Children need to see how reading, literacy and books are central to their world. Seeing siblings, parents and others reading, enjoying and involved with books is part of the solution. Providing quality content goes a long way to building lifelong rapport with books. In rare circumstances we find a picture book that combines all of the essential elements.
The incredible book eating boy is one such treasure.
Join Henry as he eats story books, dictionaries, atlases, joke books, books of facts, even maths books. The result of eating all of these books is that Henry becomes smarter than his teacher. For Henry "red ones were his favourite." unfortunately Henry doesn't quite become the smartest person in the world. Instead, he begins to turn "green, greener, greenest....beginning to feel a little ill" finally realizing that eating might not be the best way of tackling a book after all.
Discovering how to
read a book turns Henry's world around, as he decides that becoming the smartest person in the world might still be achievable, even if it does take him a little bit longer than originally planned.
With wonderfully evocative illustrations by the author, this picture book takes something ordinary, makes it extraordinary and then gives it it's proper place in our world.
The incredible book eating boy by Oliver Jeffers Illustrated by the author
Harper Collins Children's Books, Great Britain, 2006.
If you like this picture book see
Iggy Peck architect for another young boy with a passion for learning. (see separate blog post)
