So-Hee and Lowy - Anna Kang - ★★★.½

AUTHOR: Anna Kang

ILLUSTRATOR: Christopher Weyant

GENRE: Children's Picture Book.

PUBLICATION DATE: April 22, 2025

RATING: 3.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: A picture book about a little girl and her pet snake. I read it mainly to see how snakes could be appealing as pets because I am firmly against the idea. 🥴Good story, great illustrations. A nice option for kids looking for a story of friendship and reptilian fun. Did I like the book? Quite. Did I change my mind about pet snakes? Heck, No!

Plot Preview:

Little So-Hee, an only child, is quite lonely. Because of her allergies, she cannot play freely, and she can’t even have furry pets. So when she spies a pet shop with non-furry options, she discovers Lowy, a ball python. Though her neighbours are wide-eyed at seeing Lowy, they soon get used to the little girl and her slithery pet. But one day, Lowy goes missing - Eeks! 😳

There are two reasons I cannot fathom a snake being kept as a pet.

1. I’m terrified of reptiles! For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can have snakes and lizards as pets. I mean no judgement against them and I am totally in awe of their guts. But give me a dog or a cat over a snake or a bearded dragon. *shudder!*

2. Snakes aren’t meant to be pets! Just because some animals are docile doesn’t mean they should be brought inside our homes. From a conservation point of view, keeping any reptile or other exotic species like axolotls as pets can spell disaster for their numbers.

So just to be clear, I read the book willingly, but I am against the idea of exotic animals as pets.

Now for the book review.

My main reason for grabbing this was to see if there is any appeal to snakes as pets. Well, Lowy is quite a cool snake. She plays with So-Hee, she chills on the recliner soaking up the sun, she even rides along with So-Hee on her cycle. (So all the positives are cute but fictional.) But Lowy also has the bad habit of disappearing. Or perhaps I should say, Lowy has the habit of doing what’s in her own best interest, which sometimes means that she leaves So-Hee and wanders off. The onus of responsibility should be on So-Hee and her mother; Lowy can't be blamed.

The story is fun to read. So-Hee and Lowy have a strong bond, and it shows in the writing as well as the graphics. I love how So-Hee genuinely cares for Lowy, even though she can't always guess what her pet wants. There are many comical scenes that are bound to generate giggles. Some things are farfetched, but hey, it’s a children’s picture book; it is allowed some slack in the realism department.

That said, I wish the ending had been better handled. It felt too rushed and leaves some details without explanation.

The vocabulary level is quite manageable, and the text is in legible font and well-spaced out on the page. Quite easy on the eye.

This book might encourage kids to consider getting a snake as a pet, and if so, the responsibility is on parents to make sure that they are ready for the long commitment. (Way more than a decade or two.) Don’t dump the poor snake in the wild if you can't handle its feeding or caretaking!

The illustrations are outstanding. (The illustrator and the author are a husband-wife team.) So-Hee and Lowy are cute enough. But the background detailing on every page steals the show. I especially loved the depiction of the apartment complex where So-Hee lives with her mom. Most picture books show single houses, so it was amazing to see a book showing a housing complex with multiple residents. We get a nice peek into multiple neighbours and their windows. 10 stars for the illustrations! (Any illustrator who can make me view a snake with fondness deserves extra credit.)

Overall, I liked the story enough, but my natural reservation against the idea of exotic animals as pets got in the way of my enjoyment. This picture book would work for kids aged 2-7 years.

My thanks to Two Lions for providing the DRC of “So-Hee and Lowy” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.