I Want to Read All the Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
A Children's Book Review by Christina Barber
Stepping through the glass doors into the lobby of The Toronto Reference Library, you feel an immediate sense of calm as you leave the sounds of Yonge Street’s traffic behind you and pass through the turn-styles and past stone fountains, emerging into the library’s centre, a bright atrium, where the floors tower above you in sinuous white layers. Walking around Raymond Moriyama’s library is to enter an otherworldly universe of books, where wide, spiralling staircases and cylindrical glass elevators are a call to adventure. What treasures does each floor hold? What discovery might be made on this visit? The Reference Library is a celebration of all things literary. For me, it was a wonderful escape when, as a youth, newly allowed to navigate the TTC and downtown on my own, I discovered its cache of knowledge. Libraries were such an important part of my childhood, providing the safety of a community hub and the freedom to explore and to learn.
“Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s new book I Want to Read ALL the Books is a tribute to the kids whose minds teem to overflowing with questions about the world and everything in it and a call to those who may not yet have discovered the magical power of books.”
For so many kids, reading is not only a way to find answers to their questions about the world, but it is also a conduit to other worlds and often, for myriad reasons, a welcome escape from this one. Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s new book I Want to Read ALL the Books is a tribute to the kids whose minds teem to overflowing with questions about the world and everything in it and a call to those who may not yet have discovered the magical power of books.
The picture book’s main character is a young girl named Hana, who is curious and navigates her world by asking a lot of questions. She keeps track of her questions and their answers by making lists. Her family members help her directly and indirectly in finding answers through the books around her, and when she exhausts the resources in her immediate surroundings, her mother helps her discover the places in our communities that celebrate reading. Hana’s journey is one of discovery, on the personal level as she broadens her interests and discovers new worlds, but also on the social level as she discovers the ways that books connect people through shared interests and the desire for knowledge.
I Want to Read ALL the Books is particularly successful in modelling great practices and ways of being for kids. Hana observes the world around her and asks questions, unafraid of being dismissed. Her parents support her in finding books and in discovering the places where Hana can find even more books. Comfortable with herself and gaining confidence as a reader, Hana is willing to take risks in reading different genres and in finding new ways to do things. Hana’s mother treats their trip to the Toronto Reference Library (recognizable in her drawings by those remarkable spiralling staircases and sinuous, white layered floors) as something special, and when they are there, Hana meets a librarian who helps her see that she may not be able to read all the books, but that she can share them with others and revel in the joy they bring us.
Hana’s world is one that celebrates reading and intellectual pursuits from a young age. She and her friends share their books and their interests. Even her little Scottie Dog is in on the action, shadowing Hana in all of her reading pursuits and adventures.
Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s illustrations stimulate the imagination and provide a lot of opportunities for reading beyond the text. Titles, posters, pictures, and signs populate Hana’s world. Hana’s world is also representative of a diverse city with characters from different backgrounds.
At the end of this book-filled tale, Hana and her friends start their own book club, and it really is the perfect ending for a kid like Hana. Hopefully, this book will serve as an inspiration to share a love of reading with others, to develop a love of reading, and to celebrate all kinds of literature. This is a great book for all of the other kids out there who want to read ALL the books and for those who just don’t know it yet.
About the Author
Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s writing or art has appeared in over twenty books for young people. She is the award-winning author and illustrator of Where Are My Books?, I Want to Read ALL the Books, and Sam & Eva with Simon & Schuster. Her illustrations appear in books by Judy Blume, Michael Ian Black, and Linda Sue Park, among others. Debbie lives with her husband in Toronto, Canada. For more info, see DebbieOhi.com.
About the Reviewer
Christina Barber is a writer, dramaturge, artist, and educator based in Vancouver. Her poetry has appeared in The Whimsical Poet and contributed to the Vancouver City Poems Project.
Book Details
Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (Sept. 17 2024)
Reading Age: 4-8 years old
Hardcover : 48 pages
ISBN-10 : 1481416308
ISBN-13 : 978-1481416306