cbr14bingo New Level 2 (coming in February 2023)
The only thing that could make this book (Once Upon a Book) cooler is if Tomie de Paola was somehow involved. But since, sadly, he is no longer with us, this cannot not humanly be any better. Because Grace Lin and Kate Messner are perfection as it is solo, therefore, together they are out of this world awesome!
This is a sweet book about imagination and some far out fantastic illustrations. The colors pop off the page, and really make the book something unique. And maybe it is a little ironic after saying that, that my favorite image of all of them is the moon and all black. But I do love it all. And love almost everything about the book (I do not like that it had to stop). I love how the young girls outfit fades into background, making her immersed into the story. I would love to know, however, what the book her “word dress” is from. Or where the text is from, as there is writing on her dress.
The mixed media of the art makes it cozy (as we have seen this style before) but also new and a little fresh as you have not seen this exact way before. There are diverse characters, humor and more in this most ages book. Good for a one-on-one reading or a group read-aloud, it will most likely be a “read again!” tale.
I admit when I first saw the book, I was not sure I was going to like it, even the first few pages made me wonder, but once I got it not the grove, it was a pleasant experience. I can’t wait for February so I can buy copies of this new gem for all my friends and family. 
