Fun, weird, imaginative, challenging, colorful. Better understood by children than this grandma.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Union Square Kids via NetGalley. Thank you!

The illustrations are equal parts Hilary Knight (the Eloise books) and Shel Silverstein, which adds whimsy and mischief to the pages. This would be a fun storytime books with its engaging pacing and outstanding colors. Readers will love watching the characters consume and be consumed by their books. Silly in the best possible way.

A metaphorical twist on the idea of reading, but I don’t know how many kids will get the point of this story.

Sheila, Gerald, and Geraldine have all been ‘devoured by their books’. Inside their books, Sheila asks a fun question and finds an answer; Gerald explores a new land and discovers a fun monster; Geraldine, who is the wildest of the trio, finds a terrible monster and as she herself is “terrific at being terrible”, she has the time of her life. Soon the books realise that they are the ones being devoured.

The concept is amazing and so imaginative. We bibliophiles always speak in terms of being captivated by a book to such an extent that we forget everything else. This book takes the same idea and gives it a whimsical twist in the sense of the book eating the reader, and later, the reader eating the book. However, as I said earlier, the idea is too surreal for its target age group. Older readers might be able to appreciate the depth of the metaphor a lot more, but even they might require adult guidance to grasp it entirely.

The illustrations are quirky enough to suit the content. The pages outside of the book are black and white while the ones inside are coloured. (Not colourful, but with one dominant colour block.) The artwork appears three-dimensional with the humans and other creatures looking like pop-up cut-outs. It suits the story well.

I am evidently an outlier because almost every other reviewer seems to be praising this to the skies. But this was a bit too surreal for my liking, and I honestly don’t think kids will GET the book. As it’s meant for kids and not adults, I can’t rate it higher.

The book is meant for ages 3 to 8, but I wouldn’t really buy this for anyone under 7. Recommended for those who like highly imaginative and quirky pictures books.

3 stars.

My thanks to Union Square Kids and NetGalley for the DRC of “How to Eat a Book”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

THIS HAS QUICKLY BECOME ONE OF MY FAVOURITES.

It brilliantly depicts what it means to be a reader and what it is like when you get sucked into a story.

The illustrations make me want to get a tattoo....a few actually... i love all the characters.

Bloody brilliant!!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Loved loved loved this whimsical book.
The best part about this book was its illustrations, although I had the ebook I felt like the art was popping out of the pages. Thats how vivid they were.
Geraldine and her wildness won me immediately... I also quite liked the premise and the idea of this short children's story.
Reading it really put a smile on my face.
Highly recommend even to adults.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

How to Eat a Book is a fun, quirky and unique picture book for children all about how three children go to eat a book and the book eats them. Through their adventures inside the books they learn new things about themselves and their love of reading and use of imagination. This is so much fun and teaches children about books taking us to many places, on many adventures and can teach us things about ourselves and the world around us.
The illustrations are absolutely amazing. I enjoyed how the book showed illustrations in black and white until the children go into their books where their world of imagination is full of colour! So clever!

📚 First and foremost, the artwork in this book is phenomenal! According to the Amazon description the book was “illustrated with dipped pen-and-ink cutout art, photographed in a three-dimensional stage diorama, and digitally colored”. It’s truly amazing and worth it to see the illustrations alone.

📚 The title is how to eat a book, but the story is more about being eaten by the book (or at least that how it seemed to me). 🤔 Basically the kids enter the books they are reading. But maybe being eaten by a book IS the same as devouring a book yourself??! We’ve all been so engrossed in a story the we feel like we are part of the story, right? So, who is eating whom? 🤯

📚 Philosophical conundrum aside, this book is super cute, kids will enjoy the adventure, and maybe it will encourage them to eat or be eaten by more books themselves!

Thank you @NetGalley, Sterling Publishing and Union Square Kids for a copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The illustrations in this book is very unique and because, it looks like it was made from paper cut-outs. The pages all looked striking, with the bright colours and the 3D effect of the cut-outs

The books ate the children, and the children strike back by eating all the pages of the books as well.

How To Eat a Book by Mrs. and Mr. Macleod hits all the marks for illustrations, but misses some for the text. The metaphor about eating books just doesn't hold up in an accessible way for children, but again, the amazing artwork will captivate them into enjoying the book without understanding its' finer points. Three stars for the brilliant art.

What an adorable book! The illustrations in How to Eat a Book were delightful and I love the juxtaposition of the colors depending on where the characters were, outside the book or inside the book. Sheila, Gerald, and Geraldine are all gobbled up by books, go on adventures, and discover something delightful along the way! (Geraldine is my favorite!)

I would love to purchase and share this beautiful picture book with my young students. How to Eat a Book would be a perfect addition to a classroom, school, or home library for readers of all ages!

Thank you NetGalley and Union Square Kids for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

How to Eat a Book is a fun adventure of three kids, Sheila, Gerald and Geraldine who get devoured by books and go on an adventure. Sheila asks questions, Gerald loves to explore and Geraldine does not want to be tamed. The three learn that it is a fun adventure to devour books.

An incredibly whimsical rendering of the experience of reading. The sparse writing and illustrations are reminiscent of Edward Gorey and Vincent X. Kirsch, with a pinch of Dr. Seuss and Lewis Carroll thrown in. Young readers will want to read this Wonderland-style adventure again and again, each time finding new quirks and details in the illustrations. This is a truly unique picture book.

What a unique concept! The illustrations were very cute. I think this is a book adults and kids will both enjoy. It's silly and fun. Overall I enjoyed it!

First, the art in this book is incredible! The art POPS! out at you and immerses you into the story. Perfect for library lessons, a classroom circle time story, or just to read with kids at home! I, for certain, will be pre-ordering this book for my classroom and to read to my kids!

Both hilarious and delightful- you will want to "devour" this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC copy of this book.

Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Union Square Kids.

Children are devouring their books!! What a wonderful thing. Can you imagine your children eating up all of the books they can find? I can and it's wonderful. My son certainly ate this book up and laughed the entire time. When a child gets that involved in reading, that is when we know have succeeded, and so has the author in this case. The 3D like illustrations literally jump off the page. A few times we had to check to make sure they actually weren’t coming off the page. Amazing! The characters are lively, and any fan of Shel Silverstein is sure to enjoy this tale.

Children eating books and enjoying it?! Or are the books actually eating the children….you will need to read this book to find out. If you dare.

Er... apart from being a riff on the phrase 'devouring a book', this didn't offer as much as I might have expected from other reviews. Three children enter the book they're reading and things happen. One explores space, one shows her to be as ferocious as any dinosaur she might meet, and one goes "into the Ever that Never had been", whatever the heck that means. The artwork – full of character and given a real 3D lift from being sort of bespoke decoupage in style – deserved better. I've looked twice and found nothing at all to rave about, unfortunately.

A fresh, delightful read for children and adults. The artwork is intriguing and imaginative, and the concept innovative -- we both devour books as they, in turn, consume us: magical! Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is such a fun book! I loved the illustrations throughout! This is a fun book to read about books. Its a great imaginative book that will have kids laughing & using their imagination too!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Kids are going to love it!

The phrase “devour a book” takes on new meaning in the wildly humorous How to Eat a Book, written and illustrated by Mrs. and Mr. MacLeod. As children sit down to read, the book eats them! And while they are in this magical world, they learn new things about themselves.

Striking black and white illustrations highlighted with primary colors add to the appeal of this delightful story which will entertain all young children. It’s silly, giggle-out loud and teaches a lesson. What more could you want? 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Union Square Kids and Mrs. and Mr. MacLeod for this ARC.

The imagination!

A thrilling adventurous read I say! The artwork is stunning! Kudos to you, artist! You nailed it. The presentation is fantastic.

Go for this book if you want a thrilling, entertaining read with the kids. And the books! Damn!

Thank you, Union Square Kids, for the advance reading copy.