Punctuation to the Rescue was so cute! The illustrations were absolutely adorable and kept my 4 year old engaged and laughing through every page. I think the target audience is closer to early elementary school as my son didn't truly understand all of the different punctuations...I even learned something new with the explanation of pilcrow. Overall, I think this would be a fun way to introduce punctuation to an elementary aged kiddo.

As a side note, we read this through NetGalley reader on a desktop and I believe some of the text boxes didn't display correctly and covered up some of the illustrations.

My daughter and I read this book together. She's not a very confident reader and there were quite a lot of tricky words but the storyline kept her interested to read to the end.

The story was good and it was beautifully illustrated, my only criticism would be that as a picture book some of the words might be too complicated for young children.

Overall, it was a lovely book to read and we enjoyed it.

This is a delightful book for upper elementary aged readers to teach them about punctuation in a really fun and silly way! I do think it was a bit long, but overall its an educational book that I think will draw its readers in while teaching them how important it is to use punctuation properly.

This book is perfect for kids learning grammar. It makes it easier to understand and to learn about proper use for punctuation.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy to review.

This book I think was needed. I don't see a lot of picture books that cover punctuation in a fun picture book format. I think this book would be really helpful for children just learning about punctuation. I love how when each punctuation mark speaks that they use they own punctuation symbol. Great way to review while you are reading. I will be requesting this book for my library.

A fun and factual picture book explaining and celebrating the importance of punctuation.

The colourful and quirky illustrations work well alongside this story, which is both entertaining and educational. The story captured the imagination of my children and cleverly introduced often-underappreciated punctuation and its purpose.

After a fun-filled adventure, order is restored with the help of excited Exclamation, curious Question Mark, the thoughtful pauses of Comma, and conclusive Period (or Full Stop as it is known in Australia).

With many thanks to Fleecydale Press, Cheryl Olsten and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a digital review copy of this book.

This book would be an ideal resource for parents and teachers, to support young readers and explore punctuation in a fun and engaging way!

This children's book is terrific. It would be best suited for upper elementary and possibly EL classrooms. The only suggestion I have would be to make the italicized words a bit bigger to draw attention to them. I had to squint to see them. Nice job and I love the more advanced vocabulary words.

I thought that this was a great book, but it was a little bit lengthy for a kids' book. I found myself getting a bit lost halfway through before the story got back on track. I think the key to getting this book down to a more reasonable length would be removing the bit where Period falls into the water. I thought it didn't really add to the overall story, and it didn't serve any crucial purpose. However, every other plot point made sense, and helped the story move forward in a smooth fashion. As for the story itself: so clever! It's entertaining and, at the same time, it illustrates the importance of proper punctuation, and how we shouldn't take something that seems so simple for granted. Lastly, I adored how each punctuation mark had its own unique and distinct personality, even the "non-main" characters. Bravo!

I can't resist a children's book about punctuation. In "Punctuation to the Rescue", our characters set sail in search of adventure...and find an island in desperate need of, well, punctuation.

This is a cute and playful way to introduce kids to—or remind them about—the different roles that basic punctuation serves. Like other picture books on the same topic, this sticks (mostly) to punctuation basics (periods and commas, question marks and exclamation marks), though it also has some playful points to make about the shifting use of punctuation over time (e.g., the pilcrow). I'm thinking that will go largely over kids' heads, but it's a fun addition for the adult reader.

The art is fun and colorful, and I *love* the idea of a lighthouse library. The formatting of the text brings things down a bit—feels a bit as though text boxes were inserted over the art in Canva, without much care to how the alignment looks or to text size (italicized text is about half the size of roman text here). Still a fun story and nice art, of course, just makes it feel a bit less professional.

Here's to more playful punctuation picture books!

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Loved it!! As a teacher I can't say enought about how cute this book is! It should be on the required reading list for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders!. The illustrations is wonderful. The storyline and setting are both good. With lots of adventures happening you do not even notice the correct method of when and how to use punctuation is being taught to you. Especially love how the punctuatios have to become the heroes to get the word chaos in order and bring peace to the island.

This was super cute! As a punctuation lover, I loved it. This would be great for introducing punctuation in an elementary classroom! I think kids would love to read this after learning about and practicing punctuation.

Punctuation to the Rescue is one of the most quirky yet educational books I've read this year. Believe it or not, I am so thrilled to read a book about grammar, but specifically underappreciated punctuation. In the society we currently live in, punctuation seems to disappear with the advent of texting, emojis, and slang. So many writers in everyday communication act as if punctuation isn't important, but this picture book sure tells us that is not the case. As an English and Composition professor, I am happy to see an author discuss the importance and value of punctuation.

The author Cheryl Olsten really takes us on an adventure where we meet Comma, Period, Exclamation, and Question as book characters. What makes them come to life even more are the beautiful and colorful illustrations by Sara Not. I really enjoyed the sailing adventure they take to the Island of Chaos.

My only complaint is that the book was a bit longer than I expected so depending on the age range of the students/kids reading it is possible they may lose interest. However, them getting to the end gives them the best message and lesson of why we need and use punctuation.

I would definitely recommend this to 3rd-6th graders because they can understand punctuation in a better, fun way instead of doing exercises or busy work. It's always great when grammar is learned and used for premium effect.

4.5 stars

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5
📖 Genre: Children’s Educational Fiction
📅 Publication Date: October 30, 2024

📚 Summary:

In Punctuation to the Rescue, Cheryl Olsten brings punctuation marks to life in a delightful adventure that educates young readers about the importance of proper punctuation. The story begins in a lighthouse library where Exclamation Point, weary of being overused, convinces fellow punctuation marks — Comma, Period, and Question Mark — to embark on a much-needed vacation. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when they land on the Island of Chaos, a place where words run amok without proper punctuation. Realizing the disorder their absence has caused, the punctuation pals set out to restore order, teaching the island’s inhabitants the significance of their roles in structuring language.

🖋️ My Thoughts:

Cheryl Olsten masterfully combines education with entertainment in this charming tale.

✔ Engaging Characters: Each punctuation mark is personified with distinct traits — Exclamation Point’s exuberance, Comma’s thoughtful pauses, Period’s decisiveness, and Question Mark’s curiosity — making them relatable and memorable for young readers.

✔ Educational Value: The narrative cleverly introduces fundamental punctuation concepts, demonstrating how each mark contributes to clear communication. Children learn the roles of different punctuation marks through the characters’ adventures, reinforcing the importance of proper punctuation in a fun and accessible way.

✔ Vibrant Illustrations: Sara Not’s illustrations are lively and expressive, enhancing the story’s appeal. The visuals complement the text beautifully, capturing the personalities of the punctuation marks and the chaos of an unpunctuated world.

🔸 Minor Drawbacks:

▫ Complex Vocabulary: Some terms may be advanced for the youngest readers, but they provide opportunities for vocabulary expansion with adult guidance.

✨ Final Verdict:

Punctuation to the Rescue is a delightful blend of storytelling and education, making it an excellent resource for teaching children about punctuation. Cheryl Olsten’s creative approach, combined with Sara Not’s engaging illustrations, results in a book that is both informative and entertaining. It’s a valuable addition to any child’s library, especially for those beginning to explore the rules of writing.

📌 Recommended For:

✔ Children aged 3–6 who are starting to learn about punctuation.

✔ Parents and educators seeking an engaging tool to teach writing mechanics.

✔ Anyone who enjoys imaginative stories that personify everyday elements.

Embark on this whimsical journey with Period, Comma, Exclamation Point, and Question Mark, and discover how punctuation truly brings order to our words.

I would use this story in ny classroom when talking about punctuation marks. It is a fun adventure story! It teaches students how to correctly use the marks and not to overuse them.

When a book falls off a shelf it stirs the punctuation off the page (well, some of it – there were clearly no brackets or m-dashes present), and they go on strike, taking themselves off for a holiday together to get over their feeling of being under-appreciated. The quirk of them all is they use themselves in their speech, so Exclamation is always Shouting! Things!! and Question is forever using its own format, too. There's a major blip when you think Period is in peril, and someone still gets to use him, but they escape that problem and move on – to an island full of rampaging words. Have they found a place they'll be appreciated and used properly and heavily at last?

The feeling for me was that this could have been better. It's not without cleverness – the @ symbol is here as a monkey's tail, which is the name used for it in The Netherlands. But as I say the thing goofs in using Period when Period is thought gone for a Burton. It's also definitely US only – the British English doesn't call them exclamation points or periods. And the point of the story seems to be to use them well and well enough for them to be proud – but surely things might have been more pointed and more inventive when we saw the effect of not having them around? Here the book itself is an example of them being used in strong amounts and cleverly, but perhaps we should actually see them disappear, forcing us to appreciate them more due to their temporary absence?

Still, what we have is perfectly reasonable, even if without the clearest purpose. It's colourful and brisk enough to appeal. But it felt like a set of type that has been blunted with age – it didn't have the sharpest point to it.

This books is brilliant! It's such a clever way to introduce punctuation or to reinforce for those who are struggling.
Books which are factual with a story aren't usually executed properly but this one hit the nail on the head. I feel like this will become a staple in classrooms too. My only niggle is the white background behind the text, I feel like this let's down the book as the illustrations are amazing, perhaps in the final copy it might not have this in but as it is I feel like it makes it lack the professional look.

My daughter absolutely adored this book while I read it to her. It was such a fun book to read and explore, it's so colorful and well written.
What a journey this book takes you on and makes them realize how important they really are which is a good lesson for children to learn.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for sending me this book to be able to review.

This is an excellent introduction to punctuation. A must have for all teachers. It makes learning fun!! I will recommend it to all my fellow educators!!

Punctuation to the rescue is an amazing funny story while explain the use of punctuation. Love the story. This will help Children learning English in a fun way. The illustrations are bright clear tell th story. Great read.

this was so awesome. personification is such a fan way to learn, and as a lover of grammar i'm sure i would have been obsessed with this cute little book. this would be a wonderful at-home add-on to a child's curriculum, complimenting what they're learning in school (in a very fun manner!). there's some very clever use of punctuation IN the sentences spoken by each punctuation type, and shaping different words to look like animals was equally engaging. one thing: this a a very small gripe, but i do wish the shark wasn't portrayed as so scary :(

other than that, this was great fun!

I loved this book! It was charming and I would easily gift it to all my friend's kids. The illustrations are very fun, colorful, and visually stimulating. The content was educational, silly, and touched on themes of putting aside your own agenda to help others, along with gratitude. There is also enough going on it the story that a parent can reread it and it won't feel too repetitive the first few times. Overall, it a solid children's book and there is great balance between the illustrations, writing, and story quality.

Will post a review to GoodReads, StoryGraph, and Fable on Oct.30, 2025

This was a lovely picture book! Comma, Period, Exclamation, and Question were all such fun, expressive characters, and the illustrations were full of imagination. I love the concept of a library lighthouse, and an island in chaos without punctuation to add clarity to sentences. I think this would be a great teaching tool. Each character utilizes their own punctuation when they speak, giving instructors plenty of example sentences to show children. My only issue with the book is the text boxes sometimes look a little off, with the text being at times too close to the edge of the text box.

This book is a fantastic read and wonderful for those learning the English language. I enjoyed the author’s ability to teach something critical while also creating a plot that had high stakes, a destination, new characters, and a delightful end. I am thoroughly impressed with this one, and the art is wonderful.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this eARC! I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.

This book contained everything I would have loved as a child - the illustrations are beautiful, brightly colored and the DETAILS. I cannot say enough good things about them - from the look on the punctuations' faces, to the things that were funny to me as an adult (like the Bay of Flamingos on the map) - this is a book that is sure to delight children and the adults reading to them.

The book is also thoughtfully written - although it may escape very young readers, each form of punctuation is used when that particular character is speaking or spoken about. I thought this was quite clever.

I love a children's book like this, that has educational value without feeling heavy handed. Cheryl Olsten strikes the perfect balance - you'll get so wrapped up in the punctuations' adventure that you won't even realize you're learning. I can't wait to buy a physical copy of this book and read it to my niece!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fleecydale Press for this eARC!

Netgalley ARC - 4.5 stars. This was a fun adventure! I like how the different punctuation marks were used for emphasis throughout, and I especially love the idea of incorporating outdated or unused punctuation marks ❣️❣️❣️

An adorable way to learn punctuation. Beautiful illustrations as well. I can see this being used in classrooms, although the story is cute enough for any child learning to write. Justice for Pilcrow!

Making punctuation fun and appreciated.

The punctuation in the library is feeling unloved, and they decide to take a holiday... to the Island of Fun. After a dangerous voyage, they find their destination... oh no, it's the Island of Chaos!

Everything is... well, in chaos! Words are mixed up, there are no proper sentences, can our plucky punctuation crew restore order and even make some new friends in the process?

There's lots here to enjoy, and lots of examples carefully woven in of each sort of punctuation. I even learned what a love point and a pilcrow are (I'd see a pilcrow but never heard the name! And a love point is adorable - these need a comeback immediately).

I found the story a little conventional as an adult reader, but my son enjoyed the adventure and reading it. The illustrations are bright, colourful and the anthropomorphising of the punctuation is well done.

Helpful aid to teaching basic grammar and helping children learn why it's important. Though for me, apostrophes are the one we need to push!

For ages 5-9.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

This is very cute! The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and colourful and fun. What a gorgeous way to encourage early readers and teach them about punctuation.
The story did not go where I thought it would - I thought the books at the library would fall into complete disarray without their punctuation, but instead we went on an adventure with the main crew.
I loved how they appreciated each other and Question Mark kept asking what would they do without them?
A super fun teaching tool too - I can imagine the use in the classroom where kids go off and draw their own versions of the characters and write stories or sentences using their characters.
Very well done.

Before I launch into my review, I would like to say a huge thank you to Cheryl Olsten, Fleecydale Press and Netgalley for the Digital Reader Copy of this title. For anyone with their eye on this title, here is my personal review of the book to help you decide whether you are interested or not. All opinions offered are my own.

This is an absolutely wonderful, quirky book that demonstrates punctuation with a combination of showing and telling.

Four friieds, Eclamation Point, Period, Comma, and Question Mark decide to go on holiday to cure them,selves of their depression that is a direct consequence of feeling underused and appreciated. They decide to head to the Island of Fun and end up on Chaos Island where they meet Pilcrow who explains that punctuation has fallen by the wayside. With a little cajooling, the punctuation symbols work with words to see if they can bring order to the island. Only time will tell whether they are successful and at what cost.

I was thoroughly absorbed by thi book. What a novel idea and a wonderful example of how to use some of our most used punctuation marks. I loved that the story incorporated the explanation into the story and used all the different marks in the text as well as in the illustrations. One of the best planned and created books I have read in a while that took every point, every word, every picture and all the finer details into account. I would recommend this to children around the ages of 6-9 years old who are developing their writing skills. It will not produce young Shakespeares overnight, but it will give a basic foundation to set them on the right path.

This book is utterly deserving of 5 out of 5 stars!

"Punctuation to the Rescue" makes learning about punctuation FUN! Exclamation point feels under appreciated and decides to leave for the Island of Fun with his pals Period, Question Mark, and Comma. Throughout the book, the author uses dialogue for each punctuation mark according to their purpose. I can think of a handful of mini-lessons I could do as a teacher after sharing this story. The pictures are colorful, and I especially loved the visual representation of the chaos that happens when sentences do not have punctuation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any teacher of any age group!

Comma, Period, Exclamation Point, and Question Mark feel overworked and underappreciated. They decide to take a vacation to the Island of Fun. When they instead discover they've ended up on the Island of Chaos, they help get the island's punctuation back under control.

This is a fun way to introduce kids to the concept of punctuation. The art is fun and the story is fairly simple to follow. However, the introduction of punctuation such as the Pilcrow and the Love Point may require a bit of additional explaining from a grown-up reader.

Loving these Punctuation Pals

Such a fun filled way to give personality to punctuation and reinforce the purpose of each. Without spoiling it, I love the punctuation fun fact that gets included in the happily ever after.

The illustrations featured an exciting adventure with many sub-categories to generate discussions.

This would be a great book as a classroom/group lesson to creatively reinforce prior lessons about punctuation. If a child is struggling it might be a great conversation starter one on one to work through their challenges and clarify.

I received a copy of this book from Cheryl Olsten. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.

Punctuation to the Rescue is a cute way to teach students about the various types of punctuation through a picture book. I think it will engage students and it demonstrates the concepts through the story. My only criticism is that it seemed a little long but, students in grades 3-6 would be a good target audience. This would be a good addition to any school, public or classroom library for students to read as a class, small group or individually.

Thank you to Net Galley, Cheryl Olsten and Fleecydale Press for the opportunity to preview this title. In exchange I am sharing my honest review.
Punctuation to the Rescue is available now.

This is the perfect story for any home schooler or story hour. With illustrations that have a delightful Alice in Wonderland feel as word come to life in their definition form and punctuation marks move through the world this delightful book shows the playful side of grammar that writers are so privileged to know. The text of the short picture book draws in readers to think about the how the actions of the punctuation marks are mirror in their use. Something this is a little jarring, but I think this opens up door for discussion for children about language works and can invigorate them to try some of the thinking and writing games on their own.

I think this will be a fun summer read to keep children thinking, learning, and reading. I see this as a ingenious way to fostering creativity and critical thinking. Partnered with books a child knows in their reading bracket, I could see scavenger hunts and literary explorations to bring about a delightful rainy day activities!

I love the creativity of the text and the clever way that the sentences link to the punctuation marks as well as the introduction of older punctuation to show how times change. Lots of useful discussions would occur here. The colourful illustrations draw you in and add a vibrancy against the black punctuation marks. There are however times when the text is forced to include the punctuation marks such as the party which leads to the flow of the story being sacrificed in order for the sentences to fit. A great idea.

What an awesome book!

The story is original: Involving many punctuation marks and taking them on a sailing trip. Along the way they meet all kinds of characters. It’s a fun and educative book.

The illustrations are lovely and very colourful.

I would recommend this book for sure!

One of my most memorable teachers was the one-- the only one-- who tried to make grammar fun. There's not enough fun when it comes to learning the rules of language, but language is really fun! This book does such a great job of being informative and amusing. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

The book was beautifully written. Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. I cannot wait to buy this for my classroom! Thank you for this advance reading copy!

This book made me appreciate punctuation better. The explanations, the imagery, and how it all fits together to tell the story is just amazing. Great read for a young audience.

My students will love seeing punctuation as characters in this story! The illustrations were large and this would make a great read aloud for a class. This story was funny and sweet. I would recommend it for a K-2 class or kids under 8.

A group of characters who are all different types of punctuation, decide to go on an adventure. Throughout the storyline, the dialogue between the punctuation marks provides information as to what the different marks do and are responsible for.

I found this book to be delightful overall. The pictures and animations were absolutely captivating - being the best parts of the book, actually. They added a vibrant and engaging visual element. The storyline itself was very informative, providing knowledge about punctuation in an accessible and enjoyable manner. Additionally, the dialogue between the characters was quite funny, adding a lighthearted touch that kept me entertained throughout.

However, there were a couple of aspects that distracted from the overall experience. The font used in the book was a bit off-putting, juxtaposed against such fun pictures, it came across "document" in style. Moreover, the white background behind the text gave the book an "amateurish" feel, which unfortunately drew attention away from the beautiful drawings.

Despite these minor issues, I would still recommend this book for its engaging content and wonderful illustrations.

WOW I loved this book! What a cute premise, I don’t think I have seen any other book like this - with the punctuation as the characters! I loved the storyline and the art work was phenomenal! Truly, what a great book to add to your bookshelves!

Funny, cute, honestly I laughed out loud. I want to give this to 7th graders every time they don’t use punctuation at all in their sentences!

I had low expectations for a story about punctuation marks but I could not have been more wrong! A brilliantly clever story interwoven from the punctuation marks and their roles. I was thrilled to see a cameo role for pilcrow and a nod to the future of punctuation. Very clever illustration, particularly of the words. My only qualm is the difference between US and UK terminology makes this a little harder to use in UK, but it is so clever, I will be using it anyway!

This book is adorable. I love following the adventures of the punctuation marks as well as the snuck in lessons on how to use each mark correctly. the animals and such made of words and symbols is wonderful. This book is full of wonderful messages presented in a fun engaging way.

The punctuation marks don't feel appreciated and decide to go on an adventure. What will happen when they encounter an island of chaos, instead? This is a story about the importance of punctuation and finding renewed meaning.

As a fan of punctuation (team Oxford comma), this picture book had my attention from the beginning. It's very silly and the illustrations are so colorful and show a ton motion. This would be a fun way to bring up a discussion on punctuation in a school setting.

Thanks to Fleecydale Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

It was a thrilling adventure to join the Punctuation Marks on this journey! Cheryl Olsten's text is joyous and informative without being overwhelming to grasp! We learn the basics of how, where and why the four punctuations are used. The text reads along quite well with Sara Not's GORGEOUS illustrations!

Every page and spread has so many details you can take the time to look over and enjoy with your little one. The ISLAND OF CHAOS and how the chaos is visualised with words took my breath away. I flipped the pages back and forth multiple times just to go over all the details, animals, words, objects, and more.

A delightful story with beautiful illustrations!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mother of two here! This book was perfect for my 2nd grader who is working on improving her punctuation and story-telling. Cheryl Olsten does a wonderful job, as the context was perfect for my 8-year-old to interpret and explain to me. This adorable story reminded us of The Day The Crayons Quit. The illustrations were so creative, as the punctuation set sail to reach Island of Fun but ended up on the Island of Chaos. The word animals were so fun, my kids loved it! Anything with animals is a hit in our household. We really enjoyed this unique story and beautiful illustrations. We will definitely recommend this to our daughter’s 2nd grade teacher!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fleecydale Press for this eARC!

A fun and adventure-filled picture book about the role of punctuation!
This book is a fun elementary read that would be a great pairing with a lesson./activity having to do with punctuation marks and their uses. I love how the author personified the different punctuation in ways that matched how the mark is used in real life (like the exclamation point being excitable and loud). I loved the 'Island of Chaos' bit, and this could be a fun thing for kids to do alongside the book characters (I also had no idea what a Pilcrow was and had to Google it while reading).
Overall a definite fun read!