Picturebook Review: Isabella: Star of the Story by Jennifer Fosberry and Mike Litwin

Isabella: Star of the Story is a picturebook written by Jennifer Fosberry and illustrated by Mike Litwin,  which is scheduled for release today, April 1 2013. Isabella is a girl with a love of books, a big imagination, and snazzy purple hair. When Isabella and her parents head to the library Isabella becomes the characters from some of the most popular children's books. Isabella is briefly Alice, and Dorothy, Peter Pan, and a number of other well known personas. When it is time to check out and head home, Isabella decides that it is best just to be herself, at least until it is reading time again.

Isabella: Star of the Story is a fun story which highlights an early love of reading and the use of imagination. The pictures are bold and colorful, matching the story with exactly what was needed to really bring the entire story alive. As the mother of to young children with imagination to spare, I have to say that it can be both a blessing and a curse at times- but I would much rather my children have their extremely active minds than the alternative. Isabella is a girl that falls completely into the books she reads, and loves to imagine herself in the story. I loved her spunk and imagination, and her hair of course. On the other hand, I was less than thrilled with the image of the librarian towards the end of the book, as it was closer to now outdated stereotypes of librarians rather than the reality.  On the other hand, I really enjoyed the story as a whole, and the additional information about each of the books alluded to in the story and their authors.

I recommend Isabella: Star of the Story to readers of all ages. It is a great book for encouraging reading, the use of imagination, and library use. Children, and adults, that are already book lovers will recognize a kindred soul in Isabella, and make this book a fast favorite.