The wonderful, whimsical tale of a child who discovers just how magical it can be to get lost in a book (metaphorically, of course...or is it? Because part of the charm is how she finds herself fully inside that world, on the quest alongside curious creatures, facing off against a dragon). The illustrations are nicely rendered first in a washed-out monochromatic palette that sets the stage for vivid colors once she enters the world of the book. I laughed a few times in sympathy for the dialogue of the child - petulant, irritated, and frustrated and being told to do something that she just KNOWS she will not enjoy. Until, of course, she discovers that perhaps her mother had steered her right after all...and straight into a fairy tale that the mother herself had loved as a child.

There was just one thing that felt very off. I didn't love the font chosen for the text of the book; it's a small quibble, but the font used in the "real world" felt unusual and weird, which was especially strange once the book creature started to talk, and it used a "regular" font that didn't feel unusual at all. Why didn't they use the "boring" regular font for the real world, and the weird, unusual font for the dialogue inside the book world, to help underscore how strange and wonderful the book world is?? Such an odd choice. But all the other choices made here are lovely, especially the subplot that we see of the mother's loving guidance for the daughter, and how the story ends with them united in their love for reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review. This review will be cross-posted to my social media accounts closer to the book release date.

This was ADORABLE! Such a nice little story about a child discovering the magic of reading after thinking she hated it. The art is stunning, I love the style so much. A simple yet perfect children's short story.

The Spell of a Story by Marajo Ilustrajo is a wonderful and magical story about a girl discovering her love of reading. Getting to see the illustration of a girl falling in love with stories was wonderful. The illustrations themselves were beautiful and really brought you into the story. This is the perfect book for any young children that think reading is a chore.

This is lovely and engaging picture book and an ideal read-aloud for KS1 classroom. The initial resistance to reading at the beginning of the story will certainly get the readers attention. The way the main character becomes completely engrossed in her mother’s childhood favourite book is entirely believable and very endearing. The illustrations cleverly transform between muted and minimal to detailed and vibrant as the love of reading evolves. This is a book written for the US market although equally adaptive for use in UK.

I loved this! I was not a reader growing up, and I feel like this was my exact experience when I discovered fantasy. I loved that the art style changed to really showcase how magical reading is. I think readers of all ages can relate to this story.

I received an ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how this story starts out in Black and white but as she gets into the books it turns to bright colors . then it's bright colors as she goes on her journey with some fun and strange looking friends. As she has to stop reading for dinner or bedtime we are back to black and white. Then back into the story in the book is fun colors.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the copy of the ARC.

The Spell of a Story is a wonderfully illustrated picture book about discovering the magic of reading over the Summer holidays. When a little girl goes to the library with her Mum and sister, she is encouraged to read a book that they themselves enjoyed at her age. At its heart, this book encapsulates how reading can transport you to different worlds. The illustrations matched the text beautifully; married elements which ensure that the picture book has a really nice flow from page to page. I also loved that it shows how a love of reading is something that can be nurtured in small children. Bravo Mariajo Illustrajo!

Oh wow I cannot wait for this book to be published! A beautifully illustrated book that uses color to show how reading captures the imagination for a girl who hates reading. This is the perfect book for my elementary library and I will definitely be adding it to our collection.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy, all opinions are my own.

I remembered the first time I fell in love with reading. My mom casually handed me a copy of her favorite novel (it's And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie). I was skeptic I could enjoy and finish it since I rarely read novel and chose to read comic instead. But, OMG, I was drawn into the story and for the next hours I came to my mom and ask if she had another novel.

When I read The Spell of a Story, I found my small me in the main character. I saw book full of text as something boring (and wonder why there is people who loves it). And through very nice illustration, The Spell of Story could bring me to experience one more time how to be "in spell by a good story."

A short book, with very nice pictures, to explain that there's magic inside a book and everyone can be casted by its spell.

Highly recommended!

(Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!)

Thank you to Mariajo Ilustrajo and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this amazing children's book before it is released.

This is one book that you NEED to put on your child's bookshelf as soon as it is available for purchase. The Spell of a Story is about a little girl who has the "dreadful" task of having to read one book over summer break. Soon she realizes, with the help of her sister, that maybe the library can hold some magic. This book will put a spell on you and your child with it's humor and beautiful illustrations. I highly recommend that every teacher gets a copy of this book and reads it aloud to your class. Hopefully this book would inspire your students to learn about the magic of reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason I think this book might be an instant classic. The illustrations were charming. It reminded me of the vintage illustrations of childrens books from the early to mid 1900s. I also enjoyed the story and I would say it was pretty easy to follow. If I had a child, I would buy this book for them.
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This is a stunning picturebook about a little girl is forced to face her misgivings about reading after her teacher sets her class a holiday reading assignment. This heart-warming tale about the journey to become a reader is joyful and vibrant, and anyone who is familiar with Mariajo Illustrajo’s other books (Lost and Flooded) will know they are in for a visual treat. The transformative effect of reading is beautifully conveyed in the artwork One of my favourite picturebooks of 2024 so far!

Book 041 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

Everyone who has kids who hate reading or even adults themselves who hate reading, will definitely be enticed with this one.

The way the author and illustrator depict what is is like to go from being a book hater to a book lover is cleverly depicted here.

Did I mention that I love love love this brilliant book??

I feel like I haven't said it enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Spell of a Story is a beautiful children's picture book about a little girl who discovers a love for books for the first time. The book starts as school breaks up for the summer, and the homework the teacher assigns is to read a whole book over the holidays. This is bad news as she hates books and hates reading. When she goes to the library with her mum/sister? - they suggest a book for her to read that they themselves enjoyed at her age, and she reluctantly decides to give it a go. The book takes her on a magical adventure, and she finds she can't put the book down - she reads it eating her lunch, in the bath, and hiding under her covers with a torch. The next day, she wants to return to the library to check this newfound enjoyment isn't just a one-off.
I loved the illustrations in this book, and the expressions on the girls face made me smile. They go from washed out colours to bright and vivid when she enters the story she's reading, which was a great contrast.

A very pleasant look at a girl becoming a reader – at first I didn't much like this or her, but the way the spirit of the story is allowed to imbue her on these pages is pretty decent. Of course, the flaw in such books is that they are clearly preaching to the converted – I doubt this will be shown to people and work universally as an advert for reading – but of this type it's a perfectly reasonable contender.

Here we meet a girl who's all excited for summer vacation . . . until she learns that her one assignment is to read a book. Ugh! She hates reading, OR at least she thinks she does. In truth, she just hasn't met the right book. When she does, it's pure enchantment - and a reader is born!

The author's illustrations are charming, alternating the girl's more monotone life with the wild bright colors found within the pages of her book . . . AND her imagination.

This is a terrific story that will delight the reader inside us all.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for access to this arc.

I know that people who don't like to read exist. I've met a few of them. I just don't understand how you could possibly not like to read!! Well, this book might just change a few of those people and get them to see that reading is awesome. There are adventures, quicksand valleys, dancing with enchanted frogs (yes, please!), crossing The Big Piranha Swamp, and a tea party with witches all in search of ingredients needed to ... what? What? WHAT? I have to know!


By the end of the book, a young book hater has been converted to ... what? What? WHAT? You want to know? Well, you'll need to read this charming (and charmingly illustrated) book to find out. A world of wonderfulness is just waiting at the local library. And a cute cat is waiting at home to sit with this newly converted book lover.

Coming June 4, 2025 The Spell of a Story by Mariajo Ilustrajo. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This children's book is an adorable beckoning to reluctant readers. I especially loved how the illustrations complemented the main character's dive into wonder. Kids will also love looking at the small details and labels hidden in the illustrations. A graphic novel style was a perfect choice to reach children who might be hesitant to read. Bravo!

I love this book so so much. Our main character is given the task of reading one whole book during summer vacation! But in that, she discovers magic contained within “the spell of a story”.

The illustrations are stunning and I love the progression. At the beginning, her world is neutral/beige. While reading, the illustrations are bright, fully colored. After returning to the “real world”, it still has the basis of neutral/beige, but there’s more bits of colors as the magic of reading follows her. It feels so subtly magical – similar to reading!

This feels like a fantastic book to read to the kids that might have not found their love of reading yet. I will definitely be recommending it to teacher/librarian friends.

This book is all about the magic of books. It is a bit of a cliched story but it is beautifully presented through some really well thought-out pictures. I may use this in one of my courses as the illustration is just so lovely.