Kirkus Reviews

Choices abound at a library.For those who love to read, the library is a wondrous place-books as far as the eye can see. Morris leans into the magic and enchantment even further: At this library, books are stacked in mountainous piles, with eager children scaling the teetering towers, trying to find the perfect tale just for them. All of the kids in a visiting class are excited, except one. Zach, with arms crossed in defiance, declares, "I don't like books. / I really don't. / I will not read them-no, I won't!" Ro, another student, cajoles Zach into taking a look around. "I think you'd like a FUNNY story! / A thrilling tale…or something gory? // …Or ancient legends, pirate tales / With buried treasure, sharks and whales?" Each illustration thrusts the children into the scenarios Ro describes, surrounding them with snakes, witches, extraterrestrials, and more. Zach needs a lot of convincing. Books have too many words; TV is much more appealing. However, a smile slowly creeps onto Zach's face. There are books on soccer tricks? Who knew? Ro is patient and persistent while giving possibilities-a future librarian for sure. Dawnay's rhyming couplets scan well and read aloud easily. Zach presents White, and Ro has brown skin and straight, black hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Here's hoping reluctant readers will be inspired to search for their own perfect books. (Picture book. 3-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

When Zach, who is white, reveals during a group visit to the library that they don-t like -ANY books,- a brown-skinned child called Ro seeks to persuade Zach otherwise. Offering legions of recommendations via exclamatory sentences with simplistic rhymes (-I think you-d like a funny story! A thrilling tale... or something gory?-), Ro pulls out all the stops, conjuring imagery from the library-s volumes: a group of dinosaurs and foliage burst from one book, and a pirate ship and a dragon-s lair appear in other vignettes. Scribbly line art by Morris, in a style reminiscent of Quentin Blake and Matthew Cordell, portrays an immense library with rickety ladders, a friendly dinosaur shelf, and book stacks large enough to climb. The book-s text is more a celebration of books and literacy than of libraries, despite the title, and Zach-s sudden change of heart in the face of Ro-s relentless enthusiasm seems unlikely. But for the already converted, Dawnay-s lines preach the thrill of finding a new read. Ages 3-5. (Aug.)

School Library Journal (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

PreS-Gr 1 A group of gleeful kids and their teacher visit a very special placethe library! The excitement is palpable as they imagine all the different kind of books awaiting them inside. All but one child, that is. Zach does not like to read at all. When asked if he will read, he offers an unequivocal "No!" and says that he would rather be at home watching TV. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm of his classmates quickly becomes contagious as they share with him books about cooking, adventures, poetry, and even his beloved soccer. Before he knows it, he is lost in a book just as his friends are. This story in verse would be great to share with a class prior to library visits. The art recalls Quentin Blake's pen and ink cartoons and invites children into the pages. VERDICT For first-timers or veteran visitors, this book is a perfect fit, and librarians seeking ways to support classroom newcomers will want to have this on hand. Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA