Students who are early readers will pick up this book because it is so colorful, and read it over and over again! ( )

Oh, how gorgeous this book is. Each page is dazzling.

The words are beautifully placed within the imagery. The POetry is lovely. It all makes me want to find a tree or a stoop to curl up under or on. ( )

This book is not just a poem about how to read a book, but really something entirely more. Its a whole body experience that comes from reading through the mind, the eyes, the soul, the heart, and the imagination. This book relates reading to opening a clementine orange and the experience of eating a juicy delicious fruit and its similarities it has to the experience of how someone should read and enjoy a book. In this poetry the author takes the reader on a journey through the joys of reading and what it means to truly enjoy a book. Melissa Sweet’s illustrations are a visual experience of its own. The complex collage art of the illustrations will enchant and delight the reader with added treats along the way.

I think I am one of the few people who did not really care for this book. The illustrations are great, heck they are amazing. But the story is lacking. The word play is catchy but some of the concepts might be hard for those with a limited vocabulary. I like the idea of the book, but not the completed vision.
#WinterGames2020 #TeamReadNosedReindeer +16 ( )

This book simplifies what it means to be able to read by describing the beauty of reading with metaphors and similes. The use of these literary elements help simplify and make reading seem like a less daunting task than it really is. Overall this book is a fun way to engage students in an English classroom to inspire them to read more. ( )

Kwame Alexander, the recipient of many awards and honors and the author of 32 books, many of which have also won awards, wrote the poem that forms the narrative of this book. It is a testament to the joy and power of reading.

He advises readers to “get real cozy between the covers and let your fingers wonder as they wander…” He suggests they “squeeze every morsel of each plump line until the last drop of magic drips from the infinite sky….”

“Don’t rush through,” he admonishes: “Your eyes need time to taste. Your soul needs room to bloom.”

Melissa Sweet adds a creative mix of collage and watercolor illustrations which include neon colors. She writes in a note at the end of the book that she was inspired by a warn-out copy of the beloved children’s book Bambi as well as a poem about poetry by Nikki Giovanni. Intermittent gatefolds mimic the surprises awaiting readers as they delve into books.

Evaluation: The combination of Alexander’s evocative poetry and Sweet’s playful and detailed artwork provides a treat for both the eyes and ears. Readers (age 4 and up) will find much to discover on every page, and will want to go through the book over and over. ( )

Poetically colorful, this book gets young readers ready to read. The illustrations are amazingly done using different textures and clippings from books and magazines. This book can be read to a second grade class to inspire them to read using vivid illustrations and meaningful words about reading. ( )

Goodreads Choice Awards Project: Read as many of the opening round Best Picture Book nominees as possible. 10 to go!

Visual and verbal gibberish make for the instruction manual from hell. Why did a copy of Bambi have to be sacrificed for this collage-strophe?

And I was never able to ascertain the purpose of the recurring X's, targets and asterisks. Any ideas? ( )

This book speaks joy. Joy of the written word, and joy of the amazing ways that those words can be illustrated. A must read for any child old enough to understand the joy of stories, and language and how powerful a book can be. ( )

The author and illustrator both shine in this inspired picture book. It begs repeated readings. It was after reading the poem out loud, that the wonder of the words sprang forth. That is the way with me and poetry. The collage art is a perfect match. Both the words and the art are open enough to accept what you bring to the reading. This book is such a joy. ( )

Beautifully presented and very poetic, but my kids had a hard time appreciating it. ( )