The Incredible Book Eating Boy

Oliver Jeffers (2006), 32 pages

Audience: pre-K

Format: picture book

Have you ever heard the expression “a voracious reader?” Well, meet Henry, a boy who loves books … actually he loves EATING books. His habitat started out innocently enough by just eating a word, a sentence, then a page … but eventually, Henry eats entire books often swallowing them whole. Devouring book after book, he gets smarter and smarter and his knowledge supersedes even his parents and teachers. After awhile, Henry’s diet of books has adverse effects and he begins to feel ill. Eating so quickly, he doesn’t have enough time to digest (comprehend) all the information and facts start to get jumbled. As Henry’s intelligence wanes he looses confidence. Finally, Henry realizes he can’t continue eating this way so he gives up eating books. One day, rather than chomping down on the cover he opens the book and discovers that he loves to read … and reading books is a whole lot easier on the stomach then eating them! Henry knows that even though it may take a little longer he can still learn about everything by reading … although every now and then he may sneak a nibble or two.

A talented illustrator, Jeffers uses a variety of paper (graph, lined, discarded scraps of recycled dictionaries, maps, etc.) to create layered background textures so each page has depth and personality. The text is smart and snappy – making it a great read-aloud book for parents. Jeffers’ s clever spin on book consumption is rather creative and charming … children will love this fun-loving story and hopefully develop an appetite for reading as well.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard

Other books by this author: The Way Back Home, Lost and Found, Up and Down, How to Catch a Star, and The Heart and the Bottle