First, get comfy. Then, peel back the skin, “like you would a clementine / the color of sunrise.” The metaphor of eating that juicy piece of fruit runs through a poem that speaks to the joy of books as places of refuge and discovery, where every word should be savored. The poem is hand-lettered on pages that encourage readers to slow down to experience the goodness: “Don’t rush through: / Your eyes need / time to taste. / Your soul needs / room to bloom.” In addition to the bounty of words, there is plenty to look at, too, in buoyant mixed-media illustrations that incorporate the words on each page into the design, and that also include snippets of text and covers from old books. Several pages feature inserts, or fold-outs, further underscoring the idea that reading is an act that invites active participation. (Ages 7–11)

A stunning new picture book from Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet! This New York Times bestselling duo has teamed up for the first time to bring you How to Read a Book, a poetic and beautiful journey about the experience of reading.

Find a tree—a

black tupelo or

dawn redwood will do—and

plant yourself.

(It’s okay if you prefer a stoop, like Langston Hughes.)

With these words, an adventure begins. Kwame Alexander’s evocative poetry and Melissa Sweet’s lush artwork come together to take readers on a sensory journey between the pages of a book.