The Book in the Book in the Book is a clever book. And while the idea has been done before, Julien Baer and Simon Bailly presents it in a new format.
When Thomas wanders off while spending a day on the beach with his family, he finds a book about a boy named Thomas who is having a day on the winter slopes. He too, wanders off and finds a book about a boy named Thomas who is a having a day out in outer space…. How long will this go? And will Thomas get back to his family?
The real kicker is the fact that every time Thomas finds a book it is actually shown in the book you are physically holding in your hand, but each time gets smaller and smaller. Bailly had their work cut out for them with that challenge. The actual images are unusual, but comforting illustrations. They are not realistic, but neither are they abstract. The colors are warm, but also muted. Like the story itself, the illustrations are an imaginative adventure. They bring to life a familiar tale, with some unfamiliar elements.
The tone of the book overall has an old world feel and momentum to it. And a little research found that it as originally published in France. And while I am not usually a fan of translations, I enjoyed this one as it flows as if English was its first language without losing the charm of the original French.
While the inside books make the main book bulky, it lends itself to a good snuggle-up-read-aloud time.