I Will Read To You by Gideon Sterer and Charles Santoso (Review)

Title: I Will Read to You
Author: Gideon Sterer
Illustrator: Charles Santoso
Type: Fiction
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Date published: August 1, 2023

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Once upon a time, there was a boy who loved stories—scary ones about skeletons and witches, giants and ghosts, vampires, dragons, mummies and goblins. But he wondered…do monsters have anyone to read to them ? Armed with only a book and a flashlight (and with his bemused mother in tow), he travels through the night, calling together every monster he can think of to make sure they get the bedtime story they need.

Delightfully spooky and surprisingly tender, I Will Read to You celebrates monsters, stories, and the way a good book can bring us together.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I Will Read to You drew me in with its promise of a spooky children’s book—a genre I’ve been wanting to explore more this year. The next thing that caught my attention was the illustration style—it’s colourful, detailed, with a hint of darkness to it. The illustrative style and spooky vibes continue into the book, and nicely fit the story within.

I found the tale in I Will Read to You itself to be fun, heartwarming, with a dash of spooky—a really good mix for myself personally, and something I hope my future children will also someday enjoy. There’s also an underlying message that I can’t quite put into words but that left me feeling warm and smiling. I definitely recommend I Will Read to You for the spooky season, and year-round!