P.T. Evans' Emoji Adventures, Book One -The Horse Party - is much more than just the Emoji images. It's a story about a young Emoji girl, Annie, and her twin brother, Kevin. Annie is not the most popular Emoji child in Emojiville, but she does have two really great friends, Dot (Dorothy) and Billy. They do everything together, but their plan to visit the fair is upset when Tiffany, the popular Emoji in their class, hands out invitations to her horse themed birthday party. Annie is horse crazy and determined to be included. She tries everything, but with a nasty twin brother sabotaging everything she does, it's a hard task to convince the ever popular Tiffany to include Annie. In the end, Annie does get her invite, but her friends don't. The party is a bust. Was it really worth it to risk losing two great friends for a ten-minute ride on a pony? In the end, Annie learns a very important lesson from her friends: "The freedom that comes from not caring about being popular is BETTER than freedom that comes from not caring about being popular is BETTER than being popular." It is a powerful lesson for all of us to learn and perhaps more than once. This is an exceptional story complete with cute Emoji pictures. A real treasure.
- Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite.