Published by Simon & Schuster, 2026.

After seeing the gorgeous cover, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to read and review this delightful new picture book!

Kúyẹ is a baby pangolin who just can’t wait to grow up and do things all on his own. But Kúyẹ’s eagerness to “go go go”, without listening to his mama, keeps getting him into all sorts of mix-ups! Most of all, he’s desperate to master “the ball” – the special way pangolins curl up to protect themselves. To Kúyẹ it looks like a fun game but, when a snake shows up, he learns that it’s much more than that.

The story explores a familiar theme – a young animal/child’s eagerness for independence – in a gentle and comical way. Kúyẹ rushes into everything head first, without stopping to listen and learn from his mama. Cue lots of funny scenes which are captured brilliantly in the book’s colourful illustrations and the alarmed expressions of the other animals in the forest. The chaos includes near misses with elephant dung, a termite sandstorm and a hippo who’s taken by surprise.

The stable, protective presence of mama pangolin, who remains calm in a crisis, gives the story a comforting and reassuring message for young readers. Eventually, Kúyẹ learns that there’s no need to rush; with his mother’s guidance he will learn everything in good time.

This is a cosy feel-good story with plenty of giggles and mayhem – perfect to share at bedtime or in the classroom.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 3+

Buy book Click on the link to buy You’ve Got This, Little Pangolin from Bookshop.org.

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Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me this book to review. I reviewed it as part of the You’ve Got This, Little Pangolin blog tour. Check out all the other posts on the tour for more exclusive content.

Sadly, pangolins are the most illegally trafficked animals in the world. You can read more about pangolins and the conservation work being done to protect them by clicking here.