Friday, March 20, 2015

Micah's Favorite Books That Break the 4th Wall (according to Nif, his mum)

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak (Penguin Random House, $17.99)
You might think that a book with no pictures is going to be serious and boring. Instead, this is a book that makes grownups say silly things, like "BLORK" and "BLUEBERRY PIZZA," whether or not they want to. Gales of laughter ensue. Micah has memorized both the silly things and the muttered asides.

Press Here by Hervé Tullet (Chronicle Books $15.99)
It begins with a lone yellow dot. We are invited to "Press here," and hey! there are more dots when you turn the page. Follow the instructions, and on the next page the dots will multiply, change color, move, grow, and more. Magical.

We Are In a Book! by Mo Willems (Disney Press $8.99)
Elephant and Piggie notice that someone is looking at them and hatch a plan to make the reader say something silly. Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie books are generally brillant read-alouds, but this is one of the best.

Speaking of Mo Willems, check out the Pigeon books!
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Disney Press, $15.99)
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy (Disney Press, $15.99)
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late (Disney Press, $15.99)
The Pigeon Needs a Bath (Disney Press, $16.99)

The Pigeon directly exhorts the reader via charm, trickery, begging, or just plain pitching a fit in an attempt to drive the bus, get a puppy, stay up late, or avoid a bath. I rather enjoy acting out the wiles and temper tantrums. My son knows to duck when I start flailing!

The Monster at the End of This Book (Golden Books, $3.99)
Our loveable, furry old pal Grover begs the reader to stop turning pages because there is A MONSTER at the end of the book. Oh, no! You turned the page!

Jennifer Woodfin, March 2015

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