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I Won’t Give Up My Rubber Band
An everyday object (the endlessly versatile rubber band) becomes an invitation to imagine new possibilities in the latest laugh-out-loud picture book from acclaimed author-illustrator Shinsuke Yoshitake!
What can you do with a rubber band? You can do everyday things, like keep it close when you sleep or bring it along at bath time. And you can do exciting, unexpected things, like use it to bungee jump out of a plane or to grab a snack. With a special object of your very own, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination!
Acclaimed Japanese author-illustrator Shinsuke Yoshitake ( The Boring Book, There Must Be More Than That!, I Can Be Anything, The I Wonder Bookstore ) delivers another laugh-out-loud experience in his latest picture book. With signature humor, wit, and boundless creativity, this charming story celebrates the potential of everyday objects to become catalysts for curiosity and play, at once honoring a child's attachment to favorite objects and opening the door to a world of exciting new objects and experiences.
SHINSUKE YOSHITAKE IS A Fans of the critically acclaimed picture books The Boring Book and There Must Be More Than That! will immediately recognize Japanese author-illustrator Shinsuke Yoshitake's signature art style, humor, and imaginative sensibility!
ENCOURAGES CREATIVE Imaginative play is on full display in this smart and silly picture book about finding joy in an everyday object that others might overlook. Even the smallest of items offers a portal to possibility and play—all you need is a little humor and lots of imagination!
EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR STORY The tone and antics in this picture book are just right for the three-to-five age set, and the quirky, thought-provoking scenarios are fodder for laugh-out-loud moments. Parents and kids alike will enjoy reading this fun and funny tale out loud together!
IDEAL FOR RELUCTANT With a comic-esque style, unique narrative approach, fast pace, and charming voice, this humorous offering packs lots of reluctant-reader appeal.
Perfect
• Fans of Shinsuke Yoshitake
• Fans of Japanese picture books
• Parents, grandparents, and caregivers
• Teachers and librarians
• Gift-givers looking for a unique and funny present
• Lovers of thoughtful, humorous, and imaginative children's books
What can you do with a rubber band? You can do everyday things, like keep it close when you sleep or bring it along at bath time. And you can do exciting, unexpected things, like use it to bungee jump out of a plane or to grab a snack. With a special object of your very own, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination!
Acclaimed Japanese author-illustrator Shinsuke Yoshitake ( The Boring Book, There Must Be More Than That!, I Can Be Anything, The I Wonder Bookstore ) delivers another laugh-out-loud experience in his latest picture book. With signature humor, wit, and boundless creativity, this charming story celebrates the potential of everyday objects to become catalysts for curiosity and play, at once honoring a child's attachment to favorite objects and opening the door to a world of exciting new objects and experiences.
SHINSUKE YOSHITAKE IS A Fans of the critically acclaimed picture books The Boring Book and There Must Be More Than That! will immediately recognize Japanese author-illustrator Shinsuke Yoshitake's signature art style, humor, and imaginative sensibility!
ENCOURAGES CREATIVE Imaginative play is on full display in this smart and silly picture book about finding joy in an everyday object that others might overlook. Even the smallest of items offers a portal to possibility and play—all you need is a little humor and lots of imagination!
EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR STORY The tone and antics in this picture book are just right for the three-to-five age set, and the quirky, thought-provoking scenarios are fodder for laugh-out-loud moments. Parents and kids alike will enjoy reading this fun and funny tale out loud together!
IDEAL FOR RELUCTANT With a comic-esque style, unique narrative approach, fast pace, and charming voice, this humorous offering packs lots of reluctant-reader appeal.
Perfect
• Fans of Shinsuke Yoshitake
• Fans of Japanese picture books
• Parents, grandparents, and caregivers
• Teachers and librarians
• Gift-givers looking for a unique and funny present
• Lovers of thoughtful, humorous, and imaginative children's books
52 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
About the author
Shinsuke Yoshitake
73 books190 followersAssociated Names:
* ヨシタケ シンスケ (Japanese)
* Shinsuke Yoshitake (English)
* 吉竹伸介 (Chinese)
* 요시타케 신스케 (Korean)
* ชินสุเกะ โยชิทาเกะ (Thai)
Shinsuke Yoshitake is the author-illustrator of many award-winning picture books, including New York Times Notable Children's Book of the Year There Must Be More Than That!, New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year The Boring Book, I Can Be Anything, I Won't Give Up My Rubber Band, and I Can Explain. His books have been translated into more than 10 languages. He lives in Japan.
* ヨシタケ シンスケ (Japanese)
* Shinsuke Yoshitake (English)
* 吉竹伸介 (Chinese)
* 요시타케 신스케 (Korean)
* ชินสุเกะ โยชิทาเกะ (Thai)
Shinsuke Yoshitake is the author-illustrator of many award-winning picture books, including New York Times Notable Children's Book of the Year There Must Be More Than That!, New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year The Boring Book, I Can Be Anything, I Won't Give Up My Rubber Band, and I Can Explain. His books have been translated into more than 10 languages. He lives in Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 23, 2022
Right inside the mind of a child: relatable, hilarious, pure genius.
December 28, 2021
What a lucky, lucky last minute find at Narita Airport!
The picture book, which is itself now one of my most prized possessions, explains that humans love to hunt down things to own and cherrish and how it is not always obvious to others why a particular object is so dear to someone else.
The heroine "persuades" her mother to let her have a used rubber band from the waste bin and creatively imagines all the wonderful and outrageous things she will be able to do (ranging from laying the band on her cushion in place of a plushie to herding the world's criminals into a huge circle in order to hand them over to the authorities).
She revels about the fact that the rubber band differs from all the handed down and shared stuff in her family: It has been chosen by herself, it's all her hers and it wil be treated with care and reverence because of that.
You can imagine what happens to a rubber band that - even if most of the action is taking place inside a small head - is permanently in use as slingshot/swing cord/twine/lasso/wedding ring...
But then, as an afterthought, the most important idea of the wonderful, wonderful story creeps in: Even the most cherrished objects are replacable by other glorious stuff - if they are yours, and yours alone.
The picture book, which is itself now one of my most prized possessions, explains that humans love to hunt down things to own and cherrish and how it is not always obvious to others why a particular object is so dear to someone else.
The heroine "persuades" her mother to let her have a used rubber band from the waste bin and creatively imagines all the wonderful and outrageous things she will be able to do (ranging from laying the band on her cushion in place of a plushie to herding the world's criminals into a huge circle in order to hand them over to the authorities).
She revels about the fact that the rubber band differs from all the handed down and shared stuff in her family: It has been chosen by herself, it's all her hers and it wil be treated with care and reverence because of that.
You can imagine what happens to a rubber band that - even if most of the action is taking place inside a small head - is permanently in use as slingshot/swing cord/twine/lasso/wedding ring...
But then, as an afterthought, the most important idea of the wonderful, wonderful story creeps in: Even the most cherrished objects are replacable by other glorious stuff - if they are yours, and yours alone.
April 2, 2023
This is super cute! We all have trinkets and treasures that we love for some reason (even if it is a rubber band). She has a great imagination about what she can do with her rubber band and showed great resilience when it snapped. She quickly found another item (a paperclip) to be imaginative with.
September 5, 2023
This was so, so precious and adorable!!!! It follows a child's logic and thoughts (which are very much insightful) over a seemingly every day object. The act of owning something that is just for you is important to a child, and with it, the act of expanding your imagination. I love this author!!
June 13, 2022
This hilarious book dives deep into the imagination of children and how we can find wonder and magic in everyday, ordinary things.
March 30, 2024
Yoshitake perfectly captures a kid's delight in owning a particular thing just because it's MINE.
August 8, 2024
The ending was expected but heartbreaking still
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February 15, 2025“it seems like everyone wants to keep their treasures for themselves.
That’s why everyone always seems to be looking for something.”
That’s why everyone always seems to be looking for something.”
February 21, 2026
Another hilarious book by Yoshitake. The power of a child's imagination can't be beat
June 9, 2022
I love this book. I read it out loud to my coworker. :)
July 22, 2022
This is an interesting take on ownership of an object. It gets into the heart of a being a kid. Luka liked it and was pretty worried at the end.
April 2, 2024
(5,0⭐️) “It seems like everyone wants to keep their treasures for themselves. That’s why everyone always seems to be looking for something.”
I read this book in English, but the review is in Bahasa Indonesia, so that my fellow Indonesians know how I truly feel about this book 🥺
Apakah kalian mencari buku yang bisa ngingetin memori tentang masa kecil kalian? Butuh buat anak atau kado? Atau kamu orangnya suka children books? Mau coba bacaan ringan yang thoughtful? Nah, ayo coba baca buku ini karena ini paket komplit!
Buku ini menyajikan ilustrasi yang simple dan akan mudah sekali untuk dicerna anak-anak. Bagi orang dewasa sepertiku, buku ini merupakan nostalgia terkait children’s attachment-ku sewaktu kecil. Aku dulu suka mengoleksi pita bungkus makanan, aneka macam daun, dan benda-benda kecil lainnya yang seems to be neglected by grown ups. Di dalam buku ini pula, the main character kayak seneng banget nemu barang kecil yang bisa nemenin dia main, tidur, mandi, dsb.
Melalui nostalgia ini, buku ini membuatku berkaca-kaca and I really miss—aku sangat kangen masa-masa dimana aku selalu merasa cukup dan pikiranku selalu bebas berimajinasi tentang seisi dunia dan mencoba segala hal tanpa takut gagal.
Dibuat dalam kurang lebih 20an halaman, Shinsuke Yoshitake, sang penulis, mampu membuat hatiku terasa hangat, memori semasa aku kecil berasa seperti gold memories yang sempat terkubur dalam-dalam. Sekali lagi, ilustrasinya cukup kocak, meme-able, dan gemas lucuuu.
Aku sangat berterima kasih kepada Yoshitake-san ⭐️ Looking forward to read the other titles ✨
I read this book in English, but the review is in Bahasa Indonesia, so that my fellow Indonesians know how I truly feel about this book 🥺
Apakah kalian mencari buku yang bisa ngingetin memori tentang masa kecil kalian? Butuh buat anak atau kado? Atau kamu orangnya suka children books? Mau coba bacaan ringan yang thoughtful? Nah, ayo coba baca buku ini karena ini paket komplit!
Buku ini menyajikan ilustrasi yang simple dan akan mudah sekali untuk dicerna anak-anak. Bagi orang dewasa sepertiku, buku ini merupakan nostalgia terkait children’s attachment-ku sewaktu kecil. Aku dulu suka mengoleksi pita bungkus makanan, aneka macam daun, dan benda-benda kecil lainnya yang seems to be neglected by grown ups. Di dalam buku ini pula, the main character kayak seneng banget nemu barang kecil yang bisa nemenin dia main, tidur, mandi, dsb.
Melalui nostalgia ini, buku ini membuatku berkaca-kaca and I really miss—aku sangat kangen masa-masa dimana aku selalu merasa cukup dan pikiranku selalu bebas berimajinasi tentang seisi dunia dan mencoba segala hal tanpa takut gagal.
Dibuat dalam kurang lebih 20an halaman, Shinsuke Yoshitake, sang penulis, mampu membuat hatiku terasa hangat, memori semasa aku kecil berasa seperti gold memories yang sempat terkubur dalam-dalam. Sekali lagi, ilustrasinya cukup kocak, meme-able, dan gemas lucuuu.
Aku sangat berterima kasih kepada Yoshitake-san ⭐️ Looking forward to read the other titles ✨
December 17, 2022
A young girl finds a special thing to call her own, a rubber band. It belongs to only her. It is not a hand-me-down, and she does not have to share it. She imagines herself doing wonderful things with her rubber band now and in the future like bathing and sleeping with it, wearing it as a fashion statement, bundling future love letters with it, using it to save the world from aliens, and, maybe, tying it to her future soul mate’s rubber band. She declares that she will never give her treasure up, but as she dreams of possibilities, she tugs and flexes the rubber band until . . . snap! . . . it breaks. She quickly locates a new special thing. “Mommy! May I have this paper clip?” Shinsuke Yoshitake’s humorous cartoonlike art, rendered in pen and colored digitally, captures the magic of adopting ordinary objects to use in imaginative ways and will leave readers thinking about their own special treasures. Shinsuke Yoshitake lives in Japan. (PreK-Gr 2)
January 7, 2023
An ode to the joys of a simple found toy treasure. You don't have to share it, or borrow it or hand it down. You can do whatever your imagination leads you to. In this case, the rubber band could be a fashion accessory, or catch all the bad people in the world, or exercise with it, etc. Everyone, even grownups, have their special thing. I was very impressed with the increasingly imaginative leaps of possibilities from a simple rubber band. But then it breaks. Is it the end of the world? Simple pictures with black outlines and no background, this is a more complicated version of Portis' "Not a Box" or "Not a Stick"
April 2, 2023
Yoshitake always captures a child's mind so well, and this book is no exception. A child finds a rubber band, and it becomes their thing that wasn't a hand-me-down, something to share, or something to borrow. It's theirs! The child takes it everywhere and imagines all the things they can do with the rubber band. It could be a fashion accessory or a tool to save the world. We all want something that is our own, even as children and that thing is an office supply. It would be a good book for a preschool storytime or a program about using your imagination.
February 21, 2025
Book 038 of 350 ~ 2025
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
To finally own something, first hand and not a hand me down, rightfully 100% yours - is such a strong emotion.
Loved this as well as all the others :)
#book038of350 #amreading #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram #reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2025 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
To finally own something, first hand and not a hand me down, rightfully 100% yours - is such a strong emotion.
Loved this as well as all the others :)
#book038of350 #amreading #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram #reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2025 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds
February 5, 2026
A girl sees a rubber band by the trash can & immediately claims it as her treasure: “…everyone always seems to be looking for something,” she muses, “But I’ve found my thing.” An old rubber band can trap ALL the bad guys in the world & also hold ALL the presents she buys. She will know when she meets her soul mate because he will too carry a rubber band around his neck.
Yoshitake transcends from the simple nature of kids making treasure out of trash (peek her brother’s “treasure” collection) to remind us that we place value into things. So what things are we placing value upon?
Yoshitake transcends from the simple nature of kids making treasure out of trash (peek her brother’s “treasure” collection) to remind us that we place value into things. So what things are we placing value upon?
May 10, 2024
Every child wants a found object that is just their own. The young girl thinks of so many ways she can use her new rubber band. What a fine imagination she has. And as long as she has her rubber band, she'll be okay. Of course, the inevitable happens: it breaks. But not to worry, this optimist will find another treasure. The art by Japanese illustrator Yoshitake is bold outlined in black simple cartoonish style that fits the girl's mood perfectly.
May 10, 2023
This book connected with my childhood and wanting things that simply belongs to me and not to be shared with my siblings - it brings a profound sense of connection, and explores how an everyday object can become a catalyst for imagination and play!
It's both adorable and hilarious, the art is simple but amazingly descriptive, and the imagination in the character is WILD.
It's both adorable and hilarious, the art is simple but amazingly descriptive, and the imagination in the character is WILD.
May 14, 2023
This was a fun story with which I think all kids (and grown-up thrift shop shoppers) can identify. Whether it is a stone, a bug, a seashell, or a rubber band, the ownership is key, and the imagination soars.
It is a delightful happy book about a determined little girl. The illustrations were wonderfully attuned to the story.
August 22, 2023
Akin to Not a Box and Not a Stick, with a perfect ending.
January 25, 2022
What a fun book about an everyday treasure. The creative use of the rubber band stirs the imagination and the fun twist at the end of the book brings the reality of fleeting treasures right back around.
July 16, 2022
This picture book appealed to me immediately because of the title and cover, and it is very cute. The child imagines all of the things they can do with their rubber band, and the first-person voice offers a funny, convincing kid's-eye view.
July 25, 2022
Yoshitake is quickly becoming a favorite picture book author/illustrator. He seems to remember exactly what it is like to be bored, to find a rubber band, to be curious as a child and it comes through with such honesty in the words and art.
August 30, 2022
A child finds a rubber band. She feels to special to have her own thing. She imagines a life with this rubberband and all the things she can do from defeating aliens to shooting anywhere in one jump.
September 19, 2022
Good for children who collect odds and ends. An odd little tale that children will relate to about finally having something that is theirs alone. Possibilities for good group discussion. Originally published in Japan.
November 17, 2022
I love the simplicity of a story that starts with just a rubber band, but then rapidly expands into all the things one might do with said rubber band. The flight of imagination comes to a sudden, snapping end, but our protagonist quickly imagines their next office supply adventure.
November 11, 2024
I'm a big fan of Yoshitake's work and this might be my favorite one yet! The expressions are priceless and I love the hugely imaginative story. Enjoyed it so much that I picked it up again and read it for a second time the next day!
July 6, 2025
A funny yet ironically true story from almost every children. Owning something usually regarded as unnecessary, yet important for a kid. Easily read for young and old, this book also serves as a warning to parents to give some meaning into their children's life.
April 28, 2022
a reminder to appreciate the small things in life
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews