ALA Booklist

Here's a premise that many children--and their parents--will relate to. Meena's parents love books, but Meena hates them. That's especially bad because there are books all over the house--in drawers, on the sofa, but mostly stacked to the ceiling. When Meena's cat winds up on top of one of the tallest towers, Meena tries to rescue him. Instead, she knocks the books over. Down they crash, and out of the pages fly Humpty Dumpty, Ali Baba, Peter Rabbit, and other literary types. Meena tries to stuff them back in their books, but she doesn't know where they belong, never having read any of their stories. So she reads the books, and by the time she's finished bringing the characters back home, she already misses them. Happily, she realizes that all she has to do to see them again is open the book and read. Pawagi cleverly tucks her message into a story that brims with appeal. Although not as wildly inventive as they might have been, the watercolor pictures are nicely crowded, with books and/or book characters. A useful volume to have on hand. (Reviewed November 1, 1999)

Horn Book (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Meena hates books, but her parents are obsessed with them, and all available space in their house is filled with books. When a large pile of children's books tips over, the characters fall out, so Meena starts reading the stories to help get everyone back in the right book--and learns to love reading. Though the art and text contain some humorous details, the story's didactic intent is too obvious.

School Library Journal (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

K-Gr 2Meena is more than a reluctant reader. She abhors books. Even though her parents are avid bibliophiles and her house is filled with reading material, the girl refuses to open a book. Her only ally is Max, the family cat, who has been book phobic ever since an atlas fell on his tail. Only a household accident that sends volumes flying and characters cascading out of books can change Meenas mind. Pawagis light, ironic touch will amuse children and Meena is a well-drawn character who appeals to the defiant streak in all of them. The watercolor illustrations match the romping mood of the story although their placement on every other page becomes monotonous. There is a definite moral to this inventive tale: children who dont read are missing out on some great adventures.Barbara Buckley, Jericho Public Library, NY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.