What happens when you ask a mischievous panda to help explain the rules of your book? Total, adorable mayhem! In “This Is My Book!” by Mark Pett, a gangly chap (who represents Pett himself) talks to the reader, explaining that he’s the author and illustrator of the book. He sets up some guidelines, instructing the reader that “My book needs to stay nice and clean. Look around at all these spotless white pages. Aren’t they lovely? Let’s keep them that way.” Unfortunately for him, things don’t go as planned. Not only does Spike the panda stealthily color on our protagonist’s pristine pages, he also draws some new characters who cause even more trouble. They add flaps, pull-tabs and even a pop-up to the book, nearly driving the poor author into hysterics.
This book is great fun, and I can’t wait to pull it out for a silly story time. “This is My Book!” would be ideal for preschoolers and kindergartners, and it’s perfect for kids who love interactive books like “Tap the Magic Tree” by Christie Matheson, “Count the Monkeys” by Mac Barnett and “Press Here” by Hervé Tullet.
