{"id":468236221,"title":"The Boy \u0026 the Book","handle":"the-boy-the-book-a-wordless-story","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan size=\"4\" style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003eThe Boy \u0026amp; the Book\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan size=\"3\" style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003e[a wordless story]\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Author David Michael Slater\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/david-michael-slater\"\u003eDavid Michael Slater\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Bob Kolar\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/bob-kolar\"\u003eBob Kolar\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA spine-tingling tale of book bonding.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this wordless story, a little boy finds a book that he loves at the library. It’s a match made in kid lit heaven. But not for the book. Sometimes the little boy’s excitement gets the better of him and the book suffers from possibly too much love: bent pages, tears, hugs, tossing, and shaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poor book requires first aid from his friends. Every time the boy comes to the library, the books hide and plan escape routes. But when the book gets away from imminent danger in the boy’s hands, the look of loss in the boy’s eyes is enough to turn a tragic tale into a love story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe boy soon learns that the book is not just an object and is so much more on the inside. He loves the story the book gives him more than the fun he had playing with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBob Kolar’s charming and hilarious illustrations show how sometimes our love for a good book can be too much, but with a more gentle touch, books can give us much comfort and joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Lola at the Library\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/lola-at-the-library\"\u003eLola at the Library\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/boy-and-the-book-spread.jpg?1633018694860945775\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid Michael Slater, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Michael Slater is sorry to say that books were harmed in the making of this story. Please do not call the Book Police, as he is the loving author of sixteen picture books, including \u003cem\u003eThe Bored Book\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCheese Louise!\u003c\/em\u003e He is also the author of the Sacred Books series for teens, as well as a novel for adults. David teaches middle-schoolers to love words in Reno, Nevada, where he reads with his wife and son.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author David Michael Slater\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/david-michael-slater\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about David.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBob Kolar, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBob Kolar grew up in fear of messing up a book—probably because the library in his small town was in an old bank building and the children’s books were kept in the vault. Bob now lives with his family in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is an art teacher at the Kansas City Art Institute. He has written and illustrated many picture books, including the Astroblast! Series (now an animated show on the Sprout network).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Bob Kolar\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/bob-kolar\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Bob.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of the Year\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA nearly wordless picture book presents the \"I can read\" moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small boy with a determined, mischievous expression enters a library in the company of his mother. The look on the boy's face, perfectly rendered by Kolar (as are all the expressions), alarms the library books, and they run for their lives. The boy captures a blue-bound book and begins manhandling it as he would any toy, in the process ripping and creasing the pages. The other books look on, horrified. The boy's mother (who, unsettlingly, seems to care not a whit that the boy has mistreated a book) comes to get him. He tosses the book to the floor as he leaves. The other books lovingly glue and tape the battered book back together. A new day, and-horrors!-the boy returns. Again, the books scatter. But then the blue-bound book sees the boy's forlorn expression and suddenly understands. The book leaps from its safe perch to the boy, the boy opens the book, and it is here that the four words of text make their powerful statement-\"Once upon a time.\" For the boy has learned to read, and now books are cherished and library manners learned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePresented as a grand adventure, the moment when a child first learns to read is powerfully rendered in this well-made story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSlater's (\u003cem\u003eThe Bored Book\u003c\/em\u003e) wordless story seems headed toward a lesson about mistreating library books, but the lesson turns out to be one of surprising compassion. The book abuser is a young library visitor with a mop of black hair who grabs a blue book while the others flee (all of the books have expressive faces and sticklike appendages). A question mark above the boy's head as he opens the book signals his non-reader status. Instead, he holds it upside down, rips it, tosses it, and folds the pages, accompanied by anguished looks from the book itself. On a return visit, the book's efforts to avoid the boy are futile, and he strikes again. But then something wonderful happens: the boy learns to read, and he and the book are reconciled. Kolar's (Stomp, Stomp!) digitally made figures are crisp and flat, and the expressions on the books' faces do their comic work effectively. Library champions don't usually tolerate the ill-treatment of books, but sometimes, Slater implies, what looks like bad behavior is just boundless eagerness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/boy-and-the-book-cvr.jpg?10221771348777848149\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/boy-and-the-book-hires.zip?10221771348777848149\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb\u003eHardcover\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-562-0\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-755-2 EPUB\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-710-1 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 2-5\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2015-04-25T14:23:00-04:00","created_at":"2015-04-25T13:44:34-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 0-3","Browse by Age_Ages 3-6","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Fiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Subject_Early Childhood","Browse by Subject_Life Lessons \u0026 Skills","Browse by Subject_Story Time \u0026 Play"],"price":1695,"price_min":1695,"price_max":1695,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":1228317793,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"95620","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Boy \u0026 the Book - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1695,"weight":426,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-58089-562-0","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/boy-and-the-book-cover.jpg?v=1586804010"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/boy-and-the-book-cover.jpg?v=1586804010","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"The Boy \u0026 the Book [a wordless story] cover image","id":5803583602767,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.242,"height":483,"width":600,"src":"\/\/www.charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/boy-and-the-book-cover.jpg?v=1586804010"},"aspect_ratio":1.242,"height":483,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/boy-and-the-book-cover.jpg?v=1586804010","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan size=\"4\" style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003eThe Boy \u0026amp; the Book\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan size=\"3\" style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003e[a wordless story]\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Author David Michael Slater\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/david-michael-slater\"\u003eDavid Michael Slater\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Bob Kolar\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/bob-kolar\"\u003eBob Kolar\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA spine-tingling tale of book bonding.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this wordless story, a little boy finds a book that he loves at the library. It’s a match made in kid lit heaven. But not for the book. Sometimes the little boy’s excitement gets the better of him and the book suffers from possibly too much love: bent pages, tears, hugs, tossing, and shaking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poor book requires first aid from his friends. Every time the boy comes to the library, the books hide and plan escape routes. But when the book gets away from imminent danger in the boy’s hands, the look of loss in the boy’s eyes is enough to turn a tragic tale into a love story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe boy soon learns that the book is not just an object and is so much more on the inside. He loves the story the book gives him more than the fun he had playing with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBob Kolar’s charming and hilarious illustrations show how sometimes our love for a good book can be too much, but with a more gentle touch, books can give us much comfort and joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Lola at the Library\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/lola-at-the-library\"\u003eLola at the Library\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/boy-and-the-book-spread.jpg?1633018694860945775\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid Michael Slater, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Michael Slater is sorry to say that books were harmed in the making of this story. Please do not call the Book Police, as he is the loving author of sixteen picture books, including \u003cem\u003eThe Bored Book\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCheese Louise!\u003c\/em\u003e He is also the author of the Sacred Books series for teens, as well as a novel for adults. David teaches middle-schoolers to love words in Reno, Nevada, where he reads with his wife and son.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author David Michael Slater\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/david-michael-slater\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about David.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBob Kolar, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBob Kolar grew up in fear of messing up a book—probably because the library in his small town was in an old bank building and the children’s books were kept in the vault. Bob now lives with his family in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is an art teacher at the Kansas City Art Institute. He has written and illustrated many picture books, including the Astroblast! Series (now an animated show on the Sprout network).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Bob Kolar\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/bob-kolar\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Bob.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of the Year\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA nearly wordless picture book presents the \"I can read\" moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small boy with a determined, mischievous expression enters a library in the company of his mother. The look on the boy's face, perfectly rendered by Kolar (as are all the expressions), alarms the library books, and they run for their lives. The boy captures a blue-bound book and begins manhandling it as he would any toy, in the process ripping and creasing the pages. The other books look on, horrified. The boy's mother (who, unsettlingly, seems to care not a whit that the boy has mistreated a book) comes to get him. He tosses the book to the floor as he leaves. The other books lovingly glue and tape the battered book back together. A new day, and-horrors!-the boy returns. Again, the books scatter. But then the blue-bound book sees the boy's forlorn expression and suddenly understands. The book leaps from its safe perch to the boy, the boy opens the book, and it is here that the four words of text make their powerful statement-\"Once upon a time.\" For the boy has learned to read, and now books are cherished and library manners learned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePresented as a grand adventure, the moment when a child first learns to read is powerfully rendered in this well-made story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSlater's (\u003cem\u003eThe Bored Book\u003c\/em\u003e) wordless story seems headed toward a lesson about mistreating library books, but the lesson turns out to be one of surprising compassion. The book abuser is a young library visitor with a mop of black hair who grabs a blue book while the others flee (all of the books have expressive faces and sticklike appendages). A question mark above the boy's head as he opens the book signals his non-reader status. Instead, he holds it upside down, rips it, tosses it, and folds the pages, accompanied by anguished looks from the book itself. On a return visit, the book's efforts to avoid the boy are futile, and he strikes again. But then something wonderful happens: the boy learns to read, and he and the book are reconciled. Kolar's (Stomp, Stomp!) digitally made figures are crisp and flat, and the expressions on the books' faces do their comic work effectively. Library champions don't usually tolerate the ill-treatment of books, but sometimes, Slater implies, what looks like bad behavior is just boundless eagerness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/boy-and-the-book-cvr.jpg?10221771348777848149\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/boy-and-the-book-hires.zip?10221771348777848149\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb\u003eHardcover\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-562-0\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-755-2 EPUB\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-710-1 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 2-5\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

The Boy & the Book

The Boy & the Book
[a wordless story]

By: David Michael Slater / Illustrated by: Bob Kolar

A spine-tingling tale of book bonding.

In this wordless story, a little boy finds a book that he loves at the library. It’s a match made in kid lit heaven. But not for the book. Sometimes the little boy’s excitement gets the better of him and the book suffers from possibly too much love: bent pages, tears, hugs, tossing, and shaking.

The poor book requires first aid from his friends. Every time the boy comes to the library, the books hide and plan escape routes. But when the book gets away from imminent danger in the boy’s hands, the look of loss in the boy’s eyes is enough to turn a tragic tale into a love story.

The boy soon learns that the book is not just an object and is so much more on the inside. He loves the story the book gives him more than the fun he had playing with it.

Bob Kolar’s charming and hilarious illustrations show how sometimes our love for a good book can be too much, but with a more gentle touch, books can give us much comfort and joy.

Maximum quantity available reached.

David Michael Slater, author

David Michael Slater is sorry to say that books were harmed in the making of this story. Please do not call the Book Police, as he is the loving author of sixteen picture books, including The Bored Book and Cheese Louise! He is also the author of the Sacred Books series for teens, as well as a novel for adults. David teaches middle-schoolers to love words in Reno, Nevada, where he reads with his wife and son.

Read more about David.


Bob Kolar, illustrator

Bob Kolar grew up in fear of messing up a book—probably because the library in his small town was in an old bank building and the children’s books were kept in the vault. Bob now lives with his family in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is an art teacher at the Kansas City Art Institute. He has written and illustrated many picture books, including the Astroblast! Series (now an animated show on the Sprout network).

Read more about Bob.

  • Kirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of the Year

Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A nearly wordless picture book presents the "I can read" moment.

A small boy with a determined, mischievous expression enters a library in the company of his mother. The look on the boy's face, perfectly rendered by Kolar (as are all the expressions), alarms the library books, and they run for their lives. The boy captures a blue-bound book and begins manhandling it as he would any toy, in the process ripping and creasing the pages. The other books look on, horrified. The boy's mother (who, unsettlingly, seems to care not a whit that the boy has mistreated a book) comes to get him. He tosses the book to the floor as he leaves. The other books lovingly glue and tape the battered book back together. A new day, and-horrors!-the boy returns. Again, the books scatter. But then the blue-bound book sees the boy's forlorn expression and suddenly understands. The book leaps from its safe perch to the boy, the boy opens the book, and it is here that the four words of text make their powerful statement-"Once upon a time." For the boy has learned to read, and now books are cherished and library manners learned.

Presented as a grand adventure, the moment when a child first learns to read is powerfully rendered in this well-made story.

Publishers Weekly

Slater's (The Bored Book) wordless story seems headed toward a lesson about mistreating library books, but the lesson turns out to be one of surprising compassion. The book abuser is a young library visitor with a mop of black hair who grabs a blue book while the others flee (all of the books have expressive faces and sticklike appendages). A question mark above the boy's head as he opens the book signals his non-reader status. Instead, he holds it upside down, rips it, tosses it, and folds the pages, accompanied by anguished looks from the book itself. On a return visit, the book's efforts to avoid the boy are futile, and he strikes again. But then something wonderful happens: the boy learns to read, and he and the book are reconciled. Kolar's (Stomp, Stomp!) digitally made figures are crisp and flat, and the expressions on the books' faces do their comic work effectively. Library champions don't usually tolerate the ill-treatment of books, but sometimes, Slater implies, what looks like bad behavior is just boundless eagerness.

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-58089-562-0

E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-755-2 EPUB
ISBN: 978-1-60734-710-1 PDF

Ages: 2-5
Page count: 32