I Want My Book Back

Daryl loves Dinosaurs, but his copy of the book truly belongs tothe library, and his cycle of perpetually renewing it hits a snagwhen someone else places the book on hold. Though he summonsall of the dinosaur tricks that the book taught him, roaringand stomping cannot prevent the inevitable: the book must bereturned. The book’s fun illustrations emphasize Daryl’s big andscary emotions, including distress, grumpiness, rage, and despair;solace is to be found only somewhere unexpected: in sharing. * Foreward Reviews *Emotions run high in this volume about a child’s deep attachment giving way to sharing. When young Daryl, portrayed with brown skin, discovers that he can no longer renew his favorite dinosaur book from the library, he throws a T.-rex-size tantrum, roaring and stomping with a frustration that’s vividly captured in Miles’s digital art. (Daryl even bites the book return bin.) He soon returns to the library clad in a green dino costume, ready to reclaim the book, only to find the librarian picking it up for story time. But the savvy librarian, who presents as white, invites him to participate in the reading, ameliorating the child’s distress while involving the storytime circle, which includes children with varying abilities and skin tones. Elbee’s take on the emotional attachment that readers form with books feels apt, and a final portrait of Daryl discovering that books can be shared pays ample tribute to libraries. Ages 3-6. * Publishers Weekly *Daryl loves books. Well, more specifically, Daryl loves one amazing library book aboutdinosaurs. He happily renews it over and over again, until one day a dreaded message appears:“CANNOT RENEW. BOOK ON HOLD.” Daryl is beside himself, and nothing his creative mothertries is enough to distract him from the book’s absence. Alas, not all of the roaring, stomping, andwishing in the world can bring his book back, so he’s forced to concoct a more practical scheme:skulking about the library and recovering his precious tome. When he finally tracks it down, in themidst of an excited storytime huddle, Daryl wonders if perhaps there is value in sharing his greatlove with others. The story is tons of fun, and Daryl is completely convincing as a dinosauraficionado, roaring and stomping his way through the scenes (all of which makes for a rousingread-aloud), while the energetic, splashy illustrations charmingly convey a whirlwind of emotions.A splendid story about the satisfaction that comes from sharing joy (and dinosaurs) with others. * Booklist *

Viviane Elbee has always loved libraries and books, beginning with the tales of “Petit Ours Brun” (Little Brown Bear), which she quickly learned to share with her sisters. I WANT MY BOOK BACK is Viviane’s second book, following her authorial debut, TEACH YOUR GIRAFFE TO SKI. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and two book-devouring dinos.

Nicole Miles was a card designer for Hallmark for years before becoming a full-time freelancer in 2020. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, BuzzFeed, and David Fickling Books, among others. Her graphic novel Barbara was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2017. She lives in West Yorkshire (UK) with her pet snake and human boyfriend.

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