Customer Reviews

It's a Book

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

As a librarian and education student I can tell you that blogs are NOT just for adults. Have you been in schools recently? Even elementary schools have students creating and adding to blogs. They are simple and easy to make and run, hardly the sole realm of adults. Any child in elementary school - who does not have parents specifically keeping them away from technology (if you are doing this, you have no right to comment on here saying "My child doesn't know what any of that is!") knows exactly what is being talked about in this book and would find it funny.

I also find it sad that so many are complaining about the word "jackass". A jackass is a male donkey - it's an animal. Use your dictionaries. It is yet another word that will simply make children giggle, they don't have any negative connotations associated with it. To them it is just going to be the animal on the page.

I think this is a fabulous book completely appropriate for elementary school. So many children spend all their free time on computers, watching TV, listening to iPods and such that I've seen children come into the library and not even know there are different kinds of books. This one is a great introduction to books, and will certainly draw them in.

As a picture book for grown ups, It's a Book is clever and well illustrated, easily a 4/5. However, it is being marketed to children four to eight years old. As the mother of two children in that age range, and a former third grade teacher, I find that strange. The concept is great, but the execution is so-so. First off, children aren't as familiar with that technology (blogs are for grown ups.) As people who grew up with technology AND printed books all around them, they just aren't worried about the death of the publishing industry. So, much of it goes over their heads, and then it ends with the word jackass (which is going to offend a number of parents, keep it off library shelves, etc.) I can't imagine recommending this book to other families with little kids. However, I can think of lots of adults and snarky teenagers who would adore it.

Lane Smith's wicked sense of humor comes through in this easy reader picture book aimed at elementary school-aged kids. This would be a great read-aloud for teachers at the beginning of school. On the title page, we meet mouse, jackass, and monkey, our characters. Monkey is reading a book, and Jackass bombards him with a series of annoying questions, such as "how do you scroll down," "do you blog with it," "where's the mouse," etc., to which Monkey keeps replying "it's a book." There's a very funny twist at the end, as Monkey lends his book to Jackass, and has to go to the library to find something else to read. A very funny gift for book lovers of all ages! Smith's very droll and simple illustrations are critical to the story, and the increasingly annoyed-looking expressions are Monkey are especially funny. This one's a keeper.

First, I watched the absolutely darling video that promotes this book. I posted the link to my Facebook page. I even used the video in my classroom for 7th graders and we all laughed about it. So, I ordered the book, thinking of a series of people I would recommend the book to while I waited for it's arrival. Then the book arrived and I sat down to read it with my 10-year-old, and both of us were immediately offended by the use of the word Jackass. I'm sorry, but have we debased ourselves so much that we not only have to go for the least appropriate and base jokes, even in what we are writing for our youngest children? I think not! The book concept had merit on it's own as the video proved, the vulgar language did nothing but lower it's value. I'll likely return it for a full refund, and I certainly will not be recommending it to anyone. What were the author, editor and publisher thinking? How sad!

First off, let me say that I LOVE Lane Smith. I love his many different illustration styles, I love his sense of humor and I love that he's pumping out books. My children's book shelves hold many Lane Smith books. I bought THIS book right off the shelf (for my preschool aged nephew) because of that track record.

However, once I got home, when I read the book all the way through I didn't give it to my nephew because of the word "jackass." I don't object to the word personally. I've even heard the President of the United States use it and I thought that was pretty funny. However, I can totally see my nephew latching onto that word and never letting it go. Children don't always have a sense of appropriateness so I didn't really want to put my brother and his wife in a position of saying, "Well, we know it's in your new favorite book but you can't call your sister that." Parents have enough daily battles without creating new ones.

I'm well aware that there are many terms for a donkey. There are also many terms for pancakes so pick one that a kid can say, for crying out loud, without getting in trouble at the library. I say different words for when I stub my toe around kids than I do by when I'm by myself. And because of that one word, "It's A Book" is sitting in my office and not on my nephew's bookshelf.

I am a teacher and first learned about this book at a conference. It is great for adults who love reading and realize that many have become so enamored with technology that they have lost the pure, simple joy of reading a book. Unfortunately, since one of the characters is a "jackass," many feel this book is inappropriate for children. I gave this book as a gift to my 20-something kids and they loved it!

I bought this book for my father as a gift. He is a high school English teacher. I think this will be a perfect addition to his classroom. It is cleverly written and illustrated--the overall message oozing with slightly twisted satire. The brilliance is that this sadly true social commentary on the state of youth and literature is wrapped in an innocent cartoon-like form which seems to have been misleading to some parents.

I can understand why this book may not be considered age appropriate for the 4-8 yr old range by some parents. I agree with the 8+ age recommendation for content alone. Hence the mixed reviews on a book that deserves 5 stars. This is definitely a 5 star-worthy book that fills a niche for both young and old. My two boys, ages 10 and 12, would love this story--especially the ending. And I would have no problem letting them read it. A few of the references might be lost on them, but the humor of this tongue-in-cheek telling would not entirely escape them.

Hmmm...this one isn't easy. As a librarian and avid ebook reader--at least for many formats, definitely not for picture books--this book tweaks at several issues in the publishing industry today. The book is amusing but also comes across as narrow minded. It's really anti-computer more than ebook reader, but it can come across as implying that only books on paper are worthy of our attention and enjoyment. Also, since I work with kids so much this one would go well over the heads of the average preschool storytime group despite the big illustrations and concise prose. In the end, it reads more as a book for adults, never mind the last line punchline that is causing such a furor. Spoiler here, but I don't know many kids who would even giggle at "jackass" beyond hearing a derisive inflection in the reader's voice. So I appreciate it for the joke and message--after all I adore books myself in whatever form they take--but wonder at how much it is more divisive than encouraging. It doesn't really sell reading to me, and once again, it postulates that traditional books are the only acceptable way to read. Sure, it picks at computer games and such, but that's a different audience and message, not one that is going to be picking this book up. That said, I love Lane Smith and his illustrations. I enjoyed the book. I just felt a little condescended to as well as a little condescending after I read it. After all, I eat, breathe and sleep books so I am part of the choir this was preaching to.

This is a great book - in fact I loved it. But what keeps me from buying it for my classroom - the last page. :(

Big fan of Lane Smith here - my girls adore his "John, Paul, George & Ben" about the Founding Fathers. When I had the opportunity to review "It's a Book", I jumped right on it. And now I am confused.

You see, I can't figure out the target audience for the book. While the reading level is for kids, the content isn't. My 9 year old has no idea what a text, blog or tweet is. She doesn't get wi-fi or screen names. That's because we're traditionalists in this house using books instead of a Kindle. She doesn't have the freedome yet to surf the internet, let alone an email account. Texting and social media are off limits for her at this age. So, the entire joke of "It's a Book" which is that a book isn't a device you plug into the wall and it doesn't do any fancy tricks makes no sense to my kids.

For adults, while I get the joke and my husband gets the joke, we both are in agreement that the entire concept would be better suited to the length and format of a Sunday morning cartoon strip. The book is too long for such a skimpy idea. I also found the use of the term "jackass" while correct to be unnecessary and distracting.