Today's read... If You Laugh, I'm Starting This Book Over by Chris Harris

 Today's read made me smile before I even received it because it reminded me of one of my younger brother's favorite book when he was around four or so years old. My brother wasn't a reader (still isn't today), but this book was his closest companion for a year or two. It was titled The Monster at the End of This Book featuring Grover from Sesame Street. And that book had no point outside of making the reader laugh and squeal at every page. It was amazing and so much fun.

This book promises to be exactly like that and holds pure fun, laughter, and silliness.

IF YOU LAUGH, I'M STARTING THIS BOOK OVER

by Christ Harris 

Illustrated by Serge Bloch

Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

Guaranteed to be a major hit at storytime, this hilarious interactive picture book is perfect for fans of The Book With No Pictures, The Serious Goose and Press Here. 

Okay, kid… I have a BIG THING that I really want to tell you. But it’s VERY SERIOUS. So please, NO LAUGHING while I read you this book. Because…IF YOU LAUGH, I’M STARTING THIS BOOK OVER!

In this riotous read-aloud from the bestselling author of I'm Just No Good at Rhyming and The Alphabet’s Alphabet, the reader insists that listeners MUST. NOT. LAUGH—but the demand NOT to laugh leads to the absolutely irresistible temptation to do just that! Chock full of silly narrative twists, giggle-worthy character names, and ridiculously goofy illustrations by Serge Bloch, this interactive romp is sure to become a new storytime essential, whether you make it to the end or not!

GOODREADS   /   AMAZON   /   BOOK DEPOSITORY   /   B&N

MY TIDBITS

Laughing is healthy for so many reasons, and this book guarantees all of them will be met and more.

There's one point to this book (okay, there are two...but it starts out with one), and that's to have a ridiculously fun time reading a book. First off, I find that fabulous because I know way too many kids, who avoid reading because it's 'boring'. Thanks to the over-the-top-and-beyond silliness in these pages, boring doesn't even exist in the furthest terms of the imagination.

The book starts out with a note to the reader, as in the adult who will read this for a child or, better yet, a group of children. Again, I find this wonderful because how a book is read makes all the difference in the world, and this one allows the reader to connect with the listeners in a very positive way. The book is well done for the intended age group, holding a normal amount of text and level of vocabulary, which does speak done to the listener. The text flows well, does hold some colorful fonts for fun, and is well situated for a read aloud (as well as to be read on its own by those who have a very good handle on their words). And to round it all off, there's even a very heart-warming message at the end, which gives a sense of acceptance and love.

This is the perfect read to liven up the atmosphere and show how fun reading can be. Plus, it allows the older reader to connect with kids in a playful way. But get ready when you pick this one up because it is a wild ride.

And here he is...

Chris Harris is a writer and executive producer for How I Met Your Mother and The Great Indoors, and a writer for The Late Show with David Letterman. His pieces have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, ESPN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on NPR. He was also the author of the anti-travel guide Don’t Go Europe! He lives in Los Angeles.