How to Read a Book

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Newbery medalist Kwame Alexander wrote this wonderful poem about the joys of books and reading. Bright, collage-inspired illustrations bring this poem to life. Current and future book lovers will find happiness inside these pages. I can’t help but smile each time I read it. Recommended By Jennifer H., Powells.com

A stunning new picture book from Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet! This New York Times bestselling duo has teamed up for the first time to bring you How to Read a Book, a poetic and beautiful journey about the experience of reading.

Find a tree — a

black tupelo or

dawn redwood will do — and

plant yourself.

(It's okay if you prefer a stoop, like Langston Hughes.)

With these words, an adventure begins. Kwame Alexander’s evocative poetry and Melissa Sweet’s lush artwork come together to take readers on a sensory journey between the pages of a book.

"[An] engaging and mesmerizing ode to reading…delightful and appealing." ALA Booklist (Starred Review)

"A linguistic and visual feast." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"[This] love poem to literacy conjures up startling, luscious images...By turns dreamy and ecstatic." Publishers Weekly

Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine books, including Rebound, the follow-up to his Newbery Medal–winning middle grade novel, The Crossover. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other picture books include Undefeated, Animal Ark, and Out of Wonder. A regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, Kwame is the recipient of several awards, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, three NAACP Image Award nominations, and the 2017 inaugural Conroy Legacy Award. He believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people around the world through his writing workshop, the Write Thing. Kwame is also the host and producer of the literary variety/talk show Bookish.

Melissa Sweet has illustrated more than one hundred books. Her work has been in magazines, on greeting cards, and on her living room walls. Melissa has received the Caldecott Honor Medal twice, among many other awards, including the Sibert Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author and artist. Melissa lives in Maine.