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Open This Little Book
What will you find when you open this little book? A fun story? Sweet characters? Enticing pictures? Yes! But much more. Open this book and you will find...another book...and another...and another. Debut author Jesse Klausmeier and master book creator Suzy Lee have combined their creative visions to craft a seemingly simple book about colors for the very youngest readers, an imaginative exploration of the art of book making for more sophisticated aficionados, and a charming story of friendship and the power of books for all.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
1696 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Klausmeier
4 books31 followersJesse's debut picture book, Open This Little Book, illustrated by Suzy Lee, was named an Amazon Top Pick for January 2013, and received a starred review in Kirkus Reviews.
Jesse was born and raised in Madison, WI. The daughter of two teachers, Jesse has been reading and writing stories for as long as she can remember. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Jesse worked at Nickelodeon Animation Studios, and most recently was an assistant editor at Penguin's Dial Books for Young Readers. She lives in Madison, WI.
Jesse was born and raised in Madison, WI. The daughter of two teachers, Jesse has been reading and writing stories for as long as she can remember. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Jesse worked at Nickelodeon Animation Studios, and most recently was an assistant editor at Penguin's Dial Books for Young Readers. She lives in Madison, WI.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
February 1, 2019
This is such a fun idea for a book, you open the front page and a smaller book is inside. A character each then tells you to open the next book until it gets very small and then the characters close the books. I think children will really enjoy the novelty of this book of books, for me I wanted a bit more of a story going on. Certainly a book I would recommend taking out of the library.
January 30, 2013
This book spoke to me. It said "Wake up you! There are still clever and creative people who are still making books that will surprise and delight and remind you why children's books can be so much darn fun!" The inclusion of LeVar Burton in the author's dedication was just too perfect.
July 26, 2022
What the fuck
March 10, 2015
I felt a little cheated by this book. While the design is awesome, there's not much story or cleverness even beyond the basic idea of the book. It's a book in which a creature opens a book, which reveals another book, which when opened reveals yet another book and so on, but the words don't reveal anything further than what you would otherwise gather from the illustrations. It might just as well have been a wordless story. Maybe it's the nerd in me, but I had probably been hoping either for the book to make more sense or alternatively for some logical paradox or visual trick to make it more worthwhile. However, the design is quite clever, and has details and references that I enjoyed, such as the rainbow forming, how the pictures become more colorful after each book read, or the little ladybug bringing the hare's clock back from the book. I don't think we'll read it again, but I would probably grant it 3 and 1/2 stars if I could for the beautiful illustrations.
February 9, 2013
This review really comes from my four-year-old granddaughter, Emma. She asked me to read it twice in a row, and could help me "read" it by following the pattern. She asked me if she could take it home. Before she left our house, she read it to her mom. Engaging with an interactive design and a pro-reading message.
July 26, 2013
This little book celebrates the power and the actual physical act of turning pages and conducting the story manually. It is a true visual treat and encourages the reader to go forth and discover a whole new world of books. The reader opens an increasingly tiny series of books within a book- each adding a layer of colour and script until the whole book itself displays a rectangle of rainbow colours. The pencil and watercolour illustrations are created with soft colours and then digitally manipulated.
The nesting books are read by a ladybug, a frog, a rabbit, a bear and a female giant whose hands are so big she cannot possibly manipulate her tiny book so the other characters jump in and help her out. The ultimate reader is a child who is encouraged at the end to go out and read even more. The book's colours, animal characters and imaginative exploration of the art of book making is phenomenal. It shares a message of friendship, kindness and sharing that if applied can actually change the world.
The design of the book is unique and clever. Small children (and I must admit adults too) will love opening the books, turning their pages, reading the simple stories and then closing the books up again. It encourages the love of reading first in the animal world and then into the human one. The last page sums it all up perfectly....so many books in our world and so little time to read them all. This debut author teamed up with master book creator, Suzy Lee, is truly a winner.
The nesting books are read by a ladybug, a frog, a rabbit, a bear and a female giant whose hands are so big she cannot possibly manipulate her tiny book so the other characters jump in and help her out. The ultimate reader is a child who is encouraged at the end to go out and read even more. The book's colours, animal characters and imaginative exploration of the art of book making is phenomenal. It shares a message of friendship, kindness and sharing that if applied can actually change the world.
The design of the book is unique and clever. Small children (and I must admit adults too) will love opening the books, turning their pages, reading the simple stories and then closing the books up again. It encourages the love of reading first in the animal world and then into the human one. The last page sums it all up perfectly....so many books in our world and so little time to read them all. This debut author teamed up with master book creator, Suzy Lee, is truly a winner.
August 18, 2019
A cumulative lift-the-flap-ish picturebook in which a group of animals (and one giant) help each other to read an ever-decreasing selection of books and then close the ever-increasing selection. Debut author, Jesse Klausmeier and Suzy Lee play here with the form and shape of books. This postmodern picturebook takes us through the adventures of a ladybird, frog, rabbit, bear and giant who each have their own book and introduce us to the next whose cover and back nicely match the protagonist. There isn’t much of a story here but there is joy in exploring each little scene and, from first-hand experience, I can vouch that young children enjoying flicking through each little book in trying to understand how the pages and characters connect.
February 20, 2013
File this one under "so good I actually cried tears of jealousy that I hadn't written it."
Not only a masterpiece of meta-fiction for those of us who are simply book people, it's also a great jumping off place for kids to make up their own stories about the many animal characters, each reading their own book. My 2 year old was entranced, turning each page, smaller and smaller, and then inspecting the animals in the library on the last page. We read it three times, right in a row. And bonus, the author dedicates it (in part) to Levar Burton. READING RAINBOW SHOUTOUT Y'ALL.
Is it too early to call this one a Caldecott contender?
Not only a masterpiece of meta-fiction for those of us who are simply book people, it's also a great jumping off place for kids to make up their own stories about the many animal characters, each reading their own book. My 2 year old was entranced, turning each page, smaller and smaller, and then inspecting the animals in the library on the last page. We read it three times, right in a row. And bonus, the author dedicates it (in part) to Levar Burton. READING RAINBOW SHOUTOUT Y'ALL.
Is it too early to call this one a Caldecott contender?
August 25, 2015
3.5 STARS
This is my second time with Open This Little Book. I think it's very cute, but I was not completely wowed by it. I guess I wanted more of a "story" to this book about stories. That said, the concept is a lot of fun -- I loved little books as a kid and I did feel a rush of child-like delight opening each of the "little books" in this bigger book -- and I could see it inspiring children not only with reading but with creating their own little books. And the illustrations do have some wonderful details that help to tell the story of friendship and love of reading.
This is my second time with Open This Little Book. I think it's very cute, but I was not completely wowed by it. I guess I wanted more of a "story" to this book about stories. That said, the concept is a lot of fun -- I loved little books as a kid and I did feel a rush of child-like delight opening each of the "little books" in this bigger book -- and I could see it inspiring children not only with reading but with creating their own little books. And the illustrations do have some wonderful details that help to tell the story of friendship and love of reading.
January 26, 2021
Between the covers of this book are lots and lots of little books within other books!
Kids will love their first trip through this book. As the stories are not particularly involving, I'm not sure there will be repeated visits . . . though who knows? The thrill of opening teeny-weeny books may be enough.
Kids will love their first trip through this book. As the stories are not particularly involving, I'm not sure there will be repeated visits . . . though who knows? The thrill of opening teeny-weeny books may be enough.
February 27, 2013
All I can say right away is HOORAY!
I would have loved this book as a child.
I love it as an adult.
Anytime a book can be a book but be more than a book, I'm in.
I LOVED turning the pages and seeing the books getting smaller and smaller,
and wondering what was going to happen.
As an adult, I marveled at how it was all put together so perfectly.
The story is simple but something that you would return to again and again.
And I love the ending. It would make a great poster for a library.
This book is PURE AWESOME!
I would have loved this book as a child.
I love it as an adult.
Anytime a book can be a book but be more than a book, I'm in.
I LOVED turning the pages and seeing the books getting smaller and smaller,
and wondering what was going to happen.
As an adult, I marveled at how it was all put together so perfectly.
The story is simple but something that you would return to again and again.
And I love the ending. It would make a great poster for a library.
This book is PURE AWESOME!
April 4, 2013
Amazing because:
1) Books inside of books inside of books!
2) Little thing and littler things! I love little things.
3) Childhood-like illustrations. This is what illustrations looked like when I was little.
1) Books inside of books inside of books!
2) Little thing and littler things! I love little things.
3) Childhood-like illustrations. This is what illustrations looked like when I was little.
July 19, 2018
Well that was just freaking magical.
June 16, 2021
Story about sizes and colors in a creative presentation. So cute!
February 27, 2013
Open the full-sized picture book and inside you find a series of nesting books, each smaller than the one before. The stories in the books also nest with one another. First the reader opens the Little Red Book and discovers ladybug who is opening the Little Green Book where frog is the character. On and on it goes, until the story reaches a little twist in the little books. Then the stories unwind as the books are closed one by one. It’s impossible to not be charmed by the design and concept.
Debut author, Klausmeier has created a seamless partnership with illustrator Lee. The book is so much a marriage of their work that one might think it was done entirely by one artist. The story is simple yet fully engaging. The problem you may have with little listeners is having them slow down opening the next book in time to read the words on the page. Lee’s illustrations add to the charm, hearkening back to vintage picture books but still carrying a modern vibe. The scale of the books is perfection, like opening a Russian nesting doll.
Engaging, interactive and oh so much fun, this book looks at colors, sequence and a love of reading. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Debut author, Klausmeier has created a seamless partnership with illustrator Lee. The book is so much a marriage of their work that one might think it was done entirely by one artist. The story is simple yet fully engaging. The problem you may have with little listeners is having them slow down opening the next book in time to read the words on the page. Lee’s illustrations add to the charm, hearkening back to vintage picture books but still carrying a modern vibe. The scale of the books is perfection, like opening a Russian nesting doll.
Engaging, interactive and oh so much fun, this book looks at colors, sequence and a love of reading. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
July 10, 2013
Ok. This book might be a little hard to explain, so watch the book trailer first.
Ready?
Ok, you get the point, right? An assortment of characters (animals) all open up a book within a book within a book within a book... etc. It's very meta but the illustrations keep it grounded in a very traditional look, kind of reminiscent of Arnold Lobel's work. Although the concept isn't something I've never seen before, I still thought that it was rather unique and clever. When Press Here came out, I thought, "Now here's a book perfect for the little ones accustomed to tapping their iPads." Open This Little Book actually does something that a tablet can't do. A delight for kids, teachers, librarians, and parents.
Ages 3+
Ready?
Ok, you get the point, right? An assortment of characters (animals) all open up a book within a book within a book within a book... etc. It's very meta but the illustrations keep it grounded in a very traditional look, kind of reminiscent of Arnold Lobel's work. Although the concept isn't something I've never seen before, I still thought that it was rather unique and clever. When Press Here came out, I thought, "Now here's a book perfect for the little ones accustomed to tapping their iPads." Open This Little Book actually does something that a tablet can't do. A delight for kids, teachers, librarians, and parents.
Ages 3+
July 17, 2013
Wow. The level of thought and expertise that went into the design of this book amazes me, starting with the endpapers (gray raindrops to start which transform into rainbow colored raindrops at the back). The storytelling works on so many levels - there's the simple story the text tells, the items shared and exchanged by the friends, the absolutely brilliant use of color, and the underlying, very subtle message about how friendship, kindness, and sharing stories can change your world - making it a more colorful, brighter place to be. The attention to detail makes for a delightfully slow reading experience - tracking each of the animals and their items and who gets what in the end (I particularly adore the ladybug turning her coffee mug into a necklace for rabbit) and watching how the colors begin to mix in the back half of the book - primarily monotone scenery from the first half comes alive with all the colors from the book in the second half. To top things off, the whole thing is beautiful, particularly when you hit the center and all the pages are laid out like a rainbow. I can't wait to share this one with all the children in my life!
January 24, 2013
"Open This Little Book" is brilliant in it's originality and simplicity: a book within a book within a book, and so on. But beyond the initial novelty, it's so much more: a celebration of the physical act of reading a book, a visual treat to discover each shrinking page sneakily constructing a rainbow, and a conclusion that encourages the reader to discover a entire world of books. Quite a big feat for a book that humbly describes itself as "Little".
Author Jesse Klausmeier makes a bold debut, proving that the traditional paper-bound book still has a few tricks up it's sleeve in a digital world. I suspect that this is just the beginning of a very remarkable career. Best you get in on the ground floor, folks.
Illustrator Suzy Lee's breezy, lyrical lines create a world that is meant for snuggling under the covers and discovering details you didn't catch upon the first reading. Her art is a perfect fit for Klausmeier's words, both of which are beyond charming.
"Open This Little Book" is a complete delight. Go get it and open it with someone special.
Author Jesse Klausmeier makes a bold debut, proving that the traditional paper-bound book still has a few tricks up it's sleeve in a digital world. I suspect that this is just the beginning of a very remarkable career. Best you get in on the ground floor, folks.
Illustrator Suzy Lee's breezy, lyrical lines create a world that is meant for snuggling under the covers and discovering details you didn't catch upon the first reading. Her art is a perfect fit for Klausmeier's words, both of which are beyond charming.
"Open This Little Book" is a complete delight. Go get it and open it with someone special.
January 27, 2013
The design for this book is quite unique, clever, and intriguing, and allows young readers to marvel in delight at the story within a story within a story, eight different ones in all. As readers open each book, they find another, smaller book, and a storyline running through each one. One of the best parts of the books is how each of the little book covers mirrors some element and color in the book's content; for instance, Little Green Book features lilypads on its cover. There is also a friendship theme running through the book since the animal friends frolic together, and then, when Giant's hand is too large to open her little book, her friends help her. The fact that the story continues on the other side of the page in each case adds to the delight of reading this title. Filled with pencil and watercolor illustrations created with soft colors and then digitally manipulated, this book is a tribute to bibliophiles who can never get enough of a good thing. Readers' fingers will get quite a work out when they open this book.
February 8, 2013
Open This Little Book is a book not quite like any you have read before. It's a simple and quiet story that unfolds as the reader opens an increasingly tiny series of books within the book--each one adding a layer of color until the whole book itself is a rectanagle rainbow. You'll open a little red book and read about Ladybug who opens a little green book and reads about Frog who opens another and another book about increasingly larger creatures, until Bear opens a little blue book about a Giant...who can't open her book because her hands are too big! But never fear, her friends from previous pages help and pages peacefully close until the very end when you close the little red book again and "open another" The reader is integral to the story as are the physical pages. A lovely celebration of reading and friendship and the enduring power of the book.
Reviewer 6
Reviewer 6
August 21, 2015
This book isn't so much a story as an homage to the world of reading books. It features a very clever concept of books contained within books in a rainbow of colors. The narrative is very short and children of all ages will enjoy the diminishing size of each successive book. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
After reading some of the reviews here on Goodreads, I realize that I missed some of the details in the pictures that add another layer to the story. I think this one deserves a reread...
This book was featured as one of the selections for the August 2015: Meta Fiction reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
After reading some of the reviews here on Goodreads, I realize that I missed some of the details in the pictures that add another layer to the story. I think this one deserves a reread...
This book was featured as one of the selections for the August 2015: Meta Fiction reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
April 29, 2014
This is fun little book with multiple books inside. It first starts off with a bear opening one book, and then another, then another, etc. Eventually it gets too small and then you close each book once more. The thing I liked about this was how interactive and fun it was! It was awesome seeing each book get smaller and bigger and it was fun to flip through. It’s a really fast read, I felt like, but it is definitely entertaining. I think that this would suit really young children well because it is something that you could go through over and over again with it still being fun. As you get older though, the book seems more pointless, but very cute. The illustrations are awesome to look at because so many different colors and styles of books are used. It is definitely a book that was more meant for looking at than reading an actual story.
February 4, 2014
First of all: it's dedicated to LeVar Burton! Secondly: it's a wonderful love song to reading. It's got nested books inside. It's got adorable animals. There's a giant! A ladybug! It's a book that is visually very striking- when one is in the exact middle of the book, there's a rainbow. This is a book for people who love to read to read to people they want to grow up loving to read. Not to mention it's a little like Cloud Atlas in its symmetry. A veritable home run. Now, someone bring me some kids to read to, stat.
July 15, 2021
This book is a surprise when you open it. and open it. and open it. :) It's seven little books inside one!
When I was a wee little 'un I had a Tommy Tippy cup. On that cup was a picture of Tommy holding a cup with the same picture on it, and that picture had that picture ... and so on. It was my first time to wonder about how things go on and on forever. This book reminded me of that. It's fun and amusing and goes on and on ... for awhile. It's a great idea for a story, and enjoyable with fun illustrations.
When I was a wee little 'un I had a Tommy Tippy cup. On that cup was a picture of Tommy holding a cup with the same picture on it, and that picture had that picture ... and so on. It was my first time to wonder about how things go on and on forever. This book reminded me of that. It's fun and amusing and goes on and on ... for awhile. It's a great idea for a story, and enjoyable with fun illustrations.
February 14, 2013
A clever, tactile-driven book best used in tandem with a child and parent/facilitator. The artwork has a lot of detail for a book that is essentially on the level of a color-based board book, so it might be distracting to a child left on their own of very young age. That said, it's full of delightful, fun art and has just enough eye candy for deeper educational highlights should the facilitator wish to pursue it.
November 6, 2014
As a fan of The Jolly Postman growing up, I have a soft spot for books-within-books. This one is a super fun construction of many nesting books, each with their own design and story! If you're of the age having graduated from board books, and are ready for picture books with simple, fun, layered stories, you should dive right into Open This Little Book. There's a ton of details to find and a great ending to satisfy.
March 7, 2014
Weirdly fascinating, individual, highly original and yet evocative of vintage favourites such as 'Goodnight Moon'. Expertly and yet very loosely handled illustrations with a lot of sophisticated layering and a tricky (and also kind of simple) novelty format. It's a one-of-a-kind. I think pre-schoolers up to around grade 2 or 3 could be equally fascinated by it. But the pre-schoolers will want to read it a hundred times.
March 12, 2014
This book is delightful and the design and execution are perfect for the concept. As you turn each page, you enter another story, but each of the stories are connected. It's fun because each of the books inside the main book are smaller than the previous book, and the readers of those books keep getting bigger. Take a chance on this book, especially if you are dealing with concepts of larger and smaller.
www.lockheed40books.com
www.lockheed40books.com
May 1, 2014
As a middle school librarian I'm on the search for picture books but those that I can use with students in grades 6 - 8. I'm looking for those that exemplify or deepen the message of my or my colleague's curriculum.
This book could be used in conjunction with my "book whisperer" unit when I share the rights of readers to reinforce the concepts of book selection, book sharing and going onto the next book.
This book could be used in conjunction with my "book whisperer" unit when I share the rights of readers to reinforce the concepts of book selection, book sharing and going onto the next book.
December 23, 2012
I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I received this book, but it was not what I found inside. I have enjoyed other books illustrated by Suzy Lee and this is no exception. Don't want to say much because I don't want to spoil the experience. This book comes out the first week of January. Definitely take a look at it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews