- Picture Books
- Ages 3–7
- Comedy
Do Not Open This Book
A very funny interactive read-aloud that begs the child not to keep turning the pages. Perfect for preschool and early primary children who like rule-breaking, direct address and silly grown-up performance.
- Best for3–7
- FormatPicture
- Length28 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Second person
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Repetitive
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Absurdist
- Warm
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Do Not Open This Book is built around a simple irresistible joke: the character in the book really, really does not want you to keep reading. Every page turn is treated as a terrible mistake, which of course makes children want to continue even more. Andy Lee's text uses direct address, reverse psychology and escalating panic, while Heath McKenzie's illustrations make the character's frustration increasingly funny. This is not an art-led literary picture book, but it is excellent at what it does: creating a shared comic performance between adult and child. It is especially strong for reluctant readers and children who enjoy being mischievously in control of the story. It belongs in the high-read-aloud, laugh-out-loud, interactive comedy lane alongside Don't Push the Button and The Book with No Pictures.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–7
- Read aloud · 3–8
- Independent · 5–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Interactive read aloud
- Laugh out loud
- Page turning jokes
- Reluctant readers
- Preschool comedy
Avoid if
- Wants calm bedtime
- Dislikes rule breaking
- Prefers literary picture books
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
- Bedtime battles
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A cheeky, interactive read-aloud that dares you to keep turning the pages — a guaranteed giggle for reading aloud.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is being told no — a small monster on the page begging you not to turn it, the child reading it gleefully ignoring every plea. A four-year-old gets the rare power of overruling the character in a book.
- Trickery and cleverness
- Revenge on adults
Why parents love it
The interactive picture book that gives a child the power to defy the page — the small monster's escalating panic as the reader keeps turning. Performs spectacularly read aloud with full commitment. The kind of book that gets demanded at every visiting-relative reading.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Bedtime appropriate
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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