Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Emily Was SO Embarrassed
Michelle Olson · 2025
76/100
👍 Worth It
Using real craft supplies — buttons with wire limbs set inside a craft box — as characters is a visually inventive choice that immediately sets this apart on a shelf, and Kirkus confirmed the creative execution lands. The stage-fright-and-resilience message is handled warmly without being preachy. The story arc is conventional for the genre, but the illustration technique gives it genuine shelf appeal and a memorable hook for young readers.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety98
substance72
craft78
originality82
accuracy85
hype80
age-fit88
human-eye78
Penny’s verdict76
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