It’s no secret to parents that childrens books are often made just as much for the parent reading it to their child as it is for the child. But every once in a while, there comes one that is just as amusing, if not more so, for the parents. How This Book Was Made is just such a book.
In a whimsical way, author Mac Barnett takes you and your younglings through the process of publishing a book. From what an author is and why they do what they do, to what publishers do, the beginning of this book uses a lot of humor to explain where books come from. It’s still a childrens book and Barnett’s journey to creating the book included angering a tiger and astronauts in space.
Of course, a childrens book wouldn’t be a childrens book without illustrations and Adam Rex’s illustrations are a lot of fun. While the text explains that the author isn’t sure why the illustrations took so long, the images show the author doing anything but working to accompany it. To promote the book, a “How How This Book Was Made Was Made” that sheds some insight into the way Rex approaches his illustrations and also alludes to the type of humor in the book.
From there, the book travels to Malaysia where it is assembled on a printing press. During its slow boat trip from China, the books also were at risk of being stolen by pirates. And once on land, your particular book had a fun side-adventure on its way to the store you got it from.
To be honest, How This Book Was Made is one of the smartest and funniest childrens books I’ve ever read. I found myself laughing out loud several times and it’s great for curious kids who ask questions about everything. They’ve surely wondered where books come from, and now they have a chance to learn all about it.