Books for Benjamin - R.G. de Rouen - ★★★.¾

-
AUTHOR: R.G. de Rouen
ILLUSTRATOR: Uliana Barabash
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
PUBLICATION DATE: October 21, 2022
RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A cute indie picture book for early readers. Takes the word ‘bookworm’ to a whole new level!


Plot Preview:
Benjamin the worm lives in the back lot of a grocery store with his family. While the rest of the worms devour their way through scraps, Benjamin eats up books, not in the way a worm should but by actually reading them. Imagine the horror of his family at this unhealthy habit!
As Benjamin wants more reading material than he finds, he makes an ingenious plan to get access to books. But his plan, while taking some stumbles at the start, works even better than he dreamt.


The story of this book is obviously exaggerated, as is evident from the fact that Benjamin the worm can actually read books. But that’s the fun of reading a children’s story – its imaginativeness needs no bounds.

Benjamin is a wonderful character, what with his love for books and his courage in pursuing his dreams. Little readers will surely enjoy his adventurous quest for new reading material, which culminates in a location they might not even have heard of. The ending made me chuckle, while still impressing me with how creatively the author had created a connection between Benjamin and a symbol that is found in every book.

There are some fun facts at the end about libraries and about the special symbol, both of which sync perfectly with the plot.

On the flip side, the second half of the story goes by too fast and on too grand a scale. The reactions and situations seem exaggerated, even for a fanciful picture book. I’d also have loved some details on why Benjamin chose that specific letter of the alphabet as his signature, especially as his name doesn’t begin with it.

The story is written in text blocks of 1-2 sentences, and each page contains not more than 3-4 such blocks. Thus, the textual content is a little more than typical in beginner-level picture books, but the page layout makes it easy on the eyes. There are a couple of difficult words herein, but these can be explained with adult guidance.

I am not sure what art style the illustrations are in (pastel sketches made digitally, perhaps?), but they complement the story in cuteness as well as vibrancy. However, at times, the size of the critters in the story wrt other elements isn’t on a realistic scale, making them appear more like colourful snakes and giant bugs than like regular-sized insects.

All in all, a sweet little story for little book lovers, combining a whimsical plot with some interesting facts. Maybe kids won’t be so afraid of worms after getting to know Benjamin. 😉 This book would work well for little readers aged 3-8 years.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through a StoryOrigin promotion. This review is voluntary and contains an honest opinion about my reading experience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Takeout Sushi - Christopher Green - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Christopher Green GENRE: Contemporary Short Story Collection, Japanese Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE:  May 2, 2024 RATING: 3.9  stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended! This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan witho
Read More»

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars. In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended! I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆 Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover. All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of conse
Read More»

Red Runs the Witch's Thread - Victoria Williamson - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Historical Fiction, Horror. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.)  However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of s
Read More»

The Great Divide - Cristina Henríquez - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Cristina Henríquez GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: March 5, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction focussed on Panama during the time of the construction of the Panama Canal. Note that this isn’t a book directly about the canal or its construction, but about the people connected to the canal in some way or the other during that period. A great book if you go in with the right expectations and enjoy character-oriented fiction. Plot Preview: 1907, Panama. Francisco, a Panamanian fisherman, hates the commercialisation of his country under the foreigners, and hence resents his son Omar’s joining the canal construction crew. Omar, however, wants to learn and earn more than his little village can offer him. Sixteen-year-old Ada has heard about Panama having many jobs. She has stowed away to Panama, hoping to get some work and earn enough for her ailing sister’s surgery back in Barbados. Her mother Lucille, a tailor, doesn’t yet know of her ru
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis
Read More»