Katie Mullaly did not disappoint. My kids love the graphics (which once again are marvelous) and enjoy the map in the back of the book and are excited to explore the website dedicated to this series. This book has become a favorite and we enjoy reading it together. As a parent, I enjoy having a message taught as we are reading and then having the opportunity to discuss the message with my kids. We have loved this series and can’t wait for the others!simply must return to them over and over.
These are the best written and illustrated kids books I’ve seen since Dr. Seuss.
I read to my nephews at least once a week, sometimes twice. I recently got the books “Land of Or” and the “Land of And”. These are books about travel in an imaginary land with great lessons, many that I try to convey to adults through my series. I usually only read one book or part of a bigger book each week. But, my nephews loved the first book so much that they demanded I read the second one as well. These are the best written and illustrated kids books I’ve seen since Dr. Seuss. My nephews are 6 and 9. I’d say these books are perfect for kids 3 up to 10 or 11. These books are smartly written with great messages for kids and they rhyme, much like Dr. Seuss. They also have awesome illustrations. We all gave them a big thumbs up!
Congratulations to Yabbut & Friends!
