I Want My Book Back - by Viviane Elbee (Hardcover)

About the Book

Daryl does not want to share his favorite dinosaur book, so when it is time to bring it back to the library he uses all his dinosaur skills to get it back until a friendly librarian encourages him to share.

Book Synopsis

Daryl loves the dinosaur book he checked out from the library; it takes him on roaring, stomping dinosaur adventures! But when Daryl has to return it, he'll do anything to get his favorite book back.

Selected to Bank Street College of Education's list of Best Children's Books of the Year!

"Emotions run high in this volume about a child's deep attachment giving way to sharing... Elbee's take on the emotional attachment that readers form with books feels apt, and a final portrait of Daryl discovering that books can be shared pays ample tribute to libraries." -- Publishers Weekly

Daryl loves to play with his favorite library book about dinosaurs. His imagination takes him to prehistoric places, and he pretends to be a triceratops, microraptor, and even a T. rex! But Daryl does not want to share his book, so when he has to return it to the library, Daryl goes wild. Using all of his dinosaur skills, Daryl tries his best to get his book back! But when a clever librarian notices Daryl's passion, she encourages him to share his favorite book and make some new friends along the way. This playful, silly, funny, tale about reading, books, and sharing is sure to be a hit with any child.

"A splendid story about the satisfaction that comes from sharing joy (and dinosaurs) with others."--Booklist

"The book's fun illustrations emphasize Daryl's big and scary emotions, including distress, grumpiness, rage, and despair; solace is to be found only somewhere unexpected: in sharing."--Foreward Reviews

Review Quotes

Daryl loves books. Well, more specifically, Daryl loves one amazing library book about
dinosaurs. He happily renews it over and over again, until one day a dreaded message appears:
"CANNOT RENEW. BOOK ON HOLD." Daryl is beside himself, and nothing his creative mother
tries is enough to distract him from the book's absence. Alas, not all of the roaring, stomping, and
wishing in the world can bring his book back, so he's forced to concoct a more practical scheme:
skulking about the library and recovering his precious tome. When he finally tracks it down, in the
midst of an excited storytime huddle, Daryl wonders if perhaps there is value in sharing his great
love with others. The story is tons of fun, and Daryl is completely convincing as a dinosaur
aficionado, roaring and stomping his way through the scenes (all of which makes for a rousing
read-aloud), while the energetic, splashy illustrations charmingly convey a whirlwind of emotions.
A splendid story about the satisfaction that comes from sharing joy (and dinosaurs) with others.-- "Booklist"

Emotions run high in this volume about a child's deep attachment giving way to sharing. When young Daryl, portrayed with brown skin, discovers that he can no longer renew his favorite dinosaur book from the library, he throws a T.-rex-size tantrum, roaring and stomping with a frustration that's vividly captured in Miles's digital art. (Daryl even bites the book return bin.) He soon returns to the library clad in a green dino costume, ready to reclaim the book, only to find the librarian picking it up for story time. But the savvy librarian, who presents as white, invites him to participate in the reading, ameliorating the child's distress while involving the storytime circle, which includes children with varying abilities and skin tones. Elbee's take on the emotional attachment that readers form with books feels apt, and a final portrait of Daryl discovering that books can be shared pays ample tribute to libraries. Ages 3-6.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Daryl loves Dinosaurs, but his copy of the book truly belongs to
the library, and his cycle of perpetually renewing it hits a snag
when someone else places the book on hold. Though he summons
all of the dinosaur tricks that the book taught him, roaring
and stomping cannot prevent the inevitable: the book must be
returned. The book's fun illustrations emphasize Daryl's big and
scary emotions, including distress, grumpiness, rage, and despair;
solace is to be found only somewhere unexpected: in sharing.-- "Foreward Reviews"

About the Author

Viviane Elbee has always loved libraries and books, beginning with the tales of "Petit Ours Brun" (Little Brown Bear), which she quickly learned to share with her sisters. I WANT MY BOOK BACK is Viviane's second book, following her authorial debut, TEACH YOUR GIRAFFE TO SKI. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and two book-devouring dinos. VivianeElbee.com

Nicole Miles was a card designer for Hallmark for years before becoming a full-time freelancer in 2020. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, BuzzFeed, and David Fickling Books, among others. Her graphic novel Barbara was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2017. She lives in West Yorkshire (UK) with her pet snake and human boyfriend. nicolemillo.com