Shailey is the main character, and she wants one thing: to be read to at night! Her dad used to do a great job of it, but then he got a new job and much to Shailey’s disappointment he wasn’t able to keep up his high quality rocking chair story time.

This girl is a go getter, so she puts an ad out and interviews a true cast of characters to fill her dad’s shoes. The applicants are unnamed but through looking at the pictures and reading the storyline, young readers should be able to determine most of their Fairy Tale literary connections. No one makes the cut until dad returns again, this time committed to giving his undivided attention to their bedtime routine.

I liked that the child in the book loved reading and valued her read aloud routine so much. I think all parents (and children) can learn from Shailey that parent-child bonding with a book is a crucial social-emotional connection. Not only is it imperative to show them you care, but it builds oral language and reading skills. I also appreciated that this book represents minorities and different family structures because we need more opportunities for diversity to be seen in texts. Of course I also think the Fairy Tale aspect of the book is a great talking point for children/students, and this could definitely be used as part of a unit. I think that some of the inference may be difficult for children who aren’t familiar with the fairy tales, but the story will still make sense.

Cute book for all ages, not just kids! The littler kids will enjoy the fun story and bright pictures. The older kids will recognize the characters from their growing knowledge of fairy tales. The adults will have fun, recognize the characters, and find the humor throughout. Books like this are a win-win. I loved the way the author chose to end the story. Of course Dad came back to reading Shalley her bedtime stories. The fact that he came in character, and smelling of cookies, made for the perfect surprise ending.

Thank you #Netgalley for providing #Helpwantedmustlovebooks in exchange for my honest review and personal opinions.

I liked the premise of this book but some of the wording had hasty rejection of applicants rubbed me the wrong way, particularly "humans applicants only" and the dismissal of Cinderella because she was dirty.

This book is ridiculously funny for both kids and adults, I loved that the Shailey fired her dad as bedtime storyteller and started hosting interviews for a new one -- those interviews were pretty cute and fun. The art is great as well.

I love this book so much! I will definitely buy it when it is released. The story is perfect for book lovers. Also, I loved the little extras at the end of the story. The illustrations were lovely!

Help Wanted, Must Love Books
by Janet Sumner Johnson
Pub Date Mar 2 2020
For ages 4-7.
5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description :
Shailey loves bedtime, especially reading with her dad. But her dad starts a new job, and it gets in the way of their bedtime routine. So Shailey takes action! She fires her dad, posts a Help Wanted sign, and starts interviews immediately. She is thrilled when her favorite characters from fairytales line up to apply. But Sleeping Beauty can't stay awake, the Gingerbread Man steals her book, and Snow White brings along her whole team. Shailey is running out of options. Is bedtime ruined forever?
🌈🎈MY REVIEW 🌈🎈
Omg I loved the book. And so did the girls . I read this book to my two granddaughter's who are One & Two . I also read it to my 4 year old daughter. All 3 of them were laughing and wanting to read the other fairy tales. The story was amazing. It was short enough yet long enough to hold their attention. The illustrations were beautiful and so full of life. I loved how her flyer brings in many different famous fairy tale characters that will encourage the reading of other classic fairy tales. Most of all I loved the fact that it reminds us how important it is to be present for our children and read to them.

#HelpWantedMustLoveBooks #NetGalley

Shailey loves bedtime because her father reads to her, but his new job is interfering so she needs to find a new reader. Shailey sets out an application for a book reader and is surprised that so many fairy tale characters apply.
However will Shailey be able to find a fairy tale character that can match or exceed her dad? This is a cute story for young children.

This is a lovely children's book about a little girl who loves books. Shailey looks forward to her bedtime story every night but when her dad gets a new job and doesn't have time to read anymore, she fires him and advertises for a new bedtime storyteller.

Things get a bit complicated when most of the applicants come from classic fairy stories themselves! But in the end she refines the ad enough to find the perfect applicant.

It's a very short book and a simple story ideal for reading to pre-reading age children. Best of all, Shailey is 'of colour' which is something in short supply in children's books. How much prejudice could be dispelled with diversity in children's books to read to children of all cultural backgrounds?

The pictures are simple but well-drawn and overall a very good presentation.

Any book that is specifically written about someone’s love of books is always a win in my opinion. This one was no different. Shailey was a sweet spirit and her adoration for literature melted my heart. As a parent who is an avid reader with a child who’d is also an avid reader this book hit home for me and I loved all of the magical characters who came to life to fill the spot she had posted of bedtime reader. When none of them were right for the job an unlikely (or likely) her came to her rescue and they read off into the sunset. It was a happily ever after I I’ve ever seen one.

Well I’m totally bummed but this is a protected PDF format that I can’t get to download to our iPad. Would love to read and review as this book looks phenomenal and the cover is beautiful. Will update review if able to download in the future.

5 Absolutely-Adorable Stars!!

This beautifully illustrated book features Shailey who is looking for a replacement storyteller for her father who has just gotten a new job and is a little busy for bedtime stories. She holds interviews which consist of familiar bedtime story characters. Each one is not quite right and finally her dad earns his position back in an adorable ending. This book was too cute and will encourage reading of other classic stories! I LOVED IT!

I loved the book. The story was amazing. The illustrations were beautiful and full of life. I would definitely be reading this to my younger cousins.

I appreciated the confidence of the heroine to "fire" her dad for neglect of his duty; she doesn't feel badly for him or try to help him so he can be more present––she simply fires him, letting him know that what he's doing just isn't good enough. I also appreciate an ending that is both surprising and inevitable, and this book has that, too. Simple, clever, imaginative––a fun, sweet story.

As a preschool teacher, I love finding books that have potential for classroom activities as well as ones that can drive conversation. And that is just the kind of book Must Love Books is.

As I was reading it I thought of so many learning opportunities- I loved that the characters were illustrated with clear facial expressions and emotions to help kids identify the feeling the character is having.

I also enjoyed the fairy tale character references. I found them funny and quirky, and I think adults and children alike will enjoy the puns and humor.

I thought the word choice was fantastic- there were so many fun, new words that this book will expose kids to.

Must Live Books will be a great addition to a classroom library as well as a home library.

Shailey loves story time with her dad. When he gets a new job and is no longer up to par as a reading partner, she fires him and looks to hire a new bedtime storyteller. Her flyer brings in many interesting fairy tale regulars willing to read to her, resumes included. I loved the array of characters. Shailey is adorable. I read this via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

I absolutely adored this book! Funny, sweet, and engaging! I will add this to my classroom collection.

What a cute book. Shailey's dad used to read bedtime stories to her every night until he got a new job. She hosts job interviews for a new bedtime reader and some crazy characters ensue. Definitely a cute whimsical book. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I thought this book was cute and fun but it just feel short for me. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was but I just didn’t love it.

The vocabulary of this picture book seems to be a little too advanced for the age-range the author is intending to attract. Although this is certainly a read-aloud book, some of the words, such as "resume", "applicant", and "despaired" are hard for children to understand. While parents might try to explain these advanced words, children's comprehension might be lost as these words are difficult to comprehend. While the concept of a child creating a job opening for a bedtime storyteller, I suggest that the author simplifies the vocabulary.

The illustrations are colorful, creative, and eye-catching, and they illustrate familiar storybook characters in a unique way. The main characters are diverse in ethnicity, however, I do note that all the fairytale characters remain white. I might suggest changing a few of the characters so that children can relate not only to the main character (Shaliey) but also see themselves in the imaginary characters that apply for the position.

The plot is very cute and appropriate for read-aloud, and it can inspire parents to read fairy tales to their children as the book introduces several different tales.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love books about books but unfortunately this didn't capture my attention. I think that the idea was good and the illustration style was fun but if it doesn't hold my attention as an adult, it definitely won't survive storytime with my son. The design of the book seemed a little sloppy and the moral of the story was confused. Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend this one.

1 out of 5 stars!