showing up late to the party and getting all excited

At the risk of informing you of something you already know, I read Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret this week (finally) and it was amazing. I know, it's not like this is news to anyone – the book has already been awarded the Caldecott – but I still wanted to share it with you.

The story is engaging but for me the drawings took center stage – I found myself actually petting some of the pages, as if the pencil marks left a texture on the page. Also, it's just a beautifully designed ...