Once Upon a Book

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She went to a place alive with colors, where even the morning dew was warm.

Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to a world of wonder and adventure, riding camels in the desert, swimming under the sea with colorful fish, floating in outer space, and more! But when her imaginative journey comes to an end, she yearns for the place she loves best of all.

Paired with vibrant illustrations, this lyrical, expressive story invites the reader to savor each page and indulge in the power of imagination.

“ "Lin and Messner's spectacular collaboration celebrates books and reading.... A spellbinding ode to imagination and the transformative wonder of stories. "-- Kirkus, starred review”

"This engrossing, wonderfully imaginative meta-adventure follows a girl bored at home in the middle of winter as she reads and also explores the pages of a book... a must-read for anyone in search of exceptional picture books."--The Miami Herald
"A thrilling journey of the imagination....Lin's lush full-bleed spreads invite readers to take the journey with Alice."--Horn Book, starred review
* "Lin and Messner's spectacular collaboration celebrates books and reading....A spellbinding ode to imagination and the transformative wonder of stories."--Kirkus, starred review

Grace Lin is the recipient of the Children's Literature Legacy Award and is the bestselling author and illustrator of over thirty books, including A Big Mooncake for Little Star (a Caldecott Honor), A Big Bed for Little Snow, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (a Newbery Honor), The Year of the Dog, and the Ling & Ting series. Grace is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Massachusetts.

Kate Messner is a New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books for young readers. Kate's award-winning titles include picture books like Over and Under the Snow and The Brilliant Deep; novels like Breakout and Chirp; engaging nonfiction like The Next President and the History Smashers series; the Ranger in Time adventures; and the Fergus and Zeke easy readers. Kate lives on Lake Champlain and invites you to visit her at

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She went to a place alive with colors, where even the morning dew was warm. Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to a world of wonder and adventure, riding camels in the desert, swimming under the sea with colorful fish, floating in outer space, and more! But when her imaginative journey comes to an end, she yearns for the place she loves best of all.Paired with vibrant illustrations, this lyrical, expressive story invites the reader to savor each page and indulge in the power of imagination.

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