Read It, Don't Eat It!

by Ian Schoenherr

Book Overview

You are holding a book.

What should you do with it?

Open it, and you will find out.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061724556
• ISBN13: 9780061724558
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.4" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

All Sorts of Adorable!

Do you have a child who has an eating issue with books? And I'm not talking babies with board books, but slightly older children who are learning how to take care of their books (toys, clothes, etc.). This is an extremely short, fun book that features adorable animals in clothes telling you how to treat your books. As a librarian, I find it delightful and it should be a staple to begin storytimes with from now on. There, I said it! Honestly, that's the gist of the book. My favorite spread is when it says, "No dog-ears, please" in reference to the book, and the picture opposite is of a surprised looking dog getting caught folding down the top corner of his book. Excellent! Notes on the Cover: A large elephant looking to digest a stack of 7 books, a young bear with a look of shock, and a little kitten happily reading away. Of course the cat would be the one behaving throughout the book. (Now that I think about it, that's pretty funny! For those of you not in the know, librarians are generally a bunch of cat people - and that is not to say they don't like or own dogs, but by and large librarians own cats.)

This is an adorable book about "book manners" and how children should take care of not only library

Books are very special things and we must take good care of them, especially if we borrow them from a library. The little brown bear is taking a little whiff of the page edges, "Read it, don't eat it." Oops, he's taking a little nibble at the corner. A little dog is in the middle of a book and doesn't have a bookmark. Hmmm, I bet you know what he is going to do! The big elephant with the red cheeks is going to sneeze right in the pages of the book. Achooo! "Find someplace else to sneeze." Really now, isn't that what tissues are for? There are all kinds of things that people and critters should refrain from doing when they borrow a library book. In this book we'll meet a raccoon, a little piggy, a bunny, a bear, a monkey, a fox cub, a hippo, a beaver, a chipmunk and some kittens. There is something you can do with a library book and that is to "share with a friend, a sister or brother." Can you think of other things to do or not to do with a book? This is an adorable book about "book manners" and how children should take care of not only library books, but their own. The theme was lively and fun without coming across as preachy. The art work was vibrant and the animal critters were very appealing. The left-hand side of the page was a solid color with the message in large, bold print. This is a perfect book to read aloud and discuss at circle time or in the homeschool or classroom setting. Remember, "read it, don't eat it!"

A Tasty Treat

Books are delicate objects. Delicate objects that we routinely hand over to those most violent and expressive of human beings, children. It's fine when you give them a board book. Little grimy hands can only do so much damage to that particular form of literature. However, at some point, when their brains are capable of following directions (or at least understanding them enough to ignore them) you need to teach them the basics. What to do with a book vs. what not to do. As a librarian I...more Books are delicate objects. Delicate objects that we routinely hand over to those most violent and expressive of human beings, children. It's fine when you give them a board book. Little grimy hands can only do so much damage to that particular form of literature. However, at some point, when their brains are capable of following directions (or at least understanding them enough to ignore them) you need to teach them the basics. What to do with a book vs. what not to do. As a librarian I have a shtick that I do with visiting preschool to 3rd grade classes regarding books and their proper care. I ask if someone should use a book as an umbrella in the rain. The kids say no. I ask if someone should read a book in the bath. The kids say no (less certainly). It would be great if I had a book to tell them these rules. Heck, a book like that could help out parents and grandparents as well, I bet. But where in the world is there in the world a book so extraordinaire? Ian Schoenherr has the answer. Read It, Don't Eat It! uses magnificently simple rhyming text to tell kids how to care for their books. With Schoenherr's deft and miniscule brushwork, this book has "instant hit" written all about its furry frame. Necessary instruction of an everyday object, let's call it. The title appears on the very first opening spread. "Read it, don't eat it." A small bear eyes the reader warily when that is said, his mouth mid-chew. Turn the page and the next one reads, "No dog-ears, please," as a startled mutt looks shocked at this news (and a dog-eared book rests beneath his guilty paw). With infinite patience and gentle prodding the book tells an array of animals how to best care for the books in their possession, often in rhyme. "Don't overdue it, just renew it. (Really, now, there's nothing to it.)". By the end at least one character has come around to the idea, and as the book encourages everyone to return and share the message is clear. "Share with a friend, a sister, a brother / Now go out and get another." I've always wanted to have an excuse to review a Schoenherr book because I find them visually mesmerizing. In the past I've read his books Cat & Mouse and Pip & Squeak and I've found myself lost in their intricate brushwork. Read It, Don't Eat It! is a little sillier than those other books, but the thinnest of thin lines are still present and painted. Interestingly, Schoenherr has chosen to set all these characters against a pure white background. The danger of do