The Incredible Book Eating Boy

My 3 year old daughter insists that we read this book to her several times a day. The story is really cute and the illustrations are well done and keep my daughter's interest. I will get Oliver Jeffers' other three titles as well.

Oh wow! The elementary teacher in me just jumps for joy at this book! What an utter delight of story-telling and children's book-making at its most hilarious best! Not only is there a great blatant message in the importance of education, but the story is told in a surprisingly nonchalant way in comparison to the over-the-top gorgeous illustrations that use its character as only a detail in wild book-related images. The narrative happily trots along, not rushing, not stretching, just telling the story as entertainingly as possible in an awesome layout. Awesome story, incredibly made book. Almost good enough to eat.

This is such a charming book! As so many reviewers have mentioned, the visual details are amazing. Yes, the story is simple, and I think that allows us to enjoy all the extras Jeffers gives us on every page. The plot is predictable to adults, but my son was quite engaged and even a bit worried when we read "This is the worst bit." My 4-year-old loves it and my 2-year-old repeated "monumental" multiple times while we were reading it for the first time. I really enjoyed finding a book with an obvious message, agenda even, that doesn't overdo it.

Oliver Jeffers third book is his best yet. While the story is clever and whimsical, it is the outstanding illustrations that are the star of this book. Jeffers illustrations are bold and unique. Each picture tells a story of its own. Kids and adults alike will love this book.

One day while walking his cat, Henry gets a hankering for the taste of a word, a page, and eventually an entire book. Pretty soon he is eating several volumes in a single sitting, and the knowledge in the books is going straight to his brain. He dreams of being "the smartest person on Earth." And then his taste for books goes south as do his book smarts. Fortunately, he figures out another way to get smart that isn't so hard on the stomach. Unique pages and illustrations relating to books are incorporated into the "book" theme. Probably best for seven to nine year olds, and their parents.