The books in the library would like to tell their stories, but instead find themselves completely ignored. Five-year-old Morry (Sendak) pushes himself forward a bit, annoying his classical shelf mates who'd prefer to remain unsoiled and pristine. Finally Victor (Hugo) and Jane (Austen) push him off the shelf; he then runs from a cat, tumbles down the stairs, and is discovered (and enjoyed) by a small, wolfsuit-clad child. Funke, who covered similar territory in her Inkheart series, here addresses a picture-book audience. Young bibliophiles will no doubt appreciate the concept of personified books, although few children are likely to recognize all of the authors (save Sendak) cited. Still, Funke's colored pencil on colored paper illustrations are a delight, even for those not in the know. Jane's long skirts and funky shoes are a hoot, as are Beatrix (Potter)'s whining comments about coffee- and chocolate-smeared pages. A cozy offering for metafiction fans; don't miss the colorful book/animal creatures that march across the endpapers.

K-Gr 4-A picture book for readers of all ages. Morry, a book, is tired of sitting idly on a shelf, waiting for someone to come along and read his pages. So he pushes himself out a little farther than the other books on the shelf, hoping to catch someone's attention. This action disturbs the books around him, and they ask what he is doing. When Morry explains that he yearns to be read, the other books, with names such as Victor, Jane, Dumas, Beatrix, and Nietzsche, relay all of the terrible things that could happen while being readcoffee and food spills, fingerprints, and broken spines. Morry does not care! Oh, how he longs to be read. Annoyed, Victor suggests that Morry jump off the shelf, and with the help of Jane, he pushes Morry off the shelf and onto the ground. Thus begins Morry's journey into the sticky little hands of an eager reader. Written and illustrated by Funke, this story set in a library pays homage to many of the authors who have inspired her over time: Maurice Sendak, Victor Hugo, and Jane Austen, to name a few. Colored in deep jewel tones, the covers and spines of the books are the faces of their great authors. VERDICT The message that books should be read many times over and cherished by all is strong and compelling. May this title be handled by many hands for years to come.Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE