LOST IN A BOOK

Two best friends take a stroll through a book and discover a peculiar gulf between the pages.

Although warning signs in all caps let Oliver and Chad know that peril lies ahead, they can’t resist finding out what’s on the other side. A giant leap over the mysterious gutter sinks Chad in the middle and strands Oliver on the other side. This ignites a parade of silliness that ensnares many people and things in the book’s interior, including house painters, bicyclists, emergency vehicles, and even an entire zoo full of escaped animals. With help from a clever librarian, they get their minds, and bodies, out of the gutter and back into the book. In the interactive tradition of Jon Stone’s The Monster at the End of This Book (1971) and Hervé Tullet’s Press Here (2011), this tale empowers kids to take charge of the characters’ fates. Britt’s energetic and entertaining writing should pull in even the most reluctant of readers. Big, bold cartoon illustrations infused with silly signs and onomatopoeia feature a diverse cast; Oliver is brown-skinned, while Chad is pale-skinned. It’s a hysterical story with an uplifting message about the power of literature that begs to be read again and again.

Warning: a funny and delightful book to get lost in.