The Incredible Book Eating Boy

This story, inventively painted in mixed media on discarded bindings, book covers and tattered, yellowed pages of paper, may earn Jeffers (Lost and Found) a reputation as an incredible book-recycling artist. Jeffers introduces a boy named Henry who gobbles books, though red ones were his favorite. The information contained in each devoured tome directly enters Henrys brain, so the more he ate, the smarter he got (not unlike Susan Meddaughs alphabet-soup-eating dog, Martha). Henry finds all content tastyhe wasnt fussy and his knowledge exponentially increases until his excessive appetite starts giving him indigestion. After he gets sick, Henry tries reading books for a change: Henry discovered that he loved to read. And he thought that if he read enough he might still become the smartest person on Earth. It would just take a bit longer. Jeffers has created a book about books from books, in a collage style less abstract than Sara Fanellis. A whimsical die-cut in the shape of a toothy bite, taken from the lower rear corner of the final pages, further asserts the point that some habits die hard. Jeffers adeptly uses hyperbole throughout the tale so that the underlying message never feels preachy or didactic. Additionally, his beautiful handling of found materials ought to wow young artists who take a close lookthough not so close as to leave tooth marks of their own. Ages 4-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 3 Henry loves books. In fact, he literally devours them. And the more he eats, the smarter he gets. When he starts eating too many too fast, he can no longer digest them, and their contents get all mixed up. The simple cartoon illustrations twinkle with humor and feeling. Done in paint and pencil on smart backdropspages from old booksthe pictures set the stage for the quirky story. When forced to give up eating his favorite volumes, Henry eventually learns to enjoy reading them. However, an actual bite taken out of the back cover suggests he still succumbs to the occasional indulgence. This well-done package will charm its audience. The snappy text works well for reading aloud, but older children will enjoy exploring the subtle details hidden in the illustrations and backgrounds.Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for THE INCREDIBLE BOOK EATING BOY

* "This well-done package will charm its audience. The snappy text works well for reading aloud, but older children will enjoy exploring the subtle details hidden in the illustrations and backgrounds."—School Library Journal, starred review