The Story of a Book

by Joy McCullough, Devon Holzwarth (Illustrator)

Overview

A gorgeous, joyful picture book following the lifespan of a book as it comes across different readers—and creates a kind of magic along the way.

A new book is
fresh ink on crisp pages
never opened
the words inside
just waiting to be read.

An incredible journey begins for every person who turns the pages. Together, book and reader make a special kind of magic—a magic that’s even sweeter when you share it!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665903868
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/29/2023
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	108 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Joy McCullough writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she lives with her husband and two children. She is the author of the middle grade novels Across the Pond, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Not Starring Zadie Louise, Code Red, and Basil & Dahlia, as well as the middle grade series Team Awkward, and the picture books Harriet’s Ruffled Feathers, Champ and Major: First Dogs, and The Story of a Book. Her debut novel Blood Water Paint was longlisted for the National Book Award and was a William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist. Visit her at JoyMcCullough.com.

Devon Holzwarth is an award-winning American children’s book illustrator. She grew up in Panama, surrounded by nature, her dad’s art supplies, and piles of books. Today, she lives in Aachen, Germany, along with her husband, two kids, a galgo from Spain, and a dachshund from Romania. Visit her on Instagram @DevonHolzwarth and at DevonHolzwarth.com.

Editorial Reviews

09/11/2023

Loosely tracing the circulation cycle of a library checkout, McCullough sings the praises of books and the magic they make with their “perfect reader” in this inviting tribute. While a brand-new pink tome is initially passed up by a patron, the volume is soon enjoyed by kids in a community depicted with various abilities and skin tones, including a child in a hospital bed and two children at a swimming hole. As time passes, “so many readers/ love the book/ or chew on it/ spill on it/ sleep on it/ cry on it” that it heads, tattered, to a library book sale, and becomes fodder for creativity. Vibrantly saturated colors infuse Holzwarth’s curvaceous artwork, which traces whimsical doodles emanating from the treasured object. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"This timely story for book lovers of all ages captures the spirit of connection between book and reader. . . Graceful illustrations project an atmosphere of positivity."

Booklist

08/25/2023

Gr 1–3—A brand new library book, with "fresh ink on crisp pages," makes its way from reader to reader, working its magic along the way. Settings meander from a library to a hospital room to a tree house, where the children reading the book find that the magic can "transport you to a brighter place," is "sweeter when you share it," and is "more powerful when you choose it [the book] yourself." Every librarian will recognize the tattered, much-loved book, (though not many will see themselves hand stamping the book with a due date, as the librarian in this story does). The original book eventually ends up at the library book sale, where a father and child pick it up to repurpose it into art, thus completing the cycle. The message is clear—when a book finds its reader, magic can happen. Children will find much to engage them in the gorgeous gouache and colored pencil illustrations, with dreamy pink and orange trees, yellow houses, and floaty spirals and swirly symbols flowing out of the book indicating the "magic." The cast of characters is a lively mix of ethnic backgrounds. Background images include one child with a walker, and another using a wheelchair. VERDICT Despite the rich visuals and the lovely message, however, the text lacks a clear narrative structure and somehow doesn't quite come together as a coherent whole.—Sue Morgan

School Library Journal

2023-05-09
A book makes its way to different readers.

In a paean to literature, reading, and choice, a purple book with a yellow star ends up in the hands of different readers. The first person who picks it up in a library when it’s still “fresh ink on crisp pages” “is not the reader for this book,” but the story—depicted with stars and bright squiggles and butterflies flying out from between the covers—finds its way into more appreciative hands. “More powerful when you choose the book yourself,” for some reason, the untitled book ends up in a hospital bed, a treehouse, and a baby’s arms. Very little happens throughout—a few lines per page follow the book and the readers through endlessly supportive atmospheres, and when the book comes full circle, battered and worn in a library book sale, it finds new life as a kite flying high in the sky. This feels like a poem for adults who are starry-eyed about the power of reading, but actual children who enjoy stories may feel like something is lacking in this book about books. Colorful, detailed illustrations show a diverse cast engaging with the book in school, at home, and around nature. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An idea self-conscious about its own importance. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews