Once Upon a Book

A Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2023!

From Caldecott and Newbery Honoree Grace Lin and bestselling author Kate Messner comes a modern folktale about the joy of reading.

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She went to a place alive with colors, where even the morning dew was warm. 

Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to a world of wonder and adventure, riding camels in the desert, swimming under the sea with colorful fish, floating in outer space, and more! But when her imaginative journey comes to an end, she yearns for the place she loves best of all.

Paired with vibrant illustrations, this lyrical, expressive story invites the reader to savor each page and indulge in the power of imagination.

• * "Lin and Messner's spectacular collaboration celebrates books and reading....A spellbinding ode to imagination and the transformative wonder of stories."
  Kirkus, starred review
• *“A thrilling journey of the imagination….Lin’s lush full-bleed spreads invite readers to take the journey with Alice.”
  Horn Book, starred review
• “This engrossing, wonderfully imaginative meta-adventure follows a girl bored at home in the middle of winter as she reads and also explores the pages of a book... a must-read for anyone in search of exceptional picture books.”
  The Miami Herald