I Do Not Like Stories
From 3 to 7 | 32 pages
Here is a boy who is sure of one thing: he does NOT like stories. Not stories about waking up in the morning, or people in space, or fish in the sea, or planes, or trains, or boring old buildings.
We see the boy’s experiences play out over the course of his day. The one thing this contrarian boy loves is his cat—whose day is depicted through graphic panels in a funny, parallel side narrative. The cheerful cat searches for the boy all day, chasing anything yellow, the colour of the boy’s bright backpack, and causing mess and mayhem throughout the city. In the end, the boy concedes he might like a story—if it’s the right one (do you know any stories about a cat?).
Art in a muted palette is accented with pops of yellow in this charming book about how the stories we tell ourselves have the power to shape our days. The visual details support literacy skills, add humor, and are sure to engage young readers—even those who are sure they don’t like stories.
We see the boy’s experiences play out over the course of his day. The one thing this contrarian boy loves is his cat—whose day is depicted through graphic panels in a funny, parallel side narrative. The cheerful cat searches for the boy all day, chasing anything yellow, the colour of the boy’s bright backpack, and causing mess and mayhem throughout the city. In the end, the boy concedes he might like a story—if it’s the right one (do you know any stories about a cat?).
Art in a muted palette is accented with pops of yellow in this charming book about how the stories we tell ourselves have the power to shape our days. The visual details support literacy skills, add humor, and are sure to engage young readers—even those who are sure they don’t like stories.
"The inventive design of the pages inspires readers to develop their own stories to describe the illustrations... An outstanding, atypical addition to library collections for the young." - School Library Journal - STARRED REVIEW
"A grouchy reader finally finds an appealing topic." - Kirkus Reviews
"I love stories within stories, especially in picture books...Like a cat having its very own adventures during the day while the cat's boy is telling us what kinds of stories he MIGHT like…Like a story about a cat, maybe? Loved the clear, simple, yet interesting, panels of the cat's adventures." - René Kirkpatrick, University Book Store, Seattle WA
"Andrew Larsen takes the adult out of the equation and makes it all about the growth of the child in learning what he might like for himself... Carey Sookocheff's illustrations play on the author's important message and elevates it with subtlety of colour and line for greater impact." - CanLit for Little Canadians
"Sweet and simple, with an interesting colour palette... It would appeal to a very early reader as the sentences are easy enough to read themselves, but it could also foster an interesting discussion with an older reader." - Canadian Review of Materials
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2020
Best Books for Kids and Teens, 2021
