INSIDE THIS BOOK

Every child has a story inside...or two or three or more.

A little boy named Seymour has made a book. Its four sides are each about 2 inches smaller than the book readers hold, so it fits right inside. Seymour's mom had made him and his brother and sister books with blank pages, prompting the children to fill them up. Seymour records his feelings and observations and a story about a furry little monster, with a long striped nose that looks like a knitted stocking cap, who eats everything in sight. And following Seymour’s book is another, smaller one, written by his little sister, Fiona. She fancies herself an artist and a poet. About her dog, Fleabee, she writes: "A wagging tail / And a cold wet nose, / This is how / My morning goes." And after Fiona's supersmall book is one even smaller, by the family's youngest child, Wilbur. He can't read or write yet, so he draws the pictures—of himself, of a dinosaur, of his family—and tells Fiona what to write. "Books are better when they are shared," concludes the whole. Using simple, bold type and illustrations that look convincingly childlike and are developmentally keyed to each sibling, Saltzberg's clever conceit makes the metaphorical literal—and palpable—for very young readers.

An absolutely nifty invitation to children to create and share their own wee books.