4.5 stars

Mattie Robins loves animals, birds, and all furry/ winged creatures. She wishes for a puppy on a shooting star hoping her dad would agree to get her one. 

Lo and behold! She finds a pup that needs some help. When a new vet arrives in town with her son and a lot of rescue animals, Mattie and her bestie Zoe, volunteer to help. With so many animals that need rescuing, they need to find a way to rehome the cuties with responsible adults. 

The story comes in Mattie’s third-person POV. 

I enjoy the author’s stories and knew I had to read this the moment I saw the book. While I’m not an animal lover like these kiddos, I do love animals from a distance and want them to be safe, healthy, and happy. 

The book starts with Mattie in her treehouse which is a proper home with a functioning kitchen! Of course, she lives with her dad in a normal brick home but this place is her haven. 

As the story progresses, we meet more people and many, many animals! From rats to ferrets to tortoises and several kittens, you can pick the one you want. I have to mention Liquorice the jackdaw and his penchant for stealing shiny things. 

There are four kids in the book. Mattie and Zoe are best friends with opposite traits. Mattie is a whirlwind and Zoe is a proper planner. That girl and her color-coded charts; I love organized kids! Casper is fun and responsible, and soon becomes a part of the group. Though their ages are not mentioned, they are illustrated, so I put them around 8-10. 

Naturally, kids do fight and have arguments. But they apologize and accept their faults, which I 100% approve. The same goes for adults who realize their mistakes and apologize to kids or make amendments. 

Since this is middle-grade, all adults in the book love animals even when the little ones are being unruly monsters. Not realistic but well, we need an example of how one can react in similar situations. I’ll take it. 

As you can guess, the book ends on a happy note with a promise that there will be more adventures to follow. After all, animals need rescuing and loving homes. 

The font is neat and aptly sized. There are several black & white illustrations throughout the book. These are either pencil sketches or a blend of pencil and charcoal. The rough lines and shading work perfectly to enhance the vibe and make the story even more endearing. The artwork aligns with the content on the pages. We see the kids and some adults with the animals again taking the spotlight. I love those little posters and forms. So cute! 

To summarize, The Appletree Animal Agency is a beautiful, adorable, and lovely book about kids, animals, and responsible adults. I’d be delighted to read more books in the series. 

Thank you, NetGalley, and Walker Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #TheAppletreeAnimalAgency