The Most Boring Book Ever

 

The Most Boring Book Ever by Brandon Sanderson, illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi (Scholastic) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9781761641787

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

The Most Boring Book Ever is a humorous picture book intended for an audience aged 4 years and older. The text is short and sweet, and yes, very boring. A single simple sentence appears on each double-page spread and includes examples such as ‘A boy sat in a chair’, ‘Next the boy looked at the clouds’, and ‘Then the boy thought about laundry’. However, the illustrations tell a different narrative. The contrasting story told through pictures depicts the boy lifted on his chair into a world of fantasy that includes fighting off people in strange flying contraptions, avoiding fire-breathing dragons, and flying over the turrets and rooftops of an old cobblestoned town.

The book cover includes a striking gold embossed title and an intriguing yellow eye peeking through a rip in the top corner which would entice young children. The cartoon-like illustrations are colourful, detailed, and action-packed and are sure to capture the imagination of an early childhood audience. This book is certainly not a great option as an audiobook as visual literacy skills and conversations between the reader and audience are required to enjoy it to its fullest potential.

Brandon Sanderson is an American best-selling author of fantasy, science fiction, and thriller novels. Kazu Kibuishi is a Japanese-born American graphic novel author and illustrator best known for his Amulet series for middle-grade readers.