This Book Has No Pictures But Is A Bestseller For Kids!

Ask any parent what is the first criteria for choosing a children’s book. The answer is unanimous. The one with the best illustrations.

The text is often supplemented by heavy and interesting illustrations on the same page that make it easy on the eyes for the kids, though some experts claim that too many pics distract the children while reading.

But did you know that this one book- that doesn’t have a single illustration is one of the best sellers in the children’s category? And we are not talking about the infant age group. This book suitable for 4 and above has won the hearts of parents and kids for the last few years. So which book are we talking about?

Before we tell you that, let me take a minute to tell you about KSP Book Club’s Annual Reading Subscription Programme that entails you to the following EVERY WEEK at just Rs 499 a year (which means over Re.1 a day!)

• Curated book lists for kids, filtered by age and interests
• Conversation starter topics to help improve children’s awareness
• Word of the week to develop their vocabulary
• Reviews of books old and new- by Indian and International authors
• Interviews with famous children’s authors
• Kindle Unlimited subscription worth Rs 338

The Book With No Pictures- BJ Novak

The book we are talking about is titled appropriately- “The Book With No Pictures” and is written by B.J. Novak

The book is a compilation of sentences, more like a conversation aimed at the adult who is actually reading it out to the child. And that’s the catch. Instead of developing the child’s vocabulary or tall claims of making them fall in love with the beauty of the English language, the book cuts to the chase and delivers what you didn’t expect. Or order. Or imagine.

A concoction of gibberish sentences that when spelt out loud will make your child laugh out loud and in turn inspire you to read more with them, to them- whatever. I think that’s been the central idea with which this book was written.

It breaks the stereotypical linear narrative and one that stories should end with morals or a perfect character arc etc. This is just a set of pages, with gibberish words strung together that when read out loud make the funniest noises and will get the kids cracking.

We came across this YouTube video of BJ Novak reading out the book to a group of kids who are enjoying it completely. An actor, director comedian and author- rolled into one, BJ Novak sure proves he knows the world of entertainment, even if it is for the littlest of the audience like no other.

My honest take.

I found the book funny and hilarious. A couple of days we re-read the book with my toddler. But will I go back to it again? I am not too sure. For me, the victory of this book was not to tell a story or engage the kids, but to entertain them and help them bond with the parents who were reading it out to them (even multiple times!) better.

Buy the book here.

Also, don’t forget to check out the KSP Book Club Annual Reading Subscription Programme here.