Book Review of Get Through This Book
The Children’s Book Review
Get Through This Book
Written and Illustrated by Brett Rumfelt
Ages: 3-7 | 40 Pages
Publisher: Independently published (2026) | ISBN: 979-8-9946124-7-712
What to Expect: Meta-fiction, humor, interactive storytelling, breaking the fourth wall, encouragement to read.
An interactive, meta-fictional picture book where an energetic protagonist hilariously breaks the fourth wall to find a shortcut through the pages.
The story opens with a character who thinks their current book looks incredibly boring and wants nothing more than to just get through it. Seeking the reader’s help, the protagonist embarks on a series of wild, physical attempts to bypass the text entirely. From attempting to run amazingly fast straight through the pages to jumping into what looks like a shortcut hole, each creative shortcut hilariously backfires, leaving the character stuck, falling, or completely turned around. Readers are taken on a fast-paced, interactive journey to see if this determined character will ever successfully make it to the other side.
Brett Rumfelt’s writing is delightfully energetic. Punctuated with brilliant comedic timing, the narrative dialogue is highly engaging as the character speaks directly to the audience, utilizing fun sound play like “(BONK!)”, “(SPLAT!)”, and “WEEEEEEEE!!!!” A clever, organic lesson about the joy of reading neatly wraps up with a cyclical, meta-fictional twist that invites immediate rereading. Rumfelt makes excellent use of playful, age-authentic language and comedic exclamations that excel when read aloud.
Key jokes and plot points leverage the illustrations to land—such as when the character mistakes a drawing of a hole for a real one, or asks if there is something on their face. Digitally drawn by the author, the imagery provides vital clues that reward a young reader’s visual attention. Fully integrated into the narrative’s humor, Rumfelt’s visual storytelling extends the text rather than simply repeating it.
Get Through This Book is a clever, fast-moving meta-adventure that respects a child’s intelligence by turning the physical layout of a book into an entertaining game. It is an excellent selection that will be most enjoyed by young children, emerging readers, and parents looking for a highly interactive and humorous bedtime read-aloud.
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About the Author
Brett Rumfelt is relatively new to the world of published children’s books, but also a seasoned pro at creating entertaining read-aloud books for kids. How’s that you say? Well, you see, he used to write and draw original picture books several years ago, but just for his own kids, to make reading more interactive and fun for them (and himself). Now that both of his boys are messy teenagers and into bigger books with more words, he’s sharing those picture books with other kids and parents. He hopes these books bring as many smiles to your family’s faces as they did for his, and he vows to keep creating new books for future readers. Brett lives near Atlanta with his wife, those two teenage boys, and their dog, Penny. A portion of the proceeds from all of his books is donated to nonprofit organizations supporting literacy and learning differences like dyslexia.
