The Book Without a Story

Dusty is a book which has never been borrowed from the library. He is desperate to know what kind of book he is and to experience all the exciting things that the other books have, from riding on a bus to being splashed with soup. Stuck up on his high shelf it seems as if he will never be noticed, until the other library books decide to lend a hand. They think they know the perfect reader for Dusty - Sophie - but it isn't Sophie who opens him but her little brother, Jake. Jake normally just draws but when he discovers pictures of dinosaurs, which he loves, he has to keep reading. So Dusty's wish to be borrowed and have adventures, the first of many, comes true in this delightful tale celebrating libraries and the magic of sharing books. Everything about the book reflects the diversity of libraries, from the range of books to be found on the shelves, to the children eager to borrow and read them. The front endpapers show books without readers and the end the myriad ways in which they can be enjoyed. Having shared this with groups of children in my school library, I know that it is a book they enjoy. A title I would highly recommend adding to a collection about books, libraries and the joy of reading, something most librarians I know have. Picture books / Ages 4+ / Reviewed by Jayne Gould, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 3+