FICTION

Have You Seen This Book?

by Angela DiTerlizzi (text) & illus. by Tom Booth
Philomel. Aug. 2021. 32p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780593116845.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 3–A bespectacled African American boy searches for his beloved book, The Book of Yore. As he continuously asks the reader about the book’s whereabouts, they will spy it within every spread. There are three components to this book: the boy’s search, the plot of his book, and things added to the book (drawings, new pages to compensate for missing ones) or the boy (stickers). Booth’s illustrations and the book-in-a-book format requires readers to suspend disbelief and it also begs some questions, such as “Why is the book floating there?” and “Why doesn’t the boy notice it?” The digital illustrations convey the action well; The Book of Yore is in color while the surroundings are in white and blue. The fervor of search, along with the alternate story, creates enough excitement for reluctant readers.
VERDICT A solid purchase, and perhaps a chance to acquaint readers with meta-storytelling.
Reviewed by Jessica Ko, Los Angeles P.L , Jul 01, 2021

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