If You Run Out of Words

by Felicita Sala (Author)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

In If You Run Out of Words, an imaginative bedtime adventure from award-winning artist Felicita Sala, a father reassures his daughter of the fantastical lengths he'd go to in order to show his love.

What happens if you run out of words?

Will you have any left for me?

Don't be silly!

I could NEVER run out of words!

But what if you DO?

Seeking reassurance of her father's attention, a young girl peppers her dad with elaborate, anxious what-ifs.

Dad soothes each worry with the perfect answer: if he ever ran out of words, he'd visit the Elves' Word Factory so that he never runs out again, of course! Even if it means having to brave the darkest woods, escape pirates, or even fly a rocket ship back home, there's nothing that could ever come between them--and there aren't enough words to describe how much he loves her.

Imaginative, humorous, and heartfelt, this picture book from internationally celebrated creator Felicita Sala is a whimsical ode to a parent's boundless love for their child.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
With humor, heart, and oodles of child appeal, this tale models a flawed but devoted parent’s mastery of love languages.

ALA/Booklist

With a plot that recalls Margaret Wise Brown's classic The Runaway Bunny and artwork kids will love to pore over, this whimsical bedtime story offers a superb, masterful balance between the sweet reassurance of parental love and the freewheeling silliness of imaginative play. 

Publishers Weekly

Getting ready for bedtime, a child, portrayed with pale skin, sees their mustachioed father, shown with light brown skin, hunched over and tapping intently into a smartphone. "What happens if you run out of words?" the young protagonist asks. "Will you have any left for me?" Momentarily taken aback, Dad quickly comes up with a story about an underground "Elves' Word Factory"--depicted in an elaborate cutaway--where he can purchase an "infinity bottle" of words. But the vivid story prompts the equally imaginative child to ask a series of what-if questions that catalyze an extended narrative featuring Dad as the star. Mixed-media vignettes by Sala (My Dog and I) conjure up whimsical details, warm palettes, and avid characters as Dad, clad in bright yellow pajamas, travels up a tree, into space and underwater, and onto a mouse pirate ship. As lights-out approaches, Dad proves his storytelling mettle, reassuring his child that he'll never run out of words--especially the three most important ones. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4-8. Agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Apr.)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Felicita Sala
Felicita Sala is the self-taught illustrator of several picture books, including All from a Walnut by Ammi-Joan Paquette, Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari, and The Hideout by Susanna Mattiangeli, as well as her own book of recipes for children, What's Cooking at 10 Garden Street? She grew up between Italy and Australia and now lives in Rome, Italy, with her family.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781419766886
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Harry N. Abrams
Publication date
April 09, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV009080 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Words
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Imagination
Fathers and daughters
Anxiety

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