The Book With No Pictures

Some picture books just beg to be read out loud, and The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak (you might recognize him from TV’s The Office and The Mindy Project) is one of those -- except, as you might have guessed from the title, this is a picture book with no pictures in it! That’s right, none at all.

Never fear, though. This title is so fun to read out loud that even the most visual of readers will enjoy it. The rules of the book are simple: whoever is reading it has to say absolutely everything written down in it, no matter how silly. Even if it’s gibberish like “bliggity blaggity” or “glibbity globbity.” The text itself quickly becomes the art, using fonts, sizes, colors, and orientations as cues to the reader, occasionally breaking the fourth wall and inviting kids to participate with the silliness on a meta level (isn’t it fun to make mom or dad say something so goofy?). This hilarious, interactive book lets imaginations (and silly sides) soar, and it won’t take long to get both kids and adults laughing out loud!