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Read Island
Join a very brave girl and her furry friends on an adventure to Read Island! Through the power of imagination and the pleasure of reading, this curious trio set sail for a magical island made of books. On their way they discover a joyful collection of animals converging by sea and land, just in time for an unforgettable story hour.
A rhyming celebration of nature, books and the importance of stories, Read Island invites you to experience the diversity and wonder of a hidden and wild place. In the company of sea wolves, humpback whales and spirit bears, readers will discover simple meditations that summon a magical destination - one filled with beloved friends, safe spaces and stories to be revisited again and again.
For make-believe though it may look,
There is an island made of books.
This world of stories, safe and true,
Is always here to welcome you.
A rhyming celebration of nature, books and the importance of stories, Read Island invites you to experience the diversity and wonder of a hidden and wild place. In the company of sea wolves, humpback whales and spirit bears, readers will discover simple meditations that summon a magical destination - one filled with beloved friends, safe spaces and stories to be revisited again and again.
For make-believe though it may look,
There is an island made of books.
This world of stories, safe and true,
Is always here to welcome you.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published October 5, 2021
1744 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 14, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
Read Island is a young children’s rhyming story about the power of reading and the adventures you can go on via the pages. Join a young girl, a little mouse, and a lovable fox as they cross the water in their small boat to an island made of books.
Be enchanted as stories are shared amongst the residents when the wolf summons them to come together. Remember to breathe out, then in again, and listen.
Surrounded by full-page bright, colourful, and imaginative illustrations, Read Island is a beautiful book that will show children that books are far more than just pieces of paper put together, they are adventures and mysteries. They can take you all over the world or out of this world. They give you joy and excitement and can make you happy.
I’m not sure it is just children who would like to visit Read Island, I have a feeling a few older bookworms would love the place too. An island made of books sounds like great fun.
This is a story to get the reading spark started in a young child. It is wonderfully written and was mesmerising the whole way through.
Read Island is a young children’s rhyming story about the power of reading and the adventures you can go on via the pages. Join a young girl, a little mouse, and a lovable fox as they cross the water in their small boat to an island made of books.
Be enchanted as stories are shared amongst the residents when the wolf summons them to come together. Remember to breathe out, then in again, and listen.
Surrounded by full-page bright, colourful, and imaginative illustrations, Read Island is a beautiful book that will show children that books are far more than just pieces of paper put together, they are adventures and mysteries. They can take you all over the world or out of this world. They give you joy and excitement and can make you happy.
I’m not sure it is just children who would like to visit Read Island, I have a feeling a few older bookworms would love the place too. An island made of books sounds like great fun.
This is a story to get the reading spark started in a young child. It is wonderfully written and was mesmerising the whole way through.
November 8, 2021
Set sail for an island made of books. Listen to a story with animal friends, have fun and celebrate. You just have to be still, breathe out, then in again and listen.
Read Island takes you on a magical journey. With rhyming prose that flows like a song enchants new readers to the wonders of reading and the worlds within books. The hand-drawn illustrations have a collage-like quality that use parts of books within the picture and friendly animals that encourage creativity, imagination and whimsy. Read Island is perfect to share with children ages 2-7 to spark joy in reading .
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Read Island takes you on a magical journey. With rhyming prose that flows like a song enchants new readers to the wonders of reading and the worlds within books. The hand-drawn illustrations have a collage-like quality that use parts of books within the picture and friendly animals that encourage creativity, imagination and whimsy. Read Island is perfect to share with children ages 2-7 to spark joy in reading .
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
August 4, 2021
Read Island by Read Island by Nicole Magistro and Alice Feagan is a delightful book to get youngsters excited about reading! I'm happy to have received a digital copy of this children's book from the publisher. The poetic verse accompanies them on a journey over land and sea to a special island getaway that is only accessible through reading. Pre-readers will love deciphering the illustrative mysteries on the journey to Read Island. Boys and girls of primary school age will be mesmerized by the verse and the cute animal characters.
October 31, 2021
Somewhere across the sea is a very special island filled with books, welcoming creatures of all kinds from far and wide. A little girl and two animal companions traverse the wide ocean in a boat whose sails are crafted from pages from storybooks. As they approach their destination, the voyagers discover an island made entirely of books that is home to several unexpected bibliophiles. The call of a sea wolf summons all to the island to share stories together in a safe and friendly environment that can be visited every time a book is opened. This beautiful picture book is stunning in both its imagery and the text itself. Written for young children, pairs of rhyming couplets are found on each spread, enhancing the illustrations and the overall storytelling component of the book. Elegantly crafted rhymes and a predictable meter make the story a joy to read aloud, and families will love engaging with this charming tale over and over again. College-style illustrations feature a blend of cartoon-like characters and clippings taken from familiar and beloved children’s books. Readers will enjoy investigating each page to discover the variety of inclusions and to determine the original source of each one. At once an homage to children’s literature as a whole and a love letter to the power of books, this tale will resonate in the hearts of readers of all ages. Whimsical and fantastic in its presentation, this story will quickly become a bedtime favorite, inspiring a lifetime love of reading.
I received a copy of this book from the author and I chose to leave this review.
I received a copy of this book from the author and I chose to leave this review.
August 23, 2021
Read Island brought me back to the days that I first learned to trust books to take me on thrilling journeys.
Learning to read to myself was never a chore, it was the doorway to countless adventures and exciting new places.
Nicole's story captures the innocence of a child, and if they are lucky, that anticipatory push from the shore of an adult opening a new book.
Learning to read to myself was never a chore, it was the doorway to countless adventures and exciting new places.
Nicole's story captures the innocence of a child, and if they are lucky, that anticipatory push from the shore of an adult opening a new book.
August 20, 2021
I love finding new story time books for my daughter and I, and this one is too cute! It features a young girl and some adorable animals as they embark on an unforgettable adventure together. I'll be buying several copies to gift to friends with kiddos!
August 20, 2021
I wish I could go to Read Island! This sweet story is one you'll want to revisit time and time again.
August 20, 2021
Perfect for a budding bibliophile, this story is at its core a thoughtful celebration of reading. It truly captures the magic that comes from being immersed in a good book!
August 13, 2021
The lyrical rhymes in this book pair perfectly with whimsical collage-style illustrations. A perfect fit for a little explorer!
July 8, 2024
Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
April 21, 2022
A gorgeous picture book that reads like a well-written poem. You'll be glad you picked this one up!
November 3, 2021
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is Read Island, written by Nicole Magistro and illustrated by Alice Feagan, a sweet, imaginative journey into the world of reading.
A young girl and her animal companions – a bespectacled fox and beanie-wearing mouse – set sail one morning to a magical place: Read Island, a distant isle filled with books and the animals who love them. As the girl’s sailboat approaches, a sea wolf calls the other inhabitants of the island to gather for storytime. The creatures and girl circle up on the beach for a tale led by the sea wolf, after which they celebrate by heading off on their own literary adventures. The day ends with the sailors and their island friends waving goodbye as the sun sets, and a moon rises over the adventurous readers.
Slightly uneven but earnestly sweet. The trip to Read Island is a delightful one, conjuring images of both a trip to the library or bookstore, and of simply getting lost in the world of a captivating book. And while the rhyming text and expressive artwork each capture this in their own unique way, the two sometimes feel as if they belong in two different picture books. The text is lyrical, full of soft and wistful imagery that often feels out of place next to the more cartoonish, whimsical artwork. Both fit the theme well, and I especially loved details like the moose storing books in his antlers or clever incorporation of mixed-media printed words into the illustrations; they just occasionally felt disconnected from each other. There are a few notable exceptions, such as a stunning spread that shows a myriad of worlds bursting forth from the pages of the fox’s book. Otherwise, the length was great for a storytime, and JJ enjoyed it. Overall, this is one worth checking out, especially for it’s pro-literacy message; the waters around Read Island may be a little rocky, but it’s worth the trip. Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by a representative of the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
December 30, 2021
This is such a lovely picture book with some really beautiful illustrations. A young girl and her fox friend set sail to a special island, an island of books, where she meets lots of animal friends and where their imagination can take them anywhere.
The story celebrates books and how wonderful they can be with lots of lovely illustrations and rhyming text. I have to say that I really enjoyed this simple yet lovely tale. It celebrates reading and has a good message about learning to enjoy the world of books, something which I think would have been good for me to read when I was younger as I was a bit of a reluctant reader. As the girl arrives at the island of books, more and more animals join her. I love how all the illustrations look on each page, they really do bring the tale to life.
The illustrations are all so lovely and colourful with lots of fun details and extras to look at. I love how all the animals look, especially how some of them carry their books, such as the moose and elk carry them on their antlers, and I just love the mix of illustrations with what look like the text of random books on the page. Things like some steps or the sail of a boat are made to look like they are made of bits of pages of books, and this along with the whole island made of books just makes this look like such a lovely story!
There are a couple of places where there isn’t a perfect rhyme. This doesn’t really bother me though as the words are very powerful in what they are saying about the power of imagination and where books can take you. I do like the overall message of this tale. It’s a lovely book to look at and read alone, but it also gives a good message about enjoying all sorts of books and the magical worlds they can take you to. I especially love one image near the end where a whole rainbow of different things can be seen coming out of a book.
I was told when offered this book for review that it is inspired by the real life Read Island which is one of the Discovery Islands in Canada, this added snippet of information only makes this book more interesting. It’s a lovely story and I’m sure many children will enjoy looking at this book. The story is good but the illustrations are even better and together it really is a wonderful read!
-Thanks to Books Forwawrd andthe publisher for a free copy for review.
The story celebrates books and how wonderful they can be with lots of lovely illustrations and rhyming text. I have to say that I really enjoyed this simple yet lovely tale. It celebrates reading and has a good message about learning to enjoy the world of books, something which I think would have been good for me to read when I was younger as I was a bit of a reluctant reader. As the girl arrives at the island of books, more and more animals join her. I love how all the illustrations look on each page, they really do bring the tale to life.
The illustrations are all so lovely and colourful with lots of fun details and extras to look at. I love how all the animals look, especially how some of them carry their books, such as the moose and elk carry them on their antlers, and I just love the mix of illustrations with what look like the text of random books on the page. Things like some steps or the sail of a boat are made to look like they are made of bits of pages of books, and this along with the whole island made of books just makes this look like such a lovely story!
There are a couple of places where there isn’t a perfect rhyme. This doesn’t really bother me though as the words are very powerful in what they are saying about the power of imagination and where books can take you. I do like the overall message of this tale. It’s a lovely book to look at and read alone, but it also gives a good message about enjoying all sorts of books and the magical worlds they can take you to. I especially love one image near the end where a whole rainbow of different things can be seen coming out of a book.
I was told when offered this book for review that it is inspired by the real life Read Island which is one of the Discovery Islands in Canada, this added snippet of information only makes this book more interesting. It’s a lovely story and I’m sure many children will enjoy looking at this book. The story is good but the illustrations are even better and together it really is a wonderful read!
-Thanks to Books Forwawrd andthe publisher for a free copy for review.
November 14, 2021
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
READ ISLAND is an imaginative and lovely picture book about the joy of reading. Told in rhyme, the book invites the reader along on a trip to Read Island, a place made of books where the animals gather to hear stories. The story tells how books can take the reader on a journey to anywhere and shows a variety of animals reading and enjoying books.
What I loved: This is a beautiful and rhyming story about the joy of reading. The picture book takes the reader along to a magical place where animals can enjoy a book together. The pleasure and fun of reading is told throughout the book. The illustrations are magical with beautiful art, imaginative animals, and plenty of books. Children will love seeing the animals with their books and share in the joy of a good read. The softly rhyming text makes this a great choice for storytime or for bedtime.
Each page spread features only a few lines of text, which makes this book work well for toddlers and older picture book readers. The text is also easy to read aloud, printed in a clear font, which is also helpful for low light bedtime.
Final verdict: A lovely and imaginative story, READ ISLAND is a charming and sweet picture book about the joy of reading. Recommend for toddlers on up!
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
READ ISLAND is an imaginative and lovely picture book about the joy of reading. Told in rhyme, the book invites the reader along on a trip to Read Island, a place made of books where the animals gather to hear stories. The story tells how books can take the reader on a journey to anywhere and shows a variety of animals reading and enjoying books.
What I loved: This is a beautiful and rhyming story about the joy of reading. The picture book takes the reader along to a magical place where animals can enjoy a book together. The pleasure and fun of reading is told throughout the book. The illustrations are magical with beautiful art, imaginative animals, and plenty of books. Children will love seeing the animals with their books and share in the joy of a good read. The softly rhyming text makes this a great choice for storytime or for bedtime.
Each page spread features only a few lines of text, which makes this book work well for toddlers and older picture book readers. The text is also easy to read aloud, printed in a clear font, which is also helpful for low light bedtime.
Final verdict: A lovely and imaginative story, READ ISLAND is a charming and sweet picture book about the joy of reading. Recommend for toddlers on up!
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
December 2, 2021
These pages combine a beautiful homage to literature, a sense of adventure, and an invitation into the imagination in a lovely way, which only the written word can bring.
Written in flowing rhyme, the tale follows a young girl and her friends as they board a ship and set sail to Read Island. The island holds sea wolves, bears, whales and more, while harboring more surprises as well. The island also holds a magical spot, where animals (and friends) can hold story time together. So, this one is a homage to tales and shows readers the beauty and imagination reading can hold.
The illustrations are well done and drift right along with the story, allowing each scene to come to vibrant life. Details make rediscovering each page fun (which does mean that this one will be visited more than one or twice). Plus, there's a pinch of secrets thrown in, which will need to be discovered. To say that this one can hold attention from beginning to end is an understatement. It's written for the age group and knows how to hold their interest the entire way through.
Perfect for the age group, the text and word choice make a wonderful read-aloud in a classroom setting or alone at home. It illustrates the wonder of the written word and demonstrates how enjoyable a reading journey can be. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the magical ride.
Written in flowing rhyme, the tale follows a young girl and her friends as they board a ship and set sail to Read Island. The island holds sea wolves, bears, whales and more, while harboring more surprises as well. The island also holds a magical spot, where animals (and friends) can hold story time together. So, this one is a homage to tales and shows readers the beauty and imagination reading can hold.
The illustrations are well done and drift right along with the story, allowing each scene to come to vibrant life. Details make rediscovering each page fun (which does mean that this one will be visited more than one or twice). Plus, there's a pinch of secrets thrown in, which will need to be discovered. To say that this one can hold attention from beginning to end is an understatement. It's written for the age group and knows how to hold their interest the entire way through.
Perfect for the age group, the text and word choice make a wonderful read-aloud in a classroom setting or alone at home. It illustrates the wonder of the written word and demonstrates how enjoyable a reading journey can be. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the magical ride.
March 24, 2022
Read Island is an actual island in British Columbia, Canada. This book is inspired by the many trips the author, Nicole Magistro, and her family took to this island.
Through the power of a story and your imagination, you can travel anywhere. A young girl and her animal friends hop on a boat and journey to a special island full of books and adventures. Imagine the joy of entering an island made of books.
On Read Island, you will find all kinds of magical adventures and various animals to help make the stories come to life including an eagle, a humpback whale, a grizzly bear, a moose, elk, and more. Everyone comes together for a very special story. Then it is time for the girl to head back home, but she can always return through the pages of a book.
"For make-believe though it may look,
There is an island made of books.
This world of stories, safe and true,
Is always here to welcome you."
With a rhyming prose and mixed-media/collage-styled illustrations, kids will feel part of the magic. READ ISLAND will make them want to read more books. Just like Read Island, a book will always welcome you in and encourage you to come back again and again.
Celebrate the joy and magic of losing yourself in a book through a journey to Read Island.
Through the power of a story and your imagination, you can travel anywhere. A young girl and her animal friends hop on a boat and journey to a special island full of books and adventures. Imagine the joy of entering an island made of books.
On Read Island, you will find all kinds of magical adventures and various animals to help make the stories come to life including an eagle, a humpback whale, a grizzly bear, a moose, elk, and more. Everyone comes together for a very special story. Then it is time for the girl to head back home, but she can always return through the pages of a book.
"For make-believe though it may look,
There is an island made of books.
This world of stories, safe and true,
Is always here to welcome you."
With a rhyming prose and mixed-media/collage-styled illustrations, kids will feel part of the magic. READ ISLAND will make them want to read more books. Just like Read Island, a book will always welcome you in and encourage you to come back again and again.
Celebrate the joy and magic of losing yourself in a book through a journey to Read Island.
October 25, 2021
A small sailboat crewed by a young girl, a fox, and a mouse set sail in the ocean and reach an island all made of books. Magically this island is a gathering place for storytime. "This world of stories, safe and true, Is always here to welcome you."
Nicole Magistro's rhyming prose flows like a sailboat on a steady breeze. Alice Feagan's splendid illustrations use her distinct cut-paper collage style created by hand and rendered digitally. The combination of words and artwork brings Read Island to life without using pixy dust.
Children will love all the animals and sea life, the inviting island, and the story of how reading books can take you anywhere and everywhere.
Nicole Magistro's rhyming prose flows like a sailboat on a steady breeze. Alice Feagan's splendid illustrations use her distinct cut-paper collage style created by hand and rendered digitally. The combination of words and artwork brings Read Island to life without using pixy dust.
Children will love all the animals and sea life, the inviting island, and the story of how reading books can take you anywhere and everywhere.
November 15, 2021
The poetic text of Read Island sends readers on a journey to a magical island where creatures of all kinds meet to enjoy a story time. This island made of books makes a great home for a bear, eagle, whale, and sea wolf all enjoy reading. Together the creatures enjoy a story together. Magistro's rhyming text flows well and would be great for a read aloud. But the illustrations truly make the story come alive with its delightful details. From a moose who carries books in its antlers to a raven toting a book on it's back, this island made of books radiates joy and magic. This fun book reminds readers of the amazing places that books can take them each time they come to Read Island.
December 8, 2021
Very good little verse volume for little audiences. Here all the animals on a special island are gathering at the sea wolf's howl, because they know that's story time on the island made of books – a safe place of wondrousness waiting for all of us whenever we lift a flap and get tucked in. Visually, the art makes a great play about having streams of lettering snaking, wafting and swirling all around the landscape, but I think for me the text was better at encouraging people to get used to seeing print and enjoying it. This was tailor-made for librarians and story session leaders. And sea wolves. Four and a half stars.
December 17, 2021
📖Review📖
My favorite thing is to share my love of reading with my students. Thanks to @booksforwardpr I had the opportunity to share READ ISLAND with them.
“A rhyming celebration of nature, books and the importance of stories, READ ISLAND invites you to experience the diversity and wonder of a hidden and wild place.”
Check out what they told me they loved about the book! ☺️
The illustrations
How it rhymes
The vocabulary used
The bright colors
The boat with the book page sails
The details
EVERYTHING
As a class we would give this book 5/5 ⭐️
My favorite thing is to share my love of reading with my students. Thanks to @booksforwardpr I had the opportunity to share READ ISLAND with them.
“A rhyming celebration of nature, books and the importance of stories, READ ISLAND invites you to experience the diversity and wonder of a hidden and wild place.”
Check out what they told me they loved about the book! ☺️
The illustrations
How it rhymes
The vocabulary used
The bright colors
The boat with the book page sails
The details
EVERYTHING
As a class we would give this book 5/5 ⭐️
September 15, 2022
Come visit Read Island with a young girl and her furry friends. All in rhyme, Nicole Magistro's text gently through the story in rhyme, celebrating all kinds of books with a young girl and her furry friends. In cut-paper collage, Alice Feagan shows the gathering of many kinds of creatures: "A grizzly lumbers from her cave. An eagle lands, a humpback waves." is one example. Toward evening, more and more gather, ready to listen to a fox reading his book! It is great to be able to join their fun by reading this special book, was one of the winners of the Colorado Book Awards this year.
October 16, 2021
I first saw cards by this illustrator in Next Page in Frisco, Colorado, I fell in love with her book and animal illustrations and bought a dozen of them! And then when I saw that she illustrated Nicole Magistro’s adorable rhyming book, I had to have a copy. It is special and cute from start to finish. I can’t wait to share it with my kiddos and create a Read Island of their own. Well done!
Read
January 16, 2022Read this with a ten year old. We both enjoyed the illustrations and talked about them a lot. She might have been the wrong age for this book. At the end, she said she felt like the book talked about what can happen when you read. She wanted a book that was the story itself, not just talking about possibilities. We did discuss how there was a story there with friends meeting.
October 20, 2021
I received a free copy of this book at PNBA.
This book and it's island of books is absolutely adorable. I love the mixed media illustrations and cannot wait to share it with my niece and nephew. I highly recommend it as a holiday gift for a child or expectant parent.
This book and it's island of books is absolutely adorable. I love the mixed media illustrations and cannot wait to share it with my niece and nephew. I highly recommend it as a holiday gift for a child or expectant parent.
February 12, 2022
I just got a copy of this book, and I am beyond charmed by the sweet story and lush illustrations. This is truly a book kids can enjoy again and again, exploring the pages for hidden treasures. Bravo! I can't wait for more books from Nicole Magistro and Alice Feagan!
October 15, 2021
A gorgeous ode to storytelling, community, and books.
November 11, 2021
PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS, READ. Not really a story.
December 26, 2021
A mystical-feeling book made only more magical by the illustrations. A soothing poem that I imagine being a bedtime favorite.
February 13, 2022
The perfect book and/or gift for any book lover!!
The illustrations are equally amazing!!
The illustrations are equally amazing!!
August 7, 2022
This is such a fun book about an island of books with animals coming to story time. The illustrations are fun and creative. The language is beautiful and in rhyme.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews