Who Has an Appetite for Books?
Written: Sep 01 '07 (Updated Sep 10 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Use of books, note cards, bindings
Humour
Design
Cons: While creative, it might be considered a little too gimmicky by some readers
The Bottom Line: Oliver Jeffers introduces a possible new way to enjoy the flavor of a good book, but this picturebook offers a humorous way to consider books.
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| pestyside's Full Review: Oliver Jeffers - The Incredible Book Eating Boy |
A good book should be devoured and children should be encouraged to have a hunger for knowledge, especially that which comes from books. It's healthy, but perhaps this book wasn't quite what people had in mind when they stated phrases such as "I simply devoured the book!"
Oliver Jeffers, author and illustrator of the quirky book, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, gives new meaning to craving books. There was a time when people thought they had discovered the easy way to learn—it involved sleeping with books under the pillow. You can laugh, but many believed it worked. I can't say it helped them much. Young Henry has an unusual approach to books. He is convinced that chewing on and eating books will make him smarter.
Henry loved eating all sorts of books: dictionaries, atlases, joke books, books of facts, But red ones were his favorites." He was convinced that he was getting smarter and smarter the more he ate. The proof was often found after eating a book of a certain topic and realizing that he then knew about that topic. "He ate a book about goldfish and then he knew what to feed Ginger," his goldfish. After a while he was completing his dad’s crossword puzzles and was smarter than his teacher.
As it turns out not all books are meant to be devoured, as in consumed and digested by bodily functions. The result of overeating materials not meant for human consumption was that books began to chase him in his dreams. Something was going very wrong and after a bite of the Best Quiche 1972 book Henry turned green, greener, and greenest until he ejected the contents of your stomach. This was his final turning, churning of the pages and he could eat books no more.
Before the book ends Harry begins to realize that he had a hunger for reading, but more in the traditional sense. There was more than one way to devour a book.
The Incredible Book Eating Boy may draw a response of “say it isn’t so” from my many bibliophile friends. Oliver Jeffers has written this for a wide range of young readers, preschool through fourth grade. Traces of the pages from the various books he consumes form the backdrops. Primitive drawings of Henry, his family, and everyone else will hold a lot of appeal for young readers. Clever notes and text will have older readers looking for deeper messages. Many will laugh at the chase scene with the big, red A-Z Monsters book. Some will be delighted by their new excuses for not knowing answers in class, “Gee, teacher, I thought 6 + 2 equaled 3….No?....I guess I’ve eaten too many books….Sorry.” Everyone will laugh at some of Henry’s embarrassing moments. Henry even received some advice from his favorite red book on monsters.
Young readers will enjoy the gimmicky bite on the book and the disclaimer on the back cover. This is fun, from front cover to back cover and readers (and parents) will enjoy the animated shared reading opportunities they discover between the bookcovers. I appreciated the way Jeffers uses books to illustrate the pages. The message about enjoying books holds appeal for this reader and will charm many of my librarian friends. This large hardcover picture book is guaranteed to delight readers who possess a passion for books. The entire book is filled with wit just waiting to be relished by new eyes. Yes, Henry finds new ways to chew on tough topics and healthier approaches for consuming new knowledge. Anticipate chortling, or groaning, your way through this innovative book.
This book is my first contribution to the Fight Illiteracy W/O. Join Cindy's and Dramastef's Fight Illiteracy W/O! I challenge others in this W/O to see who can submit the most reviews and contribute the most books! What a great idea.
Recommended:
Yes
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