CBC Hot of The Press August 2024 Title
With dynamic illustrations by Susanna Covelli that hilariously contradict the story, This Book Is Not for You is told hilariously by Howard Pearlstein in the voice of an oblivious narrator who explains why this book is not for you
Are you a kid?
Are you reading this book?
If so, drop it like a hot potato.
Seriously, skipper.
This book is not for you.
Packed with everything a kid could never want—nothing funny, gross, cool, cute, or silly—this picture book is really not for you. There definitely aren’t any monsters or ninjas, and you can forget about aliens. You probably won’t even like this story. But you’re going to read it anyway, aren’t you?
The narrator, a curmudgeonly man with an impressive mustache, is delightfully unaware of the funny, gross, cool, cute, and silly things happening around him and his anxious dog (who is very aware). Whenever the narrator speaks, monsters, aliens, and all the things that a kid would like jump off the page. So if this book is not for you, who is it for? (The answer is absolutely not at the end.)
Praise
This Book Is Not For You by Howard Pearlstein and Susanna Covelli is absolutely adorable!
Covelli's illustrations of the magical happenings behind the author's back are vivid and endearing, as are the dog's reactions to them. As the book progresses, the book gets more congested with the characters that are not supposed to be there, with wonderful results.
The conclusion, with the author's admission of the intended recipient of the book, is heartwarming in both text and illustrations.
This IS definitely the book for all ages to enjoy.
I am delighted to have received an ARC of #ThisBookIsNotForYou from #FamiliusBooks and #NetGalley.
—Kelly Young - "Author of the Travel Writer Cozy Mystery series"
A children’s book that’s not for children? Strange but true! On each page, the mustached author explains that he knows children and knows what children want. Children want funny and gross books. This book is neither funny, nor gross. The fact that there’s a princess picking her nose and eating it is irrelevant. This book is not for kids. Page after page continues in this fashion with the author explaining to the reader how this book doesn’t have the things children want in a story because the story isn’t for them, while oblivious to the illustrations challenging him in the background. Finally, the author reveals who the story is written for. Full of irony and contradictions, this silly story boasts vibrant, detailed illustrations in hues that create a dream-like vibe. The author’s stern demeanor and nervous dog contrast with the fantastical elements, adding to the irony. The imaginative elements in the pictures build on each other, creating a climax to the story. However, after so much build up, the reveal of who the book is for ends up falling flat. Nevertheless, young children will delight in an adult being undermined by his own whimsical creations, making this book well-suited for story times in a library, school, or at home.
—Children's Literature, Rebecca Luxmore
