Books do not have wings

In the immortal words of Oscar Hammerstein, A bell is no bell 'til you ring it, and in this picture book, Barnes and Coelho make a similar case: a book is just a book until it's opened. Each page is filled with fantastic illusions and meticulously detailed illustrations that demonstrate the many things that a book is not. A boy and girl are shown plunging into the pages of a book populated with wild gizmos, a fish-shaped submarine, a cunning old shrew / with a bubbling brew / of lizard stew, a sleeping dragon, and many other attractive oddities. Sumptuous illustrations in jewel-tone colors will draw viewers along to the end, where the point is clearly stated; the mysterious roundabout message will delight some and confuse others. A book is a book / when all by itself, / when it's closed and flat, / alone on the shelf. When opened, it inevitably becomes much more.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2016 Booklist

A rhymed text explores the imaginary places where a book can transport a reader.It has pages and pictures, / a cover, its true, / even words and a writer / and readers like you. / It can do anything / that you want it to do. / But this is not a book. // Because books do not have wings. All kinds of magical things can be found in the pages of this not-a-book. Readers whirl up a complicated agglomeration of gears into the clouds to clockwork cities and a pirate ship, as the text continues his protestations that it is not a book. Text notwithstanding, its the artwork that evokes the imagination and captures the eye as two children, one dark-skinned with short, black, curly hair and the other fair-skinned with long, blond hair, experience various adventures. The illustrations blend the quirkiness of Henrik Drescher with the detailing of Graeme Base in vivid colors and intriguing images. The rhymes tend to get in the way of the images they are describing, however. This, here, is a submarine, / a never-look-back, pretend-it machine, / to explore the depths / of the vast marine / with urchins, seaweed, / and schools of sardines. / Come closer, dear reader, / and see the unseen / this thing thats not a book. The repetition of the title phrase feels both precious and monotonous, muddying the conceitwhich stands a very good chance of actually confusing readers. Overall, this misses the mark and wont wing its way to success. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.