These pages combine a beautiful homage to literature, a sense of adventure, and an invitation into the imagination in a lovely way, which only the written word can bring.

Written in flowing rhyme, the tale follows a young girl and her friends as they board a ship and set sail to Read Island. The island holds sea wolves, bears, whales and more, while harboring more surprises as well. The island also holds a magical spot, where animals (and friends) can hold story time together. So, this one is a homage to tales and shows readers the beauty and imagination reading can hold.

The illustrations are well done and drift right along with the story, allowing each scene to come to vibrant life. Details make rediscovering each page fun (which does mean that this one will be visited more than one or twice). Plus, there's a pinch of secrets thrown in, which will need to be discovered. To say that this one can hold attention from beginning to end is an understatement. It's written for the age group and knows how to hold their interest the entire way through.

Perfect for the age group, the text and word choice make a wonderful read-aloud in a classroom setting or alone at home. It illustrates the wonder of the written word and demonstrates how enjoyable a reading journey can be. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the magical journey. ( )

Set sail for an island made of books. Listen to a story with animal friends, have fun and celebrate. You just have to be still, breathe out, then in again and listen.

Read Island takes you on a magical journey. With rhyming prose that flows like a song enchants new readers to the wonders of reading and the worlds within books. The hand-drawn illustrations have a collage-like quality that use parts of books within the picture and friendly animals that encourage creativity, imagination and whimsy. Read Island is perfect to share with children ages 2-7 to spark joy in reading .

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )