Sunday, July 27, 2014

Don't Turn the Page, by Rachelle Burk (illustrated by Julie Downing)

If you only read one book about a porcupine baby who reads a story about a bear cub who reads a story about a porcupine baby all year, it should be this one. It's a book within a book, a story and a meta-story, and it's all kinds of adorable!

Sami is a baby porcupine (or is she a hedgehog? Magda and her dad hoped she might be) who doesn't want to go to bed (because she's not even tired!) but she and her stuffed bear do want to read a bedtime story. Just don't call it a bedtime story (because she's not even tired!).

The book they read is about a little bear cub who is getting ready for bed. He gathers his stuffed porcupine (hedgehog?) toy and settles in for a book. And the book he's reading is this book, the one about the porcupine (hedgehog? porcuhog?). So meta.



I just adored this book. It reminded me a little of Snatchabook, another story about forest animals and their bedtime stories. Big thanks to the publicist for sending this one my way!



Magda's Take:

Magda--So do you think the bear in the story and the porcupine know each other in real life? Like, are they friends and their moms wrote this book for them?

Me--I don't know. Maybe.

Magda--I mean "real life" in the story. I know it wasn't really written by a bear.

Me--I know what you meant.

Magda--But then, would a porcupine and a bear cub be friends? A porcupine is pretty tiny compared to a bear. And if it's a hedgehog, that's even smaller!

Me--It's a mystery, honey.

Magda--It really is.



BOOK DETAILS:
Don't Turn the Page!
Author: Rachelle Burk
Illustrator: Julie Downing
Publisher: Creston Books
Publication Date: June 10, 2014
View on Amazon

Source: I was sent a copy by the publicist--thanks, Samantha!


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