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Too Many Books!

by Gilles Tibo, Bruno St-Aubin, illus

At first glance, Montreal native Gilles Tibo’s new picture book seems based on an odd premise: that sometimes kids don’t have enough fun. Nicolas, the hero, finds that whenever he has trouble doing something, a friend or family member is always ready with a book to help him get it right. The tasks he is trying to perform – tying his shoelaces, brushing his teeth, washing his cat – are not momentous, but each comes with a book of instruction, and after reading it, Nicolas has no trouble at all. In fact, he excels: he learns to “tie the best bows in the world;” his teeth are “the whitest, brightest teeth in the world.” Trouble is, he starts to resent these know-it-all books. It takes a friend and a library visit to show Nicolas that books can be pleasurable too, especially ones with stories or jokes.

It’s hard to imagine the modern North American child who finds himself under-entertained, but Tibo’s aims here are modest, and the story’s true message – that reading isn’t always a grind – is a worthwhile one. Well known for his Simon series (Simon Finds a Feather, Simon Welcomes Spring), Tibo has won two Governor General’s and two Mr. Christie Book Awards. The prose here is pared down and slightly formal (odd for a book about reading for pleasure), though this may be partly attributable to Petra Johannson’s translation (of Des Livres Pour Nicolas, published in November 2003).

On the other hand, fellow Quebecker Bruno St-Aubin (Daddy’s a Dinosaur) provides brightly coloured, dynamic, pencil-and-watercolour illustrations that flow over each page, sometimes overpowering the spare text.

 

Reviewer: Nathan Whitlock

Publisher: Scholastic Canada

DETAILS

Price: $6.99

Page Count: 32 pp

Format: Paper

ISBN: 0-439-96753-8

Released: Feb.

Issue Date: 2004-1

Categories: Picture Books

Age Range: ages 4-7