I have read several picture books of late as they are fun and easy to read. I like to say I have accomplished something. You might think it is nothing, but trust me, it is something. Yet, when you read about about Nothing, have you read something? You have if it was the book The Museum of Nothing. Steven Guarnaccia shows us that there is a lot of something in nothing. Not only are there words (some of which are explained in the afterwards at the end) but that nothing can hold things, even if it is holding nothing.
Yes, it is a little complicated at times, and while I was not digging the whole picture, it had its moments. When we follow Oona and Otto on their museum trip, there is a lot of nothing that is something. I have until mid-October 2023 to figure things out, as I read this as an online reader copy.
I think what I do like about the book is that the art is simple, but the pages are not empty. There is something when we talk about nothing. Which is a contradiction
but seeing it does help. There is a lot of white being used, but when there is color, it is important, and you should pay attention to the why of it. There are some fun things that are hidden on the page, and some not as much (remember there is nothing around it), but those details are also important. The only part I was not completely liking (but it is an interesting twist) is the ending and a change in the presentation of something.
The publisher description says this book is for ages five to nine. I am thinking you could read to younger kids, they might like to find the “something” that are there, but I am not sure how many kids can truly appreciate a book about nothing.
