October 1, 2015
K-Gr 2-A fable about a boy and his book, The Good Little Book, which sports a red cover and a quiet smile. The anthropomorphized book sits with clasped hands while both popular and dull books gallivant about it. When a boy is sent to the book-filled room as a punishment for being naughty, he pulls out the trusty tome and starts to read. The connection is immediate and deep, and the boy carries the volume with him everywhere, reading it again and again, until he misplaces it. He eventually learns to love other books, and when he sees The Good Little Book being read by someone else, he is able to let it go. The quirky illustrations create a world rich in fantasy, with gorgeous graphite, colored pencil, and paint in jewel tones and funky perspectives. As in many fables, the ending can feel predictable, but the text and images together create an engaging book lovers' celebration of the connection between readers and their stories and the pleasure that comes from sharing good literature. The sly publishing references-e.g., the "Pull Lizard" and "No Bell" prize stickers-will tickle adult readers, and the cover of the book matches the paintings of the boy's book as well. A wonderful selection for a storytime for older children. VERDICT A vibrantly illustrated, solid choice for collections looking for books about reading.-Lisa Nowlain, Darien Library, CT
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 1, 2015
When a boy heads to the study, ordered to "think things over," he begins a relationship with a book that becomes special to him, even if it has no "proper jacket." When the boy-initially sporting a scowl and a slouch-first opens the good little book, Arbona presents a compelling, sequential, aerial view of a sullen child who nonetheless becomes fascinated by reading. Vivid, fantastical artwork augments the ensuing, almost obligatory sentences about book-induced trips to faraway places and varied emotions. As the seasons pass, the book "didn't turn him into a bookish boy, or improve his naughty behavior, but it did become a loyal companion." At the story's climax-"The boy lost his favorite book"-the boy seeks help in a crowd of people who appear as bizarre as the creatures in his book, thanks to the bold, colorful, absurdist artwork. It is easy to imagine an actor with an upper-class British accent reading the wryly humorous text: "The boy sought help but discovered that very few people have time for a lost book-no matter how good or little it might be." The simple plot reaches a conclusion rife with bibliophilic didacticism, but the humor and art along the way create an enjoyable romp. In a decade of de rigueur picture books praising books, it is primarily the artwork that sets this one apart. (Picture book. 4-8)
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