The Book Bandit
Mystery of the Missing Books
Those who love children’s books will surely be on the lookout for the next title from Solomon and Groberman.
Artist and writer Ivan Solomon and author and photographer Micah Groberman combine their talents in the whimsical children’s picture book The Book Bandit: Mystery of the Missing Books.
Mila and Evan are a sister and brother who embark on a voyage to find a book thief after finding their shelves wiped clean at bedtime. Seeing a few books scattered on their home’s front lawn, the duo set out to see where the book trail leads. Along the way, they encounter different animals reading books that they’ve found. Each animal is keen to help in the search for the thief. Mila, Evan, and their new friends make their way up snowy mountains, across glistening waters, and into the thick of a lush forest to reach the surprising culprit.
Though the idea has been seen before in children’s literature—animals one-by-one joining a group and working together toward a goal—the writing here is fresh and fun, and the story offers up a nice, continuous rhythm and memorable rhymes. Clever illustrations are superimposed over exquisite photography—all of it original—to illuminate the pages. The book successfully showcases a love of reading and a true appreciation of nature.
Punctuation errors and capitalization missteps mar the first page, and throughout the book commas remain at large. The final page includes a brief quiz whose answers are not discussed in the story.
A worthy educational tie-in, the book includes a fun game on the quiz page, ensuring that this title will keep children engaged after its last line. Fans will be on lookout for more from Solomon and Groberman.
Reviewed by
Tanisha Rule
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
