A picturebook a week: If I Were A Book

José Jorge Letria (text) & André Letria (illustrations)
Se Eu fosse um Livro, Translated from Portuguese by Isabel Terry
(Chronicle Books)

Always partial to picturebooks that celebrate the wonders of reading, it is with great delight that I have discovered this little gem.Rather than a narrative, readers are treated to 28 poetic musings beginning with “If I Were a Book …” . From “If I Were a Book, I’d Be an Endless Journey” to “If I Were a Book, I Wouldn’t Want People to Only Pretend to Have Read me”, and my personal favourite “”If I Were a Book, I Would Not Like To Be Read Out of Obligation” each little piece of poetic prose is teamed with a double-spread illustration depicting books as kites, stairs, snail shells and stormy seas to mention but a few. The artwork is modern, yet has a slight retro feel, particularly because of the colour palette and will appeal to big people as well as little people. With its sometimes philosophical, sometimes political and always positive messages about the pleasures of reading and the wonderment of books, this is a picturebook to be enjoyed by all book-lovers, regardless of age.

You can have a sneak peek at the artwork via this Portuguese book trailer: