A Place to Read

The young narrator of Hodgkinson’s (The Big Monster Snorey Book) ode to reading is eager to dive into his book, but finding the perfect spot to enjoy it is no easy task. As he moves from one unusual location to the next, punchy rhymes and mixed-media collages reflect his pickiness and dissatisfaction. “Somewhere comfy. But not buzz-buzzy,” he insists, as a bee loops its way toward a pot of flowers on a table beside his floral-patterned armchair. After a page turn, he wishes for a place “not all growly, itchy, fuzzy” while perched on a chair monster, complete with fangs and a long, reptilian tail. A menagerie of animals accumulates as the boy rejects additional reading spots: a lily pad is too soggy, a star too far away, a tree branch “way too high for me!” Eventually, the boy realizes that where you read isn’t nearly as important as whom you read with. It’s a message that should suit avid readers just fine, and they’ll be tickled by the playful rhymes, oddball settings, and increasingly chaotic scenes of this literary quest. Ages 3–6. (June)