The Children’s Book Review | December 18, 2017
The Children’s Book Review: Which five words best describe I Love a Book?
Joe Rhatigan: Celebratory, magical, silly, bibliophilistic, adventurous.
If you had to take a vacation with one of the characters from I Love a Book, who would it be? Why?
I would travel alone, but bring one of the books on the first spread. Perhaps one of the ones with faces on their spines. It would be difficult to travel with the three-foot-long train book, though.
What has been the best reaction from a reader, so far?
My oldest recognized herself in the last spread where the little boy pleads, “Just one more book before you turn off the light!” Bedtime in our household was always one book after the other. I pretended not to remember I had just said, “This is the very last book tonight,” as one of my children thrusted another into my hands.
What’s on your nightstand? Any books?
Amongst the loose change, phone wires, and random bits of papers are the following:
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi
The Essential Rumi Translated by Coleman Banks
For your writing energy: sugar or salt, tea or coffee?
I simply tap into the flow of the universe. Just kidding. It’s coffee.
Writing tools: computer, pen and paper, or all of the above?
I have found notes on this book in my notebook, on sticky notes (the home screen kind), in computer files, and on my phone. Most of my books spend at least some time in Scrivener, the incredible writing software from Literature and Latte.
Can you tell us one more thing we may not know about I Love a Book, your writing style, or yourself?
Charles Nurnberg, the publisher of MoonDance Press, approached me with this idea of creating a picture book about the love of books. He had the title and a few lines that he composed while sitting around one day. One of his lines mentioned a cow up in a tree and and an animal doctor in a helicopter. I made sure those didn’t get cut while editing.
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Written by Joe Rhatigan
Illustrated by Olga & Aleksey Ivanov
Publisher’s Synopsis: This is a celebration of books, reading, and our imaginations, I Love a Book opens with a list of types of books and where to find them. The simple, lyrical prose then becomes more frantic as a young reader encounters pirates sailing the sea, a classroom of monsters “learning math with their paws,” and even an animal doctor making house calls in a helicopter.
With lavish illustrations nearly spilling off the page, the young reader finally reaches the end of an exhausting day, ready for bed … and more books. This book is for anyone who loves books and wants to instill this passion in the next generation.
Ages 4-8 | Publisher: MoonDance Press | 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1633222267
Available Here:
About the Author
Joe Rhatigan is the author of more than sixty books for children and adults, including I Love a Book, Everyone Toots, White House Kids, and Out-of-This-World Astronomy. Joe’s an editor and writer living in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife and three children.
This speed interview with Joe Rhatigan, author of I Love a Book, was conducted by Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Books About Books, Olga Ivanov, Picture Book, and Speed Interview.