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The Incredible Book Eating Boy

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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.

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 19, 2007

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About the author

Oliver Jeffers

85 books2,657 followers
Oliver Jeffers' work takes many forms. His distinctive paintings have been exhibited in galleries worldwide, and HarperCollins UK and Penguin USA publish his award-winning picture books, now translated into over 30 languages.

In 2007, Jeffers was the official illustrator for World Book Day, and in 2008 Lost and Found became Oliver's first book to made into animation by London-based Studio AKA.

Jeffers won a NY Emmy in 2010 for his collaborative work with the artist and director Mac Premo, and in 2013 Jeffers co-directed the video for U2's Ordinary Love with Premo. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Jeffers now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

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5 stars
3,832 (49%)
4 stars
2,631 (34%)
3 stars
958 (12%)
2 stars
177 (2%)
1 star
71 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 861 reviews
Profile Image for karen.
4,006 reviews172k followers
March 15, 2009
in the future this book will make sense to no one. it will have to be re-named the incredible kindle-eating boy. i wrote this review only to prove that even when i take a break from paper-writing to read a childrens book, i am still on-topic mentally. so give me an a please...
Profile Image for Suz.
1,412 reviews749 followers
December 5, 2017
Of course I’ve heard of this author, so I grabbed it straight away from work. Brand new!

A funny little boy gets greedy. Greedy for books. To eat! This is all well and good, he could even become the smartest boy in the world! But this glutenous book eating, which started with a sentence - page - chapter - then gulp - A WHOLE BOOK! - made him quick green with sickness.

Then it turns out it may be slower, but he could still be the smartest boy in the world. Now he loves to read, isn’t sick, and is learning a lot! In fact.. broccoli eating becomes popular. Who’s have thought?!

Such a cute concept teamed with witty, original and very clever illustrations. Witty and clever author. What a pleasure. Recommended for all book lovers young and old. Please, just no biting the book!

Indy (master 5) loved it. He was wriggling round with (silly) excitement and bum wiggling. This is a good thing around here. Like a happy dance you could say.

Great Christmas gift, or any occasion for that matter. Enjoyable and smart!
Profile Image for Neko.
506 reviews43 followers
July 6, 2016
I loved this book, I loved the funny storyline and I really LOVED the illustrations! I think Oliver Jeffers is fast becoming one of my favourite writers for children storybooks.

This story is about Henry who really, really, really enjoys ALL sorts of books...But...he enjoys the books a little different from you and I. In fact he EATS any sort of book he can find, especially the red ones! This allows his brain to do the most interesting thing, it internalises all the info out of each book until...

...one too many books were consumed.

I learnt a new word from this book..'boke'...Now I haven't even googled to see if this word is real or really just made up. The child I was reading this too got such a huge giggle from the word 'boke' we had to read that specific page many times!

Now, if you want to find out what happens to Henry after eating too many books you'll need to pick this up yourself..I do suggest that you DON'T eat the book though...You really don't want to end up like poor Henry. I know, I know, the book already has a nibble out of the back of it but really, I do strongly suggest you ignore the temptation to nibble on it yourself.
Profile Image for Kelli.
905 reviews431 followers
August 25, 2017
I believe the last picture book I reviewed was A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers and here I am with his earlier gem. I love the illustrations and the use of book pages in the backgrounds. I love the bite taken out of the back cover and the disclaimer advising against eating the book. I love that the boy becomes the incredible broccoli eating boy in the end. But mostly I just love a book for children that celebrates reading. This book does that in a clever, catchy way. 4.5 stars
Profile Image for Lisa Vegan.
2,862 reviews1,291 followers
December 5, 2011
Oh, I just loved this, and its outlandish humor will, I think, appeal to most kids. I can see reading it with kids in all sorts of settings, and independent readers should enjoy perhaps it even more.

The humor is wonderful, all the way through, including the “eaten out” page corners of the last few pages and the back book cover. I also love it when children’s book authors use a childhood photo of themselves in the author bio section, and that’s the case for this book.

The illustrations were wonderful. Lot of text included, interesting juxtaposition of content. Each page of collage was filled with so much to view.

I suppose this isn’t a totally original idea. I’ve seen this premise played out before in other picture books, but the story here is so endearing. I like that Henry wants to be smart, and that Henry likes books, and that he figures out another way to use them.

Note to adults: On the back cover there is a disclaimer to not to try to eat this book at home. Fun touch.

4 ½ stars
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,568 reviews234 followers
November 7, 2019
Henry loved books. Specifically, he loved to eat them. The more he ate the tasty tomes, the smarter he got. Until the day, that is, that the knowledge he was ingesting began to become a little mixed, and he began to feel a little ill as a result of his unusual diet. Following the advice of parents, doctors and librarians, he stopped scarfing down books, but subsequently found life a bit dull and flat. What could he do...?

READ!!! (of course!) Although I saw the ending of The Incredible Book Eating Boy coming from a ways off, and fully expected to find in its pages a paean to the beauty and joy of reading, I still found the process of getting to the conclusion quite enjoyable. The story here is humorous and engaging, offering an oblique exploration of how we consume books and other media amidst all the hilarity. There's something to be said for taking our time when we read, rather than rushing to read everything we can, without pausing to truly mull it over. I appreciated that Jeffers managed to work that message into his book, without resorting to any overt didactic display. The illustrations were every bit as appealing as the story, making use of textual collage elements in ways that reminded me of the artist's work for his subsequent A Child of Books . Recommended to fellow Jeffers fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories that address how we approach books and knowledge.
Profile Image for Melki.
6,818 reviews2,531 followers
June 9, 2020
Henry eats a book, and absorbs the knowledge contained within the pages.

description

But, too much of even a good thing can sometimes lead to trouble, as Henry discovers. This is a fun story with imaginative artwork by the author. Fun fact: Seeing the little bite taken out of the back of the book led one of my coworkers to confess that as a child, she used to chew on her headboard at night.

Hmm . . . I'm assuming she was impervious to splinters.
Profile Image for Yousra .
719 reviews1,346 followers
January 26, 2023
كتاب 📘 #الولد_العجيب_آكل_الكتب
#TheIncredibleBookEatingBoy
تأليف ورسوم ✍🏻🎨 #أوليفر_جيفرز
#OliverJeffers
ترجمة📝: #أحمد_العلي
نقل التصميم إلى النسخة العربية: #سارة_خُمَيِّس
من إصدار #دار_أروى_العربية
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يحب ابني هذا الكتاب كثيرا ... يحب قضمة ياسر للغلاف 😅 ... تتسع عيناه وتلمعان مع كل صفحة وتنفلت الضحكات مجلجلة مع السطر (٦+٢ = فيل) 😂😂
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كتاب لطيف وغريب من حيث الفكرة والمضمون من تأليف ورسوم أوليفر جيفرز، وهو أحد كتابنا المفضلين وإن كان هذا هو أول كتاب له نقرأه بالعربية ... أوليفر جيفرز كان هو من - بشكل ما - بشرني بالعمل في مجال النشر للأطفال حينما حلمت - قبل أول عرض عمل أتولاه في نشر الأطفال وقبل حتى أن يفاتحني أحد في ذلك الأمر - بأنني أتحدث معه وأسأل عن شروط ترجمة بعض أعماله التي أحبها طفلي والتي اكتشفت لاحقا ترجمتها في دار نشر لبنانية 😅 وأعتذر عن هذا الاستطراد 😅🤭
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اكتشف ياسر فجأة أنه يستطيع أكل الكتب، ليس هذا فحسب، فقد اكتشف أن أكل الكتب يزيد من معلوماته ... يجعله أذكى وأذكى ... وكأي طفل صغير فقد أساء استغلال هذه العجيبة ووقع في مشاكل لم يحسب لها حساب 😃
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القصة مضحكة ومدهشة والفكرة غريبة ولكن الرسالة نبيلة وواضحة ... كل ما يزيد عن الحد ينقلب إلى الضد ولا يجب الجري وراء المكسب السريع
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إخراج هذا الكتاب بصورته الحالية هو عمل يستحق كل التقدير ... رسومات الكتاب عبارة عن مزيج من أساليب رسم مختلفة ... وفيها ما يعرف بالكولاج في بعض صفحاته وهذه تحديدا يتضح فيها كم الجهد المبذول كي تقترب من ثقافتنا وبيئتنا وما نراه في كتبنا العربية ... وينتهي الكتاب بقضمة للصفحة الأخيرة والغلاف وهو نفس الشيء في النسخة الانجليزية 😃 في كل مرة قراءة كان ابني يطلب الكتاب ليرى "قضمة ياسر" ويلمس حوافها ويضحك قبل أن يسلمني إياه للقراءة 😃
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كتاب جميل أنصح به لدار نشر ستتواجد لأول مرة في #معرض_القاهرة_الدولي_للكتاب كما أن إصدارتها متوفرة في كل من #مكتبة_تنمية و #مكتبة_البلسم
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الكتاب يناسب العمر +٦ ويصلح للقراءة الجهرية والحكي والمناقشة وعمل الكثير من الأنشطة الفنية ❤️
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#اقرأ_مع_يسرا #اقرأ_لطفلك #اقرأ_مع_طفلك #قصص_أطفال #كتب_أطفال #أدب_الطفل #دور_نشر_عربية #قصص_أطفال_مترجمة
Profile Image for Sandy.
2,673 reviews67 followers
September 24, 2020
Henry, everything must be done in moderation!

What a cute book! It was an accident really, the way this all started. Henry wasn't paying attention when he took his first bite, it was one single word out of a book. Henry enjoyed it so much that he continued eating words until eventually, he was eating whole books! Henry got so good at eating books that instead of taking the books apart, Henry was swallowing the books whole! This part made me smile as I thought Henry must be related to the, "I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a ...." as Henry was beginning to swallow some pretty big books!

This new talent that Henry had discovered was also beneficial for him too. He discovered a reward for all this eating and this is where he should have had some self-control! Henry should have enjoyed his new life and it's perks but nope, Henry had to shoot for the stars.

Another great story by Oliver Jeffers!
Profile Image for Dianna.
1,899 reviews43 followers
June 2, 2018
The three-year-old ADORED this book, then went and took a bite out of another library book. Sigh.
Profile Image for Andi Lo.
64 reviews
July 3, 2023
Muy divertida y con una enseñanza sutil como suele hacerlo el autor
Profile Image for Belle Sabattin.
440 reviews40 followers
August 8, 2018
Conocí a Oliver Jeffers en un taller de cuenta cuentos que realicé hace poco y fue amor a primera vista 😍.

El profesor del taller nos contó "El corazón y la botella" del mismo autor y quede prendada jajaja ❤️... así que como es lógico suponer tuve que adquirir obligadamente algunos libros del autor y este quedó entre los elegidos.

"El increible niño comelibros" es un libro estupendo para todas las edades, y por eso me encantó el autor, sus cuentos parecen ser para niños, pero tienen mensajes ocultos entre páginas y palabras que hacen que incluso a los adultos nos lleguen sus historias directo al corazón, y obviamente a los niños les saca más de un risa.

Algo que me gusta mucho, es como las imágenes y las palabras se apoyan mutuamente sin caer en la redundancia, es decir, muchas veces las palabras te dicen algo y las imágenes en lugar de solamente reafirmarlo, te dan más información. Lo que pienso es muy bueno cuando se le está leyendo a un niño, ya que es tan importante que ponga atención a lo que escucha como a lo que ve.

Oliver Jeffers eres un genio ❤️
Profile Image for J & J .
190 reviews75 followers
June 24, 2019
I like the drawings and the layout of this book but the story lacks depth and ends oddly.
Profile Image for Hala Riyami.
40 reviews17 followers
May 20, 2020
افتتح رف تقييمات أدب الطفل بهذا الكتاب، وربما أفعل ذلك لأنَّهُ وباستمرار قُبيل أي معرض كتاب تأتيني استفسارات لا بأس بها عن العناوين المناسبة للأطفال سواءاً من العائلة أو الأصدقاء والمعارف. وأسوةً بمحاضرة أدب الطفل لدكتورة جوخة الحارثي عام ٢٠١١!! -من يصدق أنها مضت ٩ سنوات على تلك الصفوف- سأقيّم بعض العناوين التي ستقع عليها يدي :)

١- عليّ أن أقول كافتتاح أن أوليڤر جيڤرز كاتب مُتمكن للأطفال.
والترجمة لعنوانه 'الولد العجيب آكل الكتب' ترجمة متمكنة من دار أروى للنشر.

القصة:
يحكي الكتاب قصة ياسر الذي وبكل بساطة يحبُّ الكتب ، لكنه يعبر عن محبته لها بطريقة مختلفة فهو يقضمها و يهضمها !وقد فعل ذلك بالتدريج حين انتبه أن طعم أكل الكلمة والسطر لذيذ جداً .. وهكذا حتى أصبح يأكل كتاباً بأكمله في لقمة واحدة. لاحقاً سنعيش أحداث مع ياسر في نوعية الكتب و الأغلفة المفضلة ! لقد جعلت منه أذكى!!
وهنا سيحب ياسر بطمع أن يصبح أذكى صبي على كوكب الأرض فالمعادلة سهلة، سيأكل المزيد من الكتب!! سيفاجئنا أوليڤر جيڤرز لاحقاً في العقدة أن تلك لم تكن هي النهاية المنشودة ، فالمزيد من أكل الكتب أودى بياسر إلى عسر في الفهم والاستيعاب واختلاط المعلومات في رأسه. سأتوقف هنا لأن النهاية مشوقة أيضاً.

من منا -على الأقل- أثناء فترة الاختبارات لم يفكر بأكل صفحات الكتاب لتصل المعلومة بسرعة ؟

فكرة متقدة مثل هذه تجعل من هذا الكتاب بقضيته وخياله فكرة قريبة من الطفل ، قرأت الكتاب مع ابن اختي في الثالثة والنصف وظل يطرح علي الكثير من الأسئلة!

٢- مع أني لست مع توجّه تقييم الكتب حسب الأعمار لأن قدرات الأطفال مختلفة. لكن هذا الكتاب مناسب ابتداءاً من عمر الثالثة فما فوق ! مع أن قدرة الأطفال في التمييز بين الخيال والحقيقة في هذا السن ضئيلة نسبياً إلا أن الموجه يستطيع أن ينتبه إلى الفكرة العامة التي سيخرج بها الطفل وأن يوجهها.

٣- الاستمرار في قراءة ذات العنوان بحيث يكبر معه الطفل يساعده في التركيز على عناصر مختلفة في كل سن حسب مرحلته والمهارات التي يتمتع بها في تلك المرحلة.

٤- أخيراً، الرسومات هي أفضل داعم لنجاح الكتاب .. طريقة جيڤرز في الرسم وخاصة هذا الكتاب ، طريقة طفولية جداً وخالية من القواعد ، استخدام الكولاج في بعض الصفحات والألوان المستخدمة شكلت لوحات جميلة وقريبة من القلب.

'يقول بيكاسو أنه استغرق أربعة أعوام ليرسم مثل راڤييل ، لكنه استغرق عمرهُ كاملاً ليرسم كالأطفال'

٥- أخيراً .. أخيراً خمسة على خمسة ✨🌟!
٦- أخيراً أخيراً أخيراً : شكراً لصديقتي الغالية الصقري، في معرض الكتاب الماضي أمسكت الكتاب وقالت لي'بتحبي أوليڤر جيڤرز' شكراً لنبوءتها الصادقة. 😁
Profile Image for Hannah Higson.
90 reviews2 followers
January 22, 2018
This is a really good book to engage children with a love for reading.
It is about a boy who loves to eat books. Everytime he eats a book he gets smarter and smarter. However, not after long this boy starts getting all the information in his head confused. Henry learns that you can get information from reading books and also love the process.
6,746 reviews76 followers
February 13, 2020
Merveilleuse petite trouvaille dans la bibliothèque de mon école aujourd'hui. Des illustrations magnifiques. Un style unique pour raconter une histoire. De l'humour très efficace, mais aussi une belle réflexion qui entrainer une discussion avec les petits, et qui même en tant qu'adulte, m'a fait réfléchir. Drôle d'hasard d'être tombé là-dessus aujourd'hui! Excellent!
Profile Image for Abby.
87 reviews3 followers
July 3, 2023
Yo también quiero comer libros.
Profile Image for Agnė.
777 reviews64 followers
March 4, 2021
3.5 out of 5

The Incredible Book Eating Boy is a witty picturebook that slyly celebrates deep reading instead of merely devouring information.

The story is silly and lighthearted, but a little bit deep, too, if you want it to be :)

And I loved Oliver Jeffers' whimsical and creative mixed-media illustrations:



Profile Image for Zeynab.
181 reviews63 followers
Read
December 10, 2020
این پسر چقدر کتاب میخورد!!!
هم فارسی اش رو توی‌ کانون خوندم هم انگلیسی اش رو بعد سالها. و چقدر بانمکه :)
Profile Image for Mehsi.
13.8k reviews419 followers
February 13, 2017
Read this book in Dutch, but will be writing my review in English.

Of course I had to read this book when I spotted it at the library. For more than 1 reason. First up it is Oliver Jeffers, and I just adore his books. Second I am a bookworm, and so I love stories about fellow bookworms, especially if they are a special kind of bookworm.

Because that is what our boy in this story is, a special kind of bookworm. You know how people often tell people who read a lot that they eat books, well this kid takes that literally and eats books. Not only his own books, but also library books, books he finds, well anything. And he also doesn't shy away from any topic. I loved that part. That he wasn't afraid to expand his tastes in books.

But of course, I could see what was going to happen coming. From far away. As soon as his hunger for books turned into a knowledge battle, I just knew this would end up badly. Of course I won't tell you if it truly did turn badly, and what happened to the boy. But let me just tell you that I loved the ending and that it made me truly happy.

I also have to give bonus points to how the book was made, at the back (and in 2/3 pages) there is a bite mark, as if someone had nibbled a bit on the book, which fits perfectly with not only the book, but also with the ending.

The illustrations are just fabulous, I love the backgrounds and what kind of materials form the backgrounds at times. Definitely fits perfectly with the book. Then again, this is not the first time that Oliver Jeffers made a book that is not only a feast for the brain, but also for the eyes.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. The only reason I didn't rate this book 5 stars was because of the whole knowledge and I am going to be the smartest person ever part.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com
Profile Image for Naomi.
262 reviews54 followers
August 25, 2016
I confess, I have an artistic crush on Oliver Jeffers! I'm falling in love with his work. Who does Oliver Jeffers write and illustrate for? My almost-4-year-old loves him, but so do I. At this point, I'm not sure which one of us I keep ordering his books for. I want to keep them in my office/library, but I've been reluctantly keeping them in my son's room so they're handy for bedtime.

This book is enchanting, humorous, and gorgeously illustrated. There is even a "bite" taken out of the last pages & back cover, which my son really got a kick out of. There is also a disclaimer to not eat the book.

I loved the message—sometimes I too am guilty of "devouring" books at such a gluttonous rate that I don't have time to properly digest them or savor them. Like the incredible book eating boy, I have a desire to consume and know everything. It's enough to make you "boke", ha ha... (That's an inside joke for people who read this.) The boy learns the importance of slowing down and really taking things in.

I think this is a classic, whether people know it yet or not. I'd put it up there with Where The Wild Things Are.
Profile Image for Jaksen.
1,531 reviews82 followers
February 5, 2017
OMG Loved This Book!

I read a review by a friend and said I got to read that. Got a library copy and read it to myself. Read it to my four-year old grandson, who though he can't read yet, loved it. My eight-year old grandson laughed out loud at it.

A story about a boy who eats books. (Both boys loved the part where the boy 'throws up' in a real toilet cuz he gets sick eating books.) It's just so zany - there's a word I seldom used - and 'cuckoo for cocoa puffs' silly that I'm going to buy a copy to put on the bookshelf I keep at my house for my grandsons.

No less than five stars. :D
1,155 reviews114 followers
March 3, 2016
What a funny story! I could see it being a great book to frame early independent reading conversations at the beginning of the school year.
Profile Image for Erin Murray.
77 reviews2 followers
October 31, 2018
I thoroughly loved how in Henry's lowest overall point of the book where he stops eating them, he discovers a love for reading! The unconventional idea of a 'book eating boy' could definitely appeal to children as it's such an absurd idea to them. I've read it to my cousins before and they absolutely love it! The illustrations throughout are FANTASTIC and anyone can admire them. The added touch on the back of the corner chewed off is just a little extra but children LOVE noticing it!
Profile Image for Hamed Manoochehri.
193 reviews12 followers
October 16, 2024
اینجا دیگه جدی داره به ماها متلک میندازه!
اینجا دریا نداشت ولی آز (ولع) و درک کردن (understanding )≠ دریافت دوتا تم آشنا بودن.
خیلی جالبه که جفرز اعتقاد داره انتهایی برای آز وجود نداره؛گوشه پایین صفحات آخر کتاب چاپی جوری برش خورده که انگار گاز زده شده😂
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