Booktalk #12: It's a Book

It's a Book (Picture Book)

By Lane Smith

;) lol?

Verdict: Ahead of its time.  Enjoyable but more for adults at this point.

Age: Tech-savvy children and techno-parents

First things first, the book contains a colourful ("jackass") word to describe a donkey.  It's passable in a personal bedtime setting when it is up to each  parent to decide what words are "bad" and "good" but I think that word must be omitted when reading this book in a story time or group setting.  Good thing it's in the last line.

Beyond that issue, the book is enjoyable.  I liked it.  I liked its "in the know" humour.  I liked that it's generally pro-book.  I liked its conversational format which is not often seen in picture books (but seemingly in trend).  And I love the two main characters.  We can all relate: you're either the obnoxious person asking all the questions or you're the stone faced responder.  And the "mouse" joke was clever, too.  The drawings are great - emotions are well displayed.

This book should be popular among parents who gave their kindergartens an IPAD for their birthday.  Or with parents who already read ibooks to their kids between games of fruit ninja.  You know who you are.   

But pardon me for believing that this book is not really a children's book...yet. Terms like "tweets", "blogs" and "wi-fi" are not yet mainstream among the grade 3 and under crowd (and even certain demographics).  While there is definitely a trend towards it, these terms will fly over the head of most young children, at least at my branch.  But as the IPAD, tablets along with internet and mobile application usage becomes vital, ubiquitous and cost effective for every age - I believe that this book will gain notoriety for being one of the first texts to explain the difference between electronic and book mediums, albeit satirically, to a young audience.  I have a sense that this book is ahead of its time.  

I propose a test to gauge the "arrival" of this book:

If one can read this story to a group (obviously with the absence of the colourful word) of grade 1 or 2 students in the middle of a working class and newcomer community and have them understand and laugh at hilarity of each of the questions then, yes, this book is no longer just for adults.  

That time isn't now.  But it will be soon.  That's where the true potential of this book is.

RTL2011