I loved this book! I think everyone should read it. All libraries should own it. The book is fabulous & the illustrations are fantastic.

I'm disappointed with how didactic this book is. I do like that the examples are kid-friendly, but the tone is such a turn off. Kids don't need a lecture.

This book was a cute way to introduce the topic of book banning to a younger audience. Some of it became a little repetitive after a while, but the intended audience does not usually mind repetitive things, so I understand that.

This book takes a humorous look at how banning things because we don’t 100% agree with them can get out of control and lead to great consequences. Highly recommend this when explaining the repercussions of banning books and other things as it puts it in simple terms.

This is a cute book that introduces the ridiculous reasons people use to ban books. It will give children something to think about as they get older.

I received This Book Is Banned from Net Galley in exchange for a review. The book though written as a picture book has a message for everyone. The book shows what happens as we ban things because it offends someone. Hippos, giraffes, beds, robots are just some of the items that disappear. The message is clear is that banning books because it offend you is wrong as that book might be the right book for someone else

This is such an important book with such an important message for today's world. With book banning on such an extreme rise, it is vital for all students to comprehend how disastrous this situation is.
The author does such an exceptional job of explaining how books come about to be banned. By incorporating giraffes, hippos and dinosaurs, among others, and defining the negatives of cancelling them out makes it easy to understand the issue. I especially appreciated that the author made sure to specify that the danger is there as long as it is not hurting others. The humor plays a vital role in conveying the seriousness of the matter.
The illustrations enhance the subject matter beautifully.
I love that it ends on the theme that what might not be good for you might just be perfect for another person.

This was such a cute picture book! I can't wait to get a copy and see it in person! I will definitely be adding it to my collection as soon as possible!

I loved the way the author explained the concept of book banning for a young audience. Fighting back against book banning is something that I’m really passionate about. However, I just couldn’t get past the illustrations. They were really overstimulating, and they detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I could see this being a lot for some neurodivergent kids.

Where do I start! This book is amazing!!! It is engaging and explains book banning in an easy to understand way. I can’t say enough about this book.

Why are books banned? Why should one person decide what everyone should read or not read? This is a great way to highlight how ridiculous banning books is. The author's wit and ingenuity highlight the seriousness of this issue in a lighthearted way that will be entertaining to both children and adults.

This Book Is Banned is a humorous and (unfortunately) timely introduction to book banning for kids. Younger readers may not get the deeper message, but will enjoy the silliness of the book nonetheless. Parents could use this book as a starting point for a discussion about book banning and censorship.

This book introduces the concept of book banning to a young audience in a cute, funny, understandable way. Very important right now!

This is a fantastic look for kids at the idea of book banning and, how people don’t want information to be available. However, I feel like it may be presenting a “both sides “version of the issue in some respects, with the reasons given in the book being much more valid than the current reasons for book bans.

An adorable book with a big message! I love Raj Haldar's books because they don't dumb things down for kids, but they're fun and exciting even if the little ones don't really understand. I like what this book teaches kids about the real consequences of book banning and censorship in general, but I took a star off for being a little soap-boxy, especially since the people most likely to pick this book up aren't the ones that need the lecture.

This book is funny and the illustrations will really hook the reader. It draws on some stories children will already know, which is great too!

This Book is Banned is a must read for teachers and parents wishing to discuss free speech with children. It is a hilarious text with fun illustrations that remind me of the Chester series by Melanie Watt. Kids will enjoy the story on this surface level. But the deeper message will also resonate with children and adults struggling to understand this very topical issue as well. This book would be an excellent introduction to lessons around book banning for kids in elementary and high school. I would also recommend reading it at school board meetings where adults are discussing banning books. Raj Haldar has masterfully handled a tough topic with insight and humour.

A super cute story that explains to children what banning books or banning anything actually means. The story is easy to follow and keeps you turning to the next page and the illustrations are eye catching.

This is a great book to teach kids about banned books and the issues with banning things. Great for a teacher and librarian in states like Florida who are banning every book under the Sun

⚠️Review⚠️

Title: This Book is Banned!
Author: Raj Haldar
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Rating: 3/5

This Book is Banned! Is a children’s picture book written by Raj Haldar and illustrated by Julia Patton.

As a school librarian, I’m well aware of the current climate regarding book banning in schools and libraries across the country. As a result, I was cautiously optimistic when I saw this title on NetGalley and quickly hit the “request” button.

The writing style and illustrations remind me of other titles, such as There’s a Monster at the End of This Book. Overall, it was a cute story that I’d probably enjoy as a read aloud in the proper setting. However, it wasn’t entirely what I was hoping it would be.

The description said this book “underscore the importance of the fight against censorship in schools and libraries across the country.” I feel like it missed the mark in that regard. There was a brief blurb about book banning, but really the story wasn’t so much about book banning…it was more about banning the things in the book. As an adult, I understand the point that the book was making, but I’m not sure that children would understand the correlation after reading this book. I would have appreciated a less cutesy version that provided more information about book banning and why it’s bad.

My final rating is a 3/5. I’d consider using this picture book with book banning lessons for 4th-6th grade, but I think it’s too abstract for younger readers to get the point.

⚠️Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids for the opportunity to review an eARC of this title.⚠️