This Is a Door

by Daniel Nayeri

A groundbreaking hero's journey from National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner, Daniel Nayeri! A young boy, a mouse, and a dog set out to find their purpose in this fairy tale adventure told in an innovative visual format that offers a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

This is the tale of a boy named Nothing the Younger, who lives in a city on the mountaintop of a far-off and long-lost country. Everyone calls him Ing, and while he has no parents, he does have two friends: a dog, Pöppy, and a mouse, mOmO. When King Cyrus calls for a hero to find and defeat the Giantess ravaging the countryside, the king's son, the Wander Prince, answers the call and Ing decides to follow. Along the journey, Ing (and his friends) must traverse the Land of the Dead, survive an encounter with the terrifying wimmelworm, and discover the truth of his mother and father . . . so that he may find what he's been seeking all along—his best purpose.

The text on each page snakes, climbs, jumps, and explodes into shapes and forms that unravel the story. This Is a Door is full of fun surprises and poignant musings that flip the classic hero's journey on its head—all in an artistic and inventive package that is a wonder to behold.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Juvenile, Fairy Tales

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 27, 2026

About the author

Daniel Nayeri is a writer and editor in New York City. He wrote and produced The Cult of Sincerity, the first feature film to be world-premiered by YouTube. He has had all kinds of jobs around books, including book repairman, literary agent, used bookstore clerk, children's librarian, Official Story-Time Reader Leader, editor, copy-editor, and even carpenter (making bookshelves). He's also a professional pastry chef. He loves Street Fighter 2, hates the word "foodie," and is an award-winning stuntman.

Daniel and his sister/co-writer Dina were both born in Iran and spent many young adult years in Europe. There they learned several languages between them and tried Frosted Flakes for the first time.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Happy Publication Day (October 27, 2026) to the latest title from award-winner Daniel Nayeri.

This is not your average middle grade novel! When you open this door you will find a hero's journey in twelve chapters. It is a "visual novel" and can not be properly experienced in Kindle format. Since I was reading an advance copy the Edelweiss+ Reader was perfect for viewing. Thank you to Stonefruit Studio and Edelweiss for the ARC.📖

It is difficult to describe my experience with Ing's (short for Nothing) adventures. He has a mouse and a dog accompanying him. There were biblical and mythological themes scattered throughout. You really have to see it for yourself!🤩

After The End, Nayeri shared his twelve chapter story structure in a wheel. I loved that graphic! Then he gave us his five rules for the format of the book. That was so intriguing to me I am going to share those rules as part of my review:

1. There are no illustrations, except those made by text.
2. There is no distortion of letter forms, though they may take different size or weight.
3. The letter forms remain one color -- black -- though they may shift opacity into grays.
4. The forms must always serve the purpose of the story.
5. The forms must serve to delight and enliven the reading experience. It is not experimental and it is not a puzzle.

As a whole this was an amazing reading experience. Despite how well Nayeri followed his rules I did at times find myself distracted by the forms on the pages. So, just deducting a partial stars. All in all a read I would recommend to fans of this author! I am sure we will be seeing this one on award lists in 2027.

[Carmen Imes · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

An delightfully creative journey. A true page-turner.
This made me want to write another children's book and experiment with his style!
Nayeri is a genius. We're all very lucky to be alive with him at the same time.

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful fairytale of a hero’s journey to finding purpose that features phenomenal experimental text design on the pages!!

I loved everything about this

CW: death, grief, absentee parent

[Cari Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Shel Silverstein, TJ Klune, and Mark Danielewski had a baby, it would be this book. Absolutely gorgeous storytelling that deserves all the awards.

Will be recommending this one to all my customers.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This is the perfect book for readers who loved the nonsensical adventure of Spinelli's Hokey Pokey, but wanted a historical quest more like Gidwitz' The Inquistor's Tale, written in the concrete poetry style of Grandits' Blue Lipstick.

This book is sure to win awards for children's literature, much like Eggers' The Eyes and the Impossible did, since most of these awards take into account literary merit and not something crass and commercial like "appeal to actual children".

Purchasing this for my school library would not be a good use of my limited funds.

[Michelle]

I am declining to give this a star rating. While Nayeri is one of my favorite authors, the book just wasn't very pleasurable for me. The story of a boy named "Ing" (short for "Nothing") is a pleasant enough parable about love and belonging, but the artistic text elements did not translate to my Kindle and were just a bunch of mumbo jumbo. I think the book is meant to read like concrete poetry. Not sure what I missed but maybe because this was an ARC it will be fixed in the final version.

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great adventure story. I was so invested in this journey the boy with the mouse and dog went on. It felt like reading a classic fairytale and I ate it up. The way the story was told through the text and the way it was formatted was really engaging and definitely added to the story. I highly recommend this one.

Thank you @stonefruit.books for the gifted copy of the book.

[Resh (The Book Satchel)]

A unique middle grade reading experience! I loved the author's note at the end where he explains his thought process of structuring the story and how he included his ideas that deviate a bit from the theory of narrative structure, yet sticks to a stricture. He calls This is a Door 'an illustrated book with no pictures' and there is no better explanation for it.

In this story a boy named Nothing embarks on a journey through a door, with his friend dog Poppy and mouse mOmo to find his purpose in life. He wants to know his name, what profession he is meant for in life, and he wants to be loved. I loved this particular quote that says "He realized that half the task of being a hero was wanting to do it in the first place. the other half was doing it."

The interesting thing about the book is how visual it is—so words will form a figure, sounds will be told in words, 'spread away' would be written in a way that gives you a feeling of something spreading away. Words appear as sounds, landscapes, actions, emotions, descriptions etc. Since this is a visual book, please get yourself a physical copy. E-copy (I read an e-galley) does not do justice to the beauty of the book unless you keep tweaking font sizes and other things.

For a middle grader, this book might be an interactive read about sounds and a sense of purpose. As they grow older, they might be able to appreciate the cyclical nature of stories, how different characters have a journey or purpose, and ponder on the idea that 'whose story is it anyway?'. I enjoyed the book!

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own.
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[Tamara York · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this at the bookstore and flipped through it I had to buy it! This book is word art. Think The Book With No Pictures but as a full-length book. This is a hero’s journey following Nothing as he searches for his name and purpose in life. It is very cleverly done and had me laughing out loud in several places. This would be such a fun book to teach to middle or high schoolers. I will be passing this around to lots of people to read. This is my 4th Nayeri book and they have all been great.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Nayeri did it again!
A really fun read, a good story and an interesting format which my kids will love!

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read anything like it (a compliment), but I’ve also read many stories like it (also a compliment.) Nayeri boils a hero’s myth down to 12 parts and then messes around with it in every way possible, all while illustrating the book with no pictures. Truly one of a kind!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nayeri's story about a boy with no name and no purpose is a take on the Hero's Journey, which Nayeri explains at the end of the book. He also talks about his choice of how the book is printed--all in the same font but with different sizes of letters and positioned in all different ways to help tell the story without traditional illustrations. The book is getting rave reviews in the professional journals and it is certainly worth a read, but I had trouble really caring about the characters. It felt too much like an intellectual exercise.

[Helen Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m here to tell you that THIS IS A DOOR by Daniel Nayeri is truly unlike anything else on your shelves! In the author’s own words, it’s “an illustrated story with no pictures.” And it absolutely earns the 4 stars I gave it for sheer creativity, but read on to see why it didn't quite hit 5 stars for me.

First, how to describe this unique reading experience? I’ll attempt it:

Instead of traditional lines of print, the text forms itself into what the words mean. For instance, when a character is falling or spinning into a trance, the lines of text literally curve and spiral downward across the page, forcing you to turn the book or iPhone, in my case, as I read the eARC, in your hands just to read the next sentence. Another example, without giving away the story, when a wall or a boundary is mentioned, the block of text stacks itself tightly into a physical barrier right on the page.

The text simply refuses to stay put! It jumps, shifts, lightens and moves around as need be. It feels like an exercise in pushing the boundaries of what a novel can be, and reading it is honestly a lot of fun.

But. Here’s why this unique book is’nt quite 5 stars. For me, the visual typography comes at a cost and became a bit of a distraction. I found myself so fascinated by what the words were doing on the page that I wasn't as deeply immersed in the story as I would have been.

While I was literally experiencing the story, I didn’t become attached to Ing and his two companions, Pöppy and mOmO, who accompany him on his journey to find his name and purpose.

Still, it’s a wild ride! I wholeheartedly recommend picking up this unique book!

Thank you, @danielnayeri, for going where no other book has gone before. And thank you, @netgalley and @sourcebooks (Stonefruit Studio), for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Ashley Scow · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read, albeit a bit strange. There was so much thought put into the structure of each page, giving life to the words by creating pictures with their placement. I have so much respect for this author and how much time this must have taken to figure out!

However, while the themes were beautiful, the story itself feels a bit lacking. Strange and disconnected at times, I didn't always fully grasp what was happening.

Imaginative and refreshing, this would be a fun read for a bedtime story.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange book. The visual choices in fonts and font size and how it’s laid out effectively controlled my inner reading voice. It’s a bit fascinating how well it worked, really. Also, so much white space, sooooo many trees…
A healthy look at death and grief

[Carrie Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

October 29th, 2026 reread:
This is the first time in many years I decided to reread a book within the same year of reading it. I wanted to listen to Daniel Nayeri's narration of the audiobook when I saw he had narrated it. It had a wonderful production and I highly recommend picking up both mediums so you can hear his narration and also see the way each page is formatted. This is one of the best books for younger readers I read in 2026.

July 23rd, 2026 read:
This Is a Door by Daniel Nayeri was a great middle grade novel told in verse. I loved the author's note at the end of the book where he explains his process of writing the story. He created a story based on the writing structure of the hero's journey but changed it a bit to fit Nothing's journey. Each chapter goes along with a part of the structure.

Daniel Nayeri describes the book as an illustrated novel without pictures, which is the perfect description of this book. The shape of the verses change to fit what is being told on the page such as into different shapes, twisting around the pages, and even changing size. It was one of the most inventive ways I have ever seen a book written and I highly recommend this for younger readers and for the older readers who still enjoy these types of stories. If you do choose to pick it up, the print copy would probably be your best option. The formatting doesn't translate as well into an ebook.

*Thank you to Stonefruit Studio, Daniel Nayeri, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

[Brice Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & Stonefruit Studio for the ARC!

Daniel Nayeri’s This Is a Door is a typographically adventurous story about a child discovering what it means to be someone in the face of grown-up griefs.

The book follows Ing (short for “Nothing the Younger”) as he searches for his parents with his two friends—a dog named Pöppy and a mouse named mOmO. If he succeeds, Ing speculates, he will learn his real name and understand who he is. Along the way, there are countless big questions about purpose and what makes us who we are: Is it our families? Our names? Our social standing? Our usefulness?

Or, as Ing muses, “My purpose will be the thing that makes me most useful to the Good God, and least useful to the bad ones."

Readers of Nayeri’s Everything Sad is Untrue will recall how the author’s background informs his approach to heavy themes. Rather than shying away from the idea that grief and fear are a threat to childhood innocence, he accepts that they are a part of it. Children are fully-formed people wrestling with the same concerns as their parents; they just have a different vocabulary.

Death haunts This Is a Door because death haunts most of our lives. It’s a rude, profane interruption that demands the story move in new directions, and Nayeri gives his characters the language to face the unfaceable. For Ing, grief is like “standing in a dark shapeless cave.” For Pöppy, it’s “stepping into a pool of cold water.” And for mOmO, it’s like “losing a single color so that you never see it again.”

The tenderness with which the author approaches these themes is enough to make This Is a Door worth checking out, but Nayeri also supports his subject matter with some genuinely gorgeous prose. Consider the following example:

“Sometimes a person
will sacrifice their
own dreams to feed
their family.

And that is noble.

Sometimes a person
will say they’re
sacrificing for their
family, but really
they’re just hiding
from their dreams.

And that is a shame.”

I mean, this is a book for ten year olds that treats them with the dignity they deserve. What an incredible gift for them.

You may have noticed some odd capitalization in this review, and that’s because This Is a Door is an “illustrated story with no pictures,” as Nayeri puts it. Text is treated as a visual medium here, so the words dance and contort their way around the pages. For example, if the word “smelly” is on the page, the other words may try to get away. If people are talking over each other, the text is a jumble of each person’s thoughts. One notable example of this at play involves a conversation between the land of the living and the dead, where each half of the dialogue is printed on separate pages, allowing readers to feel the disconnect. If you’ve ever opened a book of experimental poetry, the experience is visually similar but infinitely more satisfying as each page shares its surprises. For kids, especially non-readers, this adds an extra tactility that constantly pulls the reader back into the text.

As a final note, I want to again stress how much respect Nayeri has for his young readers, especially as future writers. He explicitly models each chapter after the Hero’s Journey, but he also includes an author’s note explaining why he does it and what it means for how we view the characters. Do we actually know who the hero is? I see this as a great resource for burgeoning authors to learn about narrative structure, and the fable-like nature feels like an invitation for children to start their own stories.

Suffice it to say, This Is a Door is an exceptional book, both for kids and the adults who might share it with them. It’s moving and mature, but it’s also light-footed and funny. I can’t wait to read it again.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed from a copy of the book given to me by the publisher.

In a book that kids will want to read again and again, Daniel Nayeri offers an Odysseus-like adventure for young kids that is never boring, rather it is playful in nature and will keep kids engaged from beginning to the satisfying, predictable end.

A young orphan named Nothing ("Ing" for short) wakes up one morning and realizes he has no name and no best purpose in life, so he sets out on a quest with two companions - a mouse named mOmO and a dog named Pöppy - and 3 gifts from Nana, a widow who treated Ing as if her grandson. Many adventures happen for the three adventurers, as they meet people, discover things, overcome death, find his father, fulfill a quest, and find Ing's best purpose in life.

In his author's notes, Nayeri explains the backstory behind his writing of this adventure tale. While this section may very likely be skipped by kids after they finish the story, it is a fascinating read and enlightening for those who want to study this work. The clock/chart for the hero story formula is brilliant. (Coincidentally, Joseph Campbell's name and the concept of what makes a "hero" came up in a conversation during lunch yesterday with a couple of my friends, as we discussed our take-aways from the recent Christopher Nolan's new movie, The Odyssey.) Don't overlook these author notes! Publisher's Weekly interview of Nayeri adds much: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...

Reminiscent of B.J. Novak's book The Book with No Pictures, Nayeri has cleverly used different devices on each page to make this a very playful read. There are no illustrations. The type font is displayed on the page as if painting pictures. Some pages are presented as if concrete poetry, printed in the shape of the topic or the content, while others have lines of type that wander around the page or words that form a picture of that word. Others use font size for emphasis or to diminish the volume. Still others use different shades of black ink - fading from black to lighter shades of gray - to indicate a diminishing sound. I found it interesting to see one conversation to be spread across one page as if it were a 2-page illustration spread and blank pages intentionally included for pacing of the story. (Nayeri includes what and why he did this in his author's notes in back.)

I would be remiss to not include 3 things about the physical book. 1. The choice of a die-cut for the red, textured cover that pictures the door as a book, shows the three adventurers entering the world as they pass through the doorway - with the green and yellow endsheets revealing that outside world - is inspired and eye-catching. 2. Though a 400-page novel may seem daunting, kids will zip through this due to the unusual formatting of the type inside. Lots of white space. 3. Each page is printed on a thick cardstock type of paper that makes the book have a solid feel to it (and adds to its impressive, hefty thickness).

The action of the story + the action of the print = a play-filled, fun read for boys and girls in grades 3-6. Highly Recommended

[Whitney · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

Well, another Newbery book that everyone was freaking out about that I don't understand why. This has been called "groundbreaking" a lot. It's not. The author's note literally spells out how it follows the "hero's journey" formula in a way that would make it ideal for teaching children about that plot device. It's a novel in verse where the words sometimes form pictures, a thing multiple other authors have done without being called "groundbreaking." Some of the story happens without making much sense (ex. they bury Ing's body but he has it back without them going back to get said body). The dog is named Pöppy. The umlaut makes it pronounced "puppy". No child will pronounce this correctly unless they've had the book read to them via an audiobook or an adult who's listened to the audiobook. But my biggest gripe (and this is the second HUGE Newbery buzz book to do so this year) is the injection of religion into a book that didn't need it.

Ing sets off to find his purpose and when he's asked how he'll know what it is, this child responds "My purpose will be the thing that makes me the most useful to the Good God, and the least useful to the bad ones." 1.) CAN there be a "good god" if they allow the existence of multiple bad ones? 2.) The "good god" is invoked multiple times. He/She/They are not a character in the book. They don't intervene. We don't learn any of the religious aspects of the world aside from multiple gods exist and ONE of them is good. There is exactly ZERO reason for there to be a god in this book. 3.) Why are we teaching this child that his "purpose" is to be "useful" to anyone, let alone a god who is cruel enough to allow the existence of multiple bad gods, take his parents from him in a society where names and jobs are passed down from parent to child , and create a giant worm called "the wimmelworm", who eats the spirits of the dead who are too poor to pay passage across the river to heaven/valhalla/the other side ? Why should his purpose include being "useful" to others at all? I think this is a very damaging thing. The friendships were fine. The story was fine. It's very passable. The format is not nearly unique enough for people to be fawning over it this way.

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ing is short for Nothing, because that’s where he came from and that’s what he is. But that can’t be true, can it? Ing has to be someone with a purpose. So, with his friend Poppy the dog and new companion mOmO the mouse, Ing sets off from his home on the mountaintop and travels the unknown countryside in search of his mother and father, so they can give him both his name and his purpose in life. The three will come upon many strange and wondrous things, like a ghost market, a moon lighthouse, the Wander Prince, and the terrible wimmelworm, but will any of it tell Ing who he is supposed to be? Or is that something he must discover on his own?

This is a Door is an interesting tale of finding purpose in life, told through the eyes of a lost boy, a loving mouse, and a loyal dog. It’s a relatively simple story: Ing, mOmO, and Poppy venture out to find the boy’s parents and encounter obstacles, friends & enemies, and thought-provoking moments along the way. Each chapter is titled and modeled after the Hero’s Journey (Call to Adventure, Meeting the Mentor, etc), but since Ing isn’t necessarily the “hero” (that would be the Wander Prince), his events subvert the storytelling trope, which is fun to see. The overall message of the story is something really important for kids to hear: you don’t have to be “special” to have a purpose in life. You just have to do what you like. What makes the book stand out is the visualization of the words themselves. Words will mimic what they are. For example: The word “shadow” will have a shadow underneath it, or the word “jump” will be higher than the rest of the sentence. Letters will twist, bounce, explode, and disappear from the page, or form structures like castles, wheelbarrows, or even mimic Ing’s actions. This is a Door is a visual novel with no pictures; The words do the storytelling themselves, making it a very fun and dynamic read. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Patricia N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Is a Door
by Daniel Nayeri

Rated: 4 Star Rating

I just finished reading Daniel Nayeri’s book This Is a Door, and it is honestly unlike anything else out there. I expected a regular story, but the book actually uses the pages themselves to show you what is happening.

The cover even has a little door cut into it, so you are literally opening a door when you start reading. The main character is a twelve year old orphan boy named Nothing the Younger, but everyone calls him Ing. He lives in a hidden city up on a mountain and doesn't have a family, but he does have two awesome pets. His sidekicks are a funny dog named Pöppy and a smart mouse named mOmO.

The story begins when King Cyrus asks for a hero to stop a giant monster that is wrecking the kingdom. A flashy, stuck-up guy named the Wander Prince goes after the giant, and Ing decides to follow him with his dog and mouse to see for himself.

They end up traveling through creepy places like the Land of the Dead and running away from a scary monster called the wimmelworm. The best part of the book is that it has no pictures, but the words do all the drawing.

The sentences bend, climb up the page like a ladder, and bunch up when the characters are trapped in a tight spot. It makes you feel like you are right there with them.

Instead of just being about fighting monsters, it is really about a normal kid trying to figure out what his purpose is in life. It shows that you don't need a sword or a crown to be important and that just being loyal to your friends is enough. It is short, fun, and different from any other book I have read. If you want something totally new to read, you should definitely check it out.

Thank you, NetGalley, Look Stonefruit Studio, and Daniel Nayeri author for this ebook review consideration. All review opinions are my own.

#NetGalley
#StonefruitStudio
#DanielNayeri
#ThisIsaDoor

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[Sara Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those of us who love children's literature have been waiting for This Is a Door. It finally arrived this week, and it is more than worth the wait. Daniel Nayeri is one of my must-read authors. His unique voice and innovative storytelling are on full display in this glorious book.

A classic hero's journey, This is a Door tells the story of Ing, a boy who thinks he has no purpose, so he sets out to find it. Written for upper middle grade audiences, Nayeri addresses difficult topics like grief with the gentleness and care we all deserve. I took pictures of so many passages that I will return to again and again, but I won't share them here. I want you to come to them as Nayeri has laid them out. They unfold like the perfect bloom.

It wasn't enough for Nayeri to write a beautiful story, though. He's done that before. This Is a Door is also a work of visual art where the typography becomes part of the story. Look at that copyright page - it gives you a hint of the care taken to produce this story. Your graphic-novel-loving reader will find a whole new way of enjoying a visual story.

Is this a middle grade book? Yes. But adult readers who can allow themselves to open their hearts will love it also. (It takes a certain kind of grown-up to fall into books written for young readers. In my opinion, we should all aspire to be that kind of grown-up.) If you are lucky enough to have an inquisitive upper elementary or middle school reader in your family, read it together. The conversations it will spark will enrich you both.

If you haven't read Nayeri's work yet, start with this one and then dive into the rest - National Book Award winning The Teacher of Nomad Land, Newbery Honor winning The Many Assassinations of Samir the Seller of Dreams, Printz medal winning Everything Sad is Untrue...and all those beautiful picture books. Then come by the shop and thank me.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing—or Ing as he is known to his friends—has known very little in his life, and with his mother dead and his father missing, he is lost in more ways than one. King Cyrus has announced that he will find and kill the dreaded Giantess, but Ing has been encouraged to participate in the quest himself, alongside a mouse named mOmO and a dog named Pöppy. Each step of the journey comes with its own set of challenges, but the unlikely companions are determined to continue together. And at the end of it all, perhaps Ing can discover both his purpose and his true name.

This unusual middle grade book presents initially as a novel in verse, utilizing very specific words to tell the story in a relatively sparse manner. However, the narrative also includes unique and unexpected elements, including playful word choice and placement to add a visual component to the novel without the use of illustrations. Allegorical in its delivery, the narrative’s omniscient third person narrator gives the reader a high level view of everything that is happening to Ing and his companions, and because Ing’s character is relatively undeveloped, he has the potential to become anything by the story’s conclusion. With some investigation of the veil between life and death and an existential view of Ing’s tale in particular, there are myriad layers to this novel that can be dissected as desired by young readers. At the end, an author's note and end matter provide more detail about the book’s unique construction. On its face, this is an entertaining and unusual story, particularly for those who enjoy looking for deeper meaning in the books they read. This is a unique addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally sent to NetGalley: A fantastic journey reminiscent of The Phantom Tollbooth, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Boy the Mole the Fox and the Horse, and The Alchemist. A great option for young readers who need a more visually interesting way to transition from chapter books with pictures into those without. Also a good option for readers who may find it difficult to decipher written connotation and intention, since the physical form of the words reflects both. A young boy sets out on a journey with his friends, a dog and a mouse, to discover his true purpose. The story follows The Hero's Journey, quite literally. It also uses interesting fonts and placement of words on the page to imply the connotation or action (or both simultaneously) of the scene or concept. A few examples without spoilers: when the trio wanders the banks of a river, the words wander in lazy wiggles across two pages; when someone is whispering, the words are typed in a smaller font; and when someone has their heart broken, the scene is written in the shape of a broken heart spanning two pages. The story itself is a good mix of adventure and growth. The book deals with several kinds of grief and has a (very brief) death scene. Very good for a young reader who can handle complex emotional and philosophical questions (how to deal with grief, how to find your purpose) while still needing the content of the book to be free of profanity, graphic violence, or romance/sexuality.

[Kara Foutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is a Door is a book to be experienced and not just read. Having read Daniel Nayeri's work over the past few years, I expected his gorgeous, mindful prose and was not disappointed. This book is beautiful from the very first page.

The story follows Ing, his dog Pöppy, and a mouse mOmO, who stumble into a quest to defeat Giantess. Young readers will connect with Ing's search for identity and purpose as he faces mythical dangers to uncover the truth about his parents, himself, and the value he brings to the world. The text physically pulls the reader into his journey.

This book stands out for its blend of literary and visual art. The unexpected typeface layers the storytelling and actively immerses the reader. Each design choice feels intentional and matches the emotional highs and lows of the verses.

Because of its unique layout and innovative poetry, I highly recommend this to anyone who loves contemporary novels-in-verse, as well as readers who appreciate interesting book design and visual storytelling. This is not a book to read once and shelve. It is one I will return to and revisit.

Note on accessibility: The unique typography and shifting text sizes make me wonder if a large-print edition will be available to accommodate students with visual processing needs or low vision.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is a Door is probably one of the most creative children's books I've read this year.

Author Daniel Nayeri takes us through the structure of a Hero's Journey chapter-by-chapter through the trials of the protagonist Nothing. Nothing, shortened to "Ing," lives in a mythical kingdom where villagers are defined solely by their names and the occupations of their parents. Since Ing has never met his parents, he must find his own purpose, aided by his companions, Pöppy the dog and mOmO the mouse.

While this book is tropey and feels familiar, the plot was incredibly zany and surprised me at multiple points. It is also written with unique typography, highlighting the meaning of words and creating images akin to concrete poems. This format makes the book accessible to reluctant readers, but also highlights how fun wordplay and reading can be. I also found some of the imagery and more poetic pages to be beautiful and evocative.

I've really enjoyed Nayeri's picture books in the past, and this book has definitely encouraged me to read more from him.

Thanks to Netgalley & Stonefruit Studio for the eARC

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I included it in verse knowing that it's more concrete verse/narrative and wholly original in it's presentation. I think that's exactly what Nayeri was going for and it was accomplished. It's the story of a hero's journey. The story of Nothing and his ragtag group and his quest to find his dad while also meeting his dead mom and curious storytelling in between. There are mountains to be climbed and caretaking of mice babies.

It is not illustrated but the wordplay on the page, be it in shapes or font size itself, turns the story on its head in many ways and feels similar to another book recently out- A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm- due to it's creatively organized storytelling.

And with the backmatter, it can be included in any English classroom to talk about the hero's journey itself!

[LORIANN (my opinion doesn't mean much, but ...) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of a boy who wants to find out who he is and to find his way in the world. In order to do this, he must walk through "the door" of the long-lost kingdom and survive the kingdom of the dead. He has a walking stick, his scarf, and his two misfit friends, Poppy who is a dog and mOmo who is a mouse. Along the way these three will find who the boy really is.

A new way and a new twist on a way to write fairy tales! The way Daniel Nayeri brings the animals to life and into the story is incredible. You will find yourself looking at you own animals afterward in a whole different way. This book is a must read for people who like to read different versions of updated and fractured fairy tales and like stories.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY for the ARC COPY of this book. All opinions remain my own.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boy is alone, the people in the Village call him Nothing because he has no name. But Nana, the old woman who takes care of the junkpile, tells him he is not nothing. So Ing (his nickname) sets out with a dog and a mouse to 1) find his father and learn his real name and 2) find his purpose.

Daniel Nayeri is a master storyteller. He has written an amazing novel in verse, illustrated with his concrete poems. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, and loved every minute of it. I loved the characters - the wise mouse, and oh, Poppy the dog is such a dog. There are two different poems describing grief, and he's spot on. I adored This is a Door and am highly recommending it. I hope readers can appreciate its movement and charm. The characters seem to be from a time (middle ages?) rather than a specific race or culture.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Stonefruit Studio through NetGalley.
I appreciate the way the text becomes the artwork throughout. A young boy, a dog and a mouse set off on an adventure to find Ing's father and discover who he is. Early in the journey, disaster strikes and the three now exist in both the land of the living and the land of the dead. Readers make the journey with them and celebrate the return home to recognitions and a place to be. By the time the book is complete, Ing has found his role as have the dog and the mouse. I appreciate the writing style and how Nayeri introduces his characters and weaves their journeys together. A fairy tale that definitely includes fantasy elements but offers realistic elements as well.