THE BOOK WITHOUT A STORY

A lonely book experiences the joy of being loved by a child in this ode to libraries and reading.

Dusty is a library book with a singular problem: No one has read him, so he doesn’t know what he is even about. After the library closes for the evening, a delightful gaggle of books comes alive and schemes to help Dusty get noticed. Warm, dynamic colors throughout the library, soft moonlight, and anthropomorphic expressions on the books invite readers in with a quiet earnestness. Even when Dusty is finally picked up by a white child named Sophie, he is set on the table and forgotten as Sophie greets her friend Laila, who is black. Luckily, Sophie’s brother, Jake (also white), sits down at the table and discovers Dusty is a dinosaur book. A charming illustration on verso shows Jake surrounded by dinosaurs, a representation of how books can transport readers to dynamic places. Throughout, black text varies in size at times, and it is arranged thoughtfully to guide readers from verso to recto. Nameless characters in Jake’s home and in the library, including the librarian, have diverse skin tones but are all portrayed with similar body types. One nameless child in a wheelchair is also shown in ensemble.

Readers will find themselves wanting to hug a book after reading this story.