Hello, friends! Our book today is the delightfully bizarre How to Eat a Book by Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod, an extremely satisfying tale of books and reading.

One day, Sheila and her twin cousins, Gerald and Geraldine, find themselves consumed by literature – literally. Sitting down to “eat” their books, the books eat them instead, transporting the children into atmospheric worlds of wonder. Sheila soars the cosmos, Gerald encounters a great beasty, and Geraldine… well, a great beasty encounters HER. Filled with new knowledge, the three begin to ask questions and overtake their literary realms, and suddenly the books begin to realize that maybe they aren’t the ones doing the eating after all…

Marvelously weird and wonderful. Rife with a whipsmart blend of kid-friendly comedy, clever metaphor, truly engaging text, and stunningly original visuals, the MacLeods spin a yarn that is surprising, invigorating, and charming in equal turns. The main theme of the how reading can overtake, change, and inspire us works wonderfully; adults and older kids will smile at the sage metaphor, while younger kids will giggle at the unexpected twists and turns of the plot (and may just discover the adventure in reading for themselves). The illustrations are truly eye-catching, utilizing cut-paper pen-and-ink to create fascinating visuals that are filled with energy. The length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ and I both had a wonderful time with this one; she was laughing madly by page two and didn’t stop until the endpapers. A decidedly fresh and fantastically fun way to celebrate the transformative power of books, and we highly recommend it – Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to the Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)