The Book With No Pictures
Penguin Canada
age 5-8
By B.J. Novack
48 pages
Synopsis from Penguin Canada:
You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . . BLORK. Or BLUURF.
Even as an adult I love reading pictures books, good picture books. I’ve had the opportunity to share some of our favourites within our Kids Book Review section but sometimes kids feel as though they are too big for pictures books or maybe they’re struggling with moving into middle grade books because of the lack of pictures. It’s true, the illustrations in some of my favourite pictures books can make a huge difference on the story being told but a really good story can entertain all on its own.
That’s the premise behind The Book With No Pictures. It’s about the words and that the reader (that’s you mom or dad) has to read all of the words no matter what. It’s part of your job as the storyteller. This book catches the listener and reader’s attention quickly as the words become nonsensical. The story is more about the reader getting caught reading crazy words but it does show how a story without pictures can be entertaining. My youngest daughter read this book at school first and talked non-stop about it walking home. When we received our review copy she couldn’t wait to read it again, out loud, to anyone who would listen.
Although you will find no pictures in the illustration sense of the word but the text acts a bit like the images, varying in font size and colour. This helps create a separation between the words within the story and the readers dialog (like your inner voice but being read out loud).
You can find a copy of The Book With No Pictures at your local bookstore or at Penguin Random House Canada. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations.