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metafiction / breaking the fourth wall
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My kids and I (and my students) all loved The Book with No Pictures. My 6 year old had me read it to her a couple of times, her dad read it to her (and that is an accomplishment because unfortunately, he isn't much of a reader) and she read it to herself at least 3-4 times.
Jenny wrote: "My kids and I (and my students) all loved The Book with No Pictures. My 6 year old had me read it to her a couple of times, her dad read it to her (and that is an accomplishment bec..."Have you seen the video of the author, B.J. Novak, reading the book to a group of kids? Or perhaps you don't need the laughter in the video, as you've experienced it firs-hand!
Not sure if this is exactly what you had in mind when referring to "metafiction", but I had shelved a number of books a little while back under a somewhat similar theme. I assembled a list of them under Picture Books That Break The Fourth Wall. It would be great to add some more titles ...
Great list! Yes, I believe that is what "metafiction" refers to. Thank you for that list! If I find books to add, should I do so here, or on the list itself?
If you don't mind doing so, please add them to the list. But you may also want to add them to this discussion in case other readers would like to comment on it. The lists should ultimately be a group effort, so all reader input is greatly appreciated, thanks!
And, by the way, you can also vote for favorites of your that you spot on the list already!
I heard about The Book with No Pictures when helping in my son's second grade class. We requested it from the library and the hilarity ensued. My husband and I have each had to read it to the youngest a few times and she entreats the older kids to read it to her as well. She attempts to read it and is willing to make a stab at hard words since she loves the book and is familiar with it.
In her article, "Metacognitive books: How early should they be introduced?" Armida Lizarraga concludes that reading these books to younger kids helps wire their brains for problem solving! She mentions Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit, by Catherine Rayner: "...the reader follows a moose who doesn't fit onto the page as he tries to squeeze different body parts into view..." At the end, masking tape and extra sheets of paper fold out a page where he can fit.
The Book with No Pictures is the latest best book we read at home. Recommend for ages 4+. Excellent writing from the author. My children and I give him 5 stars.
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Cheryl wrote: "Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit is a fantastic example of the kind of book I'm thinking of. Please add more to this thread and to the Listopia, both!" Glad you found it. Can't wait to read it.
Cheryl wrote: "Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit is a fantastic example of the kind of book I'm thinking of. Please add more to this thread and to the Listopia, both!"Tried to add Ernest to Listopia, but can't for some reason.
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Btw, anyone who is new to Listopia might want to be aware of one odd function of the lists. They are edition-specific. What that means is that if you are on the book page for a particular title, and you're looking at the listopias that have that book on them, you might not be seeing them all.
For example, you might be looking at the book page for, say,
, and not see the information that
is on a certain list.(It's set up that way so that lists can be specific to language, or cover art, or format, whatever is specific there.)
Thanks, Cheryl. I trust that I will understand all this eventually! Wink!
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And, most interestingly of all, that's a chapter book, not a picture-book!
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But in reviews of TGGT (which btw is unfortunately not owned by my library system) there is mentioned The Neverending Story, implication being that is MF, too. I've not read it, but the blurb makes it seem like it could be.
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The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
Captain Underpants
Babymouse
Goosebumps
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A book that might be best classified as YA that is one of my very favorites also breaks the fourth wall - consider The Princess Bride, especially that anniversary edition with even more 'backstory' and notes about 'S. Morgenstern.'
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Cheryl wrote: "from the Chat thread - please add your favorite titles here...I've not finished reading it yet, but I've stopped already to catch my breath for fear of giggling too hard: The Purple Kangaro..."</i>
We just read this ([book:The Purple Kangaroo tonight, Cheryl. My kids and I loved it. As soon as I finished, my 6 yo asked if the author/illustrator has written more books about the monkey or the purple kangaroo...or even just any other books. I am going to do a library search in just a moment to see what else I can find. It was a hit.
Jenny wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "from the Chat thread - please add your favorite titles here...I've not finished reading it yet, but I've stopped already to catch my breath for fear of giggling too hard: The..."</i>
My son loved his [book:Chicken Cheeks Which he thought was an absolute blast! Who knew there were so many names for bottoms? My sons also loved following the ants.
Thanks for the recommendations, June. I have put them on hold at the library. :)
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And in the Neverending Story, Bastian is the main character, and he is basically transported to Fantastica in order to save the realm of imagination, which he almost fails to do (the movie really only shows the first part of the novel).
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Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Scariest Kitten in the World (other topics)The Neverending Story (other topics)
The City of Dreaming Books (other topics)
Press Here (other topics)
This Book Just Ate My Dog! (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Hervé Tullet (other topics)Richard Byrne (other topics)
Deborah Freedman (other topics)
Lois Lowry (other topics)
Art Spiegelman (other topics)
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I've not finished reading it yet, but I've stopped already to catch my breath for fear of giggling too hard: The Purple Kangaroo by Michael Ian Black.