Come, Read With Me

by Margriet Ruurs, Christine Wei (Illustrations)

Join two young children as they begin an adventure through a world of books in this story-within-a-bedtime-story. This metered read-aloud pays homage to classic children's readers of all ages will love searching for characters they recognize from fairy tales and beloved picture books amongst the pages. Spiders weave words and mythical dragons soar as the children travel through magical lands guided by the rhythm and rhyme of acclaimed author Margriet Ruurs. Little ones will want to cuddle closer and settle in for a delightful journey before heading off to sleep themselves.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Books About Books, Fantasy, Fairy Tales

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2021

About the author

Margriet Ruurs is the author of more than 40 children's books, many of them award winners.
Margriet lives on Salt Spring Island where she runs BETWEEN THE COVERS, a booklovers' B & B (see: http://www.betweenthecoversbandb.com/)
She writes regular book reviews of YA and picturebooks here: http://margrietruurs.blogspot.ca/

Margriet visits schools around the world to conduct dynamic author presentations, slideshows of the writing process and poetry writing workshops for students and teachers. She also speaks at many literary conferences each year.
Margriet has a Master of Education degree from Simon Fraser University.

She also conducts school talks via Skype.

For more details visit her website and blog: www.margrietruurs.com
Join her Facebook Fan page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Margrie...

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a children's book that I read to my twin boys. I have to say I really loved the idea behind this book, but I have to say this book leave me wanting more. I do not think this book pull my boys in because I think the writing was to much for children to really understand. I found the pictures cute, but they where not great. I have to say overall I just found this book ok. I really wanted to love this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Orca Book Publishers) or author (Margriet Ruurs) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. (*)

[Virginie Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and poetic bedtime story

I really liked the colourful illustrations by Christine Wei and all the fairy tale characters along the pages. I also appreciated the rhymes, it would be a great read-aloud story. You have to read this book like a cute poem with beautiful illustrations, because if you want to read a real ''story'', you won't get what you expect.

All in all, Come, Read With Me will be fully appreciated by children who know some fairy tales. I give it 4 stars, so I think it's a very good book!

Many thanks to Orca Book Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC!

Publication date: May 11, 2021

[Théo d'Or]

When I was à kid, I wanted to read all the books in the world. Now, I want to read the unwritten books. Then I could say always - " I know ". But wouldn't be boring, knowing everything ? Would that be a blessing, or a curse ?
" I know " - these two words encapsulate both triumph and limitation. With each " I know" - I also close a door - the door to wonder, to surprise. Ignorance - paradoxically - has its own beauty, wisdom lies not only in answers, but in questions.
Perhaps the unwritten books are not meant to be read, they are meant to be lived.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any children’s book about reading will gain my attention. In COME READ TO ME, two young kids cuddle up to an adult who takes them on a tour, of sorts, through classic children’s lit with matching illustrations. I thought the idea was fab, but the execution lacking. The art didn’t have enough oomph for me, and the text referencing famous kid classics seemed too subtle for young children to “get.” Grateful to the author, Orca Book Publishers, and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

3 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 11 May 2021
#ComeReadwithMe #NetGalley

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a clever idea, take bit from all sorts of classic children's books, and put them together in one book about two kids exploring all the lands that these books are from. Have them meet the animals from Wind in the Willows and from Charlette's Web. There is a hint about Where the Wild Things are, but the illustrations do not show them.

The two characters just journey from one story to the other, from Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz to Little Red riding hood, but that is all they do, just journey and observer. That is the whole plot.

And while the pictures are nice, and kids might enjoy looking at them, if they haven't been introduced to any of the stories mentioned, they will not be able to make sense of this picture book.

So, as I said, I appreciate the idea of this book, but the execution, for me is lacking.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clunky rhymes but just SPECTACULAR art. Keep an eye on Christine Wei.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy

This book does have rhymes throughout as this is meant to be a story you read aloud. However, some of the rhymes felt awkward as the pacing of them wasn’t consistent throughout. Because of this, it could make reading aloud somewhat difficult. The book is aimed at children that are 3 – 5 years old. I’ve found that rhyming, in general, can be difficult depending on the age and it may be difficult for the children to follow along to this one.

I really liked how this book refers to other children’s literature such as Cinderella, Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood, and many others. I think children who have heard of these other stories will enjoy finding the references throughout the pages. But if the child hasn’t heard of these, they may be lost about what’s going on as this book is a lot of showing and not telling. We follow the two children as they are reading the books but each of the children’s stories is alluded to with a sentence or two.

The illustrations are very colorful and busy. A lot of references to other children’s stories are brought in to the pictures; however, sometimes they were a bit difficult to identify. The art style sort of reminded me of what you would see on It’s A Small World in Disney World. This wasn’t really my favorite but that’s just personal preference. I still appreciated how bright it was as well as the detail.

I appreciate any book that shares the love of reading and while I think some children may enjoy this book, I’m not sure all will understand the references or rhymes. This could be used as a stepping stone to the other children’s books that are mentioned if a family wanted to get their children ready for the “bigger” stories.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I loved this book more than my grandchildren did. This is the story of two children who journey through the world of stories. It is a magical story that had me revisiting many books that I read as a child or to my children as they grew up. There were references to some of my favourites like Charlotte's Web and Pippi Longstocking. I loved the cadence and rhythm of this story and the illustrations were amazing. We did spend some time talking about what was in the images and what stories they come from. Of course my grandchildren are young and do not have memories of these stories, but I hope it piques their interest. It is tough to rate this one. I loved it and picture books are not just for children, but it didn't draw in my grandchildren. I would recommend this one to teachers, especially of junior level classes to introduce them to some of these great books. It would also be a good one to read with reluctant readers and have some of the books referred to on hand to share. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good bedtime read book or a read loud in the classroom. A dad reads to his two girls a bedtime story. They go into the story and meet characters that all are familiar with. The yellow brick road, the toad, and much more. Throughout it you are remembering your childhood while reading a starting a newness with whoever is read to.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A great book about the magic of reading!

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok. Two children and an adult are reading. This is an ode to the adventure of reading, going places and meeting people through books. There are lots of callbacks to famous stories such as charlottes web or where the wild things are, but they are slightly vague (probably to avoid needing permission or copy right issues?). A lot of the stories referenced are considered classics, but also not for the age group that would be targeted for a picture book. So while I got a lot of the references my kids didn’t. They really didn’t connect with it. Maybe a better pick as a gift for a librarian, English teacher, or adult book lover than for a read aloud with young kids. I also can’t stand when books force a rhyme scheme and this one definitely does. It’s annoying and not every kids book needs to rhyme, it comes across as trying to hard. The idea is fun but execution isn’t great.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was prepared to love this book as it celebrates the joys of reading and name drops all sorts of classic children's books. But then, the dreadfully awkward forced, and broken rhyme scheme shut things down for me. Then the children's books that were mentioned are done in such a nonsensical and hidden fashion that even if you know which book they are talking about, children probably will not know which book is being mentioned. Also, the names of proper characters are not capitalized at all as they should be. Finally, the illustrations are so jumbled that my eyes did not know where to look. On just one page out of the entire book, the illustrator chose to use a portion of an actual picture of a plant. Why? I don't know. They didn't do this for any of the other illustrations, so to do this for just one illustration on one page seemed a bit jarring. I would never want to read this again. Once was more than enough.

[Felicia Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable book and I loved it. I loved how lyrical this book was. It felt very much like a classic bed time story to me which is not something you see a lot of anymore. I loved the story story just in general with the adorable little girls and the whole thing being set up like an adventure just made the whole book feel so happy and alive.
The art style ad well was stunning. It really brought the characters to life. The bright and vibrant design is something I can see many kids gravitating towards.
All and all this was a fantastic picture book. I loved reading it and it brought me right back to my childhood to when I was always tucked in with a story and a kiss good night. I can't wait to share this story with my little sister and open up the wide world of reading to her.
Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you very much Margriet Ruurs and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Come, Read with Me.

Right off the hop I have to say I really really enjoyed this children's story. I enjoyed how Margriet tied in so many classic books that I love such as Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel to name a few. I've always loved children's books that have a rhythm / fun-cadence to them - they make me want to dance!

The illustrations by Christine Wei are beautiful and the artistry well-matched the story. The cast of characters are diverse in age, sex and race.

The author has suggested reading level ages 3 - 5 but my niece is 2 and she would ADORE this book.

Make sure to check out Come, Read with Me available on May 11, 2021!
#ComeReadwithMe

[Lis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Orca Book Publishers + NetGalley for the eARC of "Come, Read with Me" by Margriet Ruurs, illustrated by Christine Wei {estimated publication date 5.11.21}.

Books about books are some of my absolute favorite and I adore how many fairy tales are referenced in "Come, Read with Me". There are so many spots for discussions, conversations, and reminiscing about beloved stories children already know.
The illustrations by Christine Wei are bright, diverse, and instantly transport the readers to other lands.
The only difficulty with this book is that the cadence of the book changes from section to section so it's best to naturally break up reading aloud along with bookish conversations.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy books that talk about reading and enjoying reading and books. This book does just that by inviting the reading inside the book to learn all the wonderful things you might discover between the pages. One thing that I liked a great deal was all the allusions to other stories you could explore such as Charlotte's Web, Peter Pan, Where The Wild Things Are, etc. Using allusion is a harder author craft skill for many students to grasp and this provides a wonderful set of examples. There were also some wonderful phrases about books and reading that I might use as mentor sentences for my students. One of my favorites was "All these squiggling lines are just made of ink, but they make us imagine and make you think." This is a book that I can use for a number of lessons in my classroom.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come, Read with Me is a lovely illustrated book that introduces young readers to classic books they will be reading when they are older. I love the way the book is worded because it makes the future reader excited about the books they will be reading and where that book will take them in future. This would a great book in a classroom or library setting (especially to kids starting to learn how to read) or to the kids in a booklover's life. It makes me want to re-read the classic books it eludes to in the book! Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read this book! (This review is also on GoodReads.)

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Orca Book Publishers through NetGalley.
Ruurs takes readers on a journey through a wide variety of references to children's literature classics. Readers can spot hints in the illustrations as well. This is a book to read together and talk about the various book characters included. I was delighted by the concept but the execution fell a bit flat. This reads more like a nostalgia book for older readers who want to celebrate and remember all they have read. However, it could be a stepping stone book for families to then introduce younger readers to the rich variety of stories shared in this story.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Come Read with Me" is a very cute idea for a book. The flowing, rhyming text is good for a storytime, and the illustrations are bright and fun. The multiple visual and word references to other storybooks would make for a fun little guessing game with readers and/or listeners who are old enough to make the connections. I especially loved message about the adventures one finds through reading, and would happily recommend this book to all the young readers in my life.

I am very grateful to NetGalley and Orca Publishers for the opportunity to read "Come Read With Me" in return for my honest opinion.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has lavish illustrations with lots of different nods towards classic children's books. The text is all about the reading experience, without any story, and some of the rhymes are uneven. Because of this, I think that this book will appeal most to adults who are reminiscing about their childhood reading experiences. Young children may have trouble staying interested in this book, since it is very conceptual, but I could see this being useful as an introduction to a storytime event, or something for a parent to read to their child to help them get settled before a reading time.

I received a temporary digital copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not care for this book, thankfully my kids enjoyed it some. It was cool to read once because it had a hint of everything but it was almost too much. I personally just didn't care for the rhyme or the wording. I think it could have been done better. My kids who are 4 and 6 enjoyed the story, the hints at all the different tales, and the illustrations were nice. It was fun for them to point out all the different stories that we could identify. The concept of this book was cool, I just would have enjoyed it more if it rhymed differently. Still, it's meant for kids and my kids enjoyed. Would recommend.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two young children are cuddled up with their grown-up, sharing poetically the wonderful world of children's classic literature, as their bedtime story.

The concept of the book is a delight. However, the illustrations and writing felt clunky. The book reads more like a picture book for adults regarding nostalgia purposes. Oh can you find Charlotte's Web or the Wizard of Oz characters? To younger audiences who may not have read or even heard of some of the books, may be lost. The illustrations are simplistic in background but sensory-overload everywhere else.

So...overall, a 3...better for an adult who is a bibliophile who probably had read most of the books referenced.

[Roxana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come, Read with Me, written by Margriet Ruurs, is a lovely, simple little picture book that extols the magic of storytelling, bringing the reader along on a journey that references many children's classics and fairy tales. Though the text is somewhat strained, with a rhyming scheme that seems to be working too hard to feel natural and easy, the illustrations by Christine Wei are vibrant, rich, and evocative of all the magical whimsy of a childhood tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the advance review copy!

[Fahula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book inspires readers to experience the escapist journeys made available to us through traditional literature. The author invites us to revisit familiar stories or explore new ones. She invites children to make text to text connections to various beloved examples of traditional literature. Children will enjoy the rhyming, the unique illustrations, and the opportunity to play story detectives as we identify the many familiar characters and plots that the author invites us to celebrate along with her.

[Kat Voss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two children are invited to read with an adult near bedtime and are whisked away to the land of nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and beloved picture book friends. The rhyme scheme and rhythm of the book makes it feel almost like a lullaby. The illustrations are magnificent and blend the real world with the world of imagination. It's worth a second look just to "read" the pictures and marvel at all the details.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come, Read with Me, is a delightful read for adults looking to share a bedtime story filled with references to fairy tales from their youth. The art work is soft and whimsical reminiscent of fairy tales I recall reading as a child. While the multitude of fairy tale nods might not be caught by children, it might be fun to try make these connections together.


Thank you to Net Galley and  Orca Book Publishers for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I like this book. I was reading a galley and the marking plan for the book talks about the cadence of the story. The cadence is there, but sometimes how the story has been broken up on the pages, breaks of the pages. And sometimes it’s just that the cadence is off. The rhymes work, but are sometimes harsh because of the broken cadence. Overall I like the story, it’s message, and it’s artwork, but don’t tell me something and then not deliver.

[Sara (Sjthroughthelookingglass) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come, Read With Me is an ode to reading and the good that comes from a book. With nods to beloved stories like The Wizard of OZ, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and pages of vibrant, colorful illustrations (just look at the beautiful inside cover in my second picture!), this book is sure to captivate your little one. My daughter loved realizing some of the characters she has already met in story books were payed tribute in this book. This is a cute bedtime read

[Ashley Dang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute story about two kids learning the wonders of reading.This is a great book to show kids how wonderful reading is and what fun can come from reading. The book had a lot of wonderful art and I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Orca Book Publishers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*