Book 119

Look!  A Book!, written and illustrated by Bob Staake, published by Little, Brown and Company, 2011.

Finding out that Bob Staake writes, as well as illustrates, children's books more than three years after after I stopped working as a children's librarian is like showing up late to a really great party.  I'm a bit annoyed that all these people have been having so much fun for so long without me, but, on the other hand, I am glad that I finally made it to the party.  Had I known sooner, though, I would definitely have brought other people with me.

Look!  A Book!  is the perfect example of why I wish that I had discovered the weird and wonderful world that is a Bob Staake children's book earlier.  The text is simple, fairly straightforward, and at times, silly;  all that is great, but team that text with the brilliant, zany, cram-every-inch-with-action-on-every-page illustrations and the results are nothing short of magical.  And those magical illustrations? -- they grace everything from the jacket, cover and end papers and every delightful page in between. 

My son, at not quite four, seems to be the perfect age to enjoy the beautiful madness of this book.  Maybe I did show up to the party at exactly the time, after all.