The Book that Eats People

The Book that Eats People by John Perry

This was the book for last week's story time with kindergarten and first grade. I used it to introduce a cyber safety lesson (books can't really hurt you, but giving out personal info online can blah blah). However, it's a fun read for kids, since many of them ask for a "scary" book. Usually that is difficult with younger groups because you don't really want to scare them too badly, but this is fun/scary.

The text isn't really frightful per se, but if you change your inflections when reading, it can be suspenseful. As indicated by the title, the book --this book-- eats people. And it's always hungry. You should always assume it's hungry. The book eats a number of children who had peanut butter smudged fingers and who turned their backs on the book, but at the end, students are given four tips to avoid being consumed. 

A 2012 North Carolina Children's Book Award nominee, The Book that Eats People is fun and delightfully illustrated. The kids kept their attentions on the book as each page turned, which can be difficult for a five year old. Like I said, I used it to introduce a computer safety lesson, but turn out the lights and give this one a read.

Target Age Range: 6-9 years old