The Incredible Book Eating Boy

Like many children, Henry loves books. But Henry doesn’t like to read books, he likes to eat them. Big books, picture books, reference books . . . if it has pages, Henry chews them up and swallows (but red ones are his favorite). And the more he eats, the smarter he gets—he’s on his way to being the smartest boy in the world! But one day he feels sick to his stomach. And the information is so jumbled up inside, he can’t digest it! Can Henry find a way to enjoy books without using his teeth?

With a stunning new artistic style and a die-cut surprise, Oliver Jeffers celebrates the joys of reading in this charming and quirky picture book. It’s almost good enough to eat.

Like many children, Henry loves books. But Henry doesn't like to read books, he likes to eat them. Big books, picture books, reference books . . . if it has pages, Henry chews them up and swallows (but red ones are his favorite). And the more he eats, the smarter he gets—he's on his way to being the smartest boy in the world! But one day he feels sick to his stomach. And the information is so jumbled up inside, he can't digest it! Can Henry find a way to enjoy books without using his teeth?

With a stunning new artistic style and a die-cut surprise, Oliver Jeffers celebrates the joys of reading in this charming and quirky picture book. It's almost good enough to eat.

Children's Literature

We all are pleased when kids love books, but Henry perhaps carries this love a bit too far when he begins to actually eat them. He begins with a word, and is soon eating a book at a time. He loves all sorts. The more he eats the smarter he gets. Henry keeps eating and getting smarter, looking forward to being the smartest in the world, until he begins to feel ill. It is all too much for him to digest. He finally decides to read a book instead of eating it. He still loves reading and hopes to become the smartest person on Earth, even if it takes a bit longer. Jeffers tells the visual tale using paint, pencil, and Letraset on pages from old books that have been discarded. His characters are cartoon-y, his settings simple, not distracting from Henry s evolving appetite and the subsequent results of his growing intelligence. But we are also shown his growing illness and his nightmare of a boy-eating book. Henry s return to a normal, broccoli-eating boy is depicted with equal low-key humor and with a concluding surprise: the actual bite taken out of the last page and jacket. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Oliver Jeffers lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.