Synopsis
Like many children, Henry loves books. But Henry doesn't like to read books, he likes to eat them. Big books, picture books, reference books . . . if it has pages, Henry chews them up and swallows (but red ones are his favorite). And the more he eats, the smarter he gets--he's on his way to being the smartest boy in the world! But one day he feels sick to his stomach. And the information is so jumbled up inside, he can't digest it! Can Henry find a way to enjoy books without using his teeth? With a stunning new artistic style and a die-cut surprise, Oliver Jeffers celebrates the joys of reading in this charming and quirky picture book. It's almost good enough to eat.- ★★★★☆
- ★★★☆☆
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- ★★★☆☆
- What happened when Henry consumed too much too fast? He became ill; he made mistakes; he became confused.
- How did Henry feel when he first started eating books?
- Was Henry really smarter? No, he became confused.
- What did Henry realize in the end? You need to ‘digest’ what you consume; you can be smart but it takes time.
- What do you think it means to be smart/intelligent? To have true knowledge.
- What is knowledge? A thorough and internal understanding of information—see recipe for knowledge below.
- What is the difference between information and knowledge? Information is facts we collect, but knowledge is an understanding we can apply; information stays in our brains, but knowledge manifests in our hearts and limbs.
- How do we acquire knowledge? From verified and trusted sources: books, teachers, experts.
- Let’s metaphorically bake! You can share this “recipe for knowledge” with your child. This can be turned into a discussion or a fun activity.
- Learn information.
- Add guidance to it. This is especially important to highlight–knowledge without guidance can turn into compounded ignorance.
- Knead it into understanding.
- Sprinkle it with experience.
- Finally, bake it into application.
Mindful Muslim Review
A humorously poignant book about the difference between “information” and “knowledge.” This book comically highlights what happens when we accumulate too much information without taking the time to digest it, understand it, and turn it into actual knowledge. When used as a metaphor for the over consumption of information (and misinformation), The Incredible Book Eating Boy is a great tool to teach children the importance of the slow but sure path to knowledge.
For more on why this book is worth reading, check out our blog post.
Teaching Tools
Genres: General Fiction, Humor
Publisher: Philomel Books
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.
