I Am A Book

Gr. 1-3
A book on a library shelf explains its physical attributes (title page, copyright page, spine, covers) before launching into the tale of its transformation from a bunch of wood chips into its present form--with the help of an author, editor, illustrator, paper mill, printing press, and binding machine. At least one drawing, washed with gentle colors, appears on each page, with two dots in circles representing the eyes of the book at every stage, even in a pile of wood chips or on a roll of paper. Clear but not overly detailed, the text maintains a light tone, keeping the information accessible to beginning readers and even preschoolers listening to the book read aloud. The final page offers a few questions for class discussion.