Of course, as a librarian, I have a lot of opinions on book bannings. And my poor nieces and nephews will have to prepare to get their ear talked off about them. I think this book is a perfect primer for this. I especially love the call to action for children to become passionate about protecting challenged books. Overall a very sweet book with great, colorful illustrations.

If you're looking for a really important and engaging read for younger readers, this book is perfect. It highlights how crucial it is to have the freedom to read and explores the topic of book banning in a way that is age-appropriate. A great choice to help kids understand why the right to read matters!

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for allowing my review.

This fun picture book deals with book banning. Highly informative and a serious topic done in a fun way. Highly recommed!

Don't let the lively, colorful illustrations and bouncy rhythm fool you. This book carries a powerful punch. It not only introduces young children to what book banning is but offers them examples of how to fight back against it. You just know when you see the scowling face of a woman peeking in the library window that something is about to happen and, well, it does. It follows the now usual pattern of one person deciding they're offended, then getting vocal and drawing in curious, often clueless support. In this case it's lime colored books being used for books accused of being offensive for a variety of reasons or, for that matter, none that make sense.

Seeing one child being brave enough to speak out and therefore rally opposition to censorship is a message we all need to take to heart. While remaining silent and above the fray may be easier, it doesn't accomplish anything other than allowing those who'd take books out of our hands to seem even more powerful. This example of taking action, especially when scowling adults are the opponents, could offer support to other youngsters who feel voiceless. The illustrations of smiling readers before the lime books were targeted and the more somber, sad expressions after were well done. There's humor to be found here, too, especially in the spread depicting the protest signs sported by the two factions. Quite creative and pointed and, yes, both sides are shown. I bet you can guess which ones showed thought.

Bottom line, while targeting very young children, meaning adults will have to read this to them, this one should work with slightly older students, too. I'd nudge parents to read along with them, however, no matter the age, as there will surely be questions. No, you don't need to use the word metaphor but it would surely be helpful for younger children so see the connection between banned books because of content and this one simply using lime colored books symbolically. Thanks #Familius and #NetGalley for giving me this early peek at a very deserving book. I'll be sharing the info with many.

How do you explain book banning to kids who think it's just nutz? By using a book like this one which shows the process by substituting a color for whatever offence is aimed at the books. It also shows how kids can get involved in peaceful protests and learn even more from the changing minds.
The illustrations by Blanca Millan are on target, simple, colorful, and fun.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library! Pub Date Sep 23, 2025
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected galley proof from Familius via NetGalley. ***** #review #goodreads #storygraph #NetGalley #librarything @waterstones #NetGalley #DownWithLimeBooks by @janzauzmer and illustrated by @blancamillanilustra @familiusbooks #KidsBookstagram #kidlit #Book Banning #childrensbookillustration @childrensbookcouncil #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #picturebooks #kidsbooks #parenting #positiveactions

This beautiful and wonderful book should belong at every library, and home. Book banning is a serious issue and this book explains to young readers the importance of speaking up and defending the books you want to read. I would have totally been friends with our protagonist Paige. Every Monday she makes sure to announce how important Library Day is.

Until they encounter Ms. Vicky, and she wants to get rid of all the lime books. Without hesitation, Paige and her friends rally to ensure they get to choose what they want to read. Loved the illustrations and of course the message. Having my own personal library gives me such joy to have books accessible to my daughter, who absolutely devours books just like me.

I love this simple story that shows how irrational book banning is. When a few people get to decide what everyone reads, it just doesn't make sense, because they choose their preference. I saw a recent book ban at a school where a book was taken off the shelves permanently because the author talked about feeling different because she had red hair. That's an important lesson those kids are missing out on!

An easy to understand kid’s book about the senselessness of book banning. For something that can be challenging to explain, I so appreciate books that take a big current event and break it down. I am passionately against banning books. Sure, there are tons I find offensive and appalling, I simply don’t read them. I love the concept of explaining book banning and the idiocy involved in deciding to cut off access to literature.

The simplicity of the concept in “Down With Lime Books” makes it appropriate for any age. I love the fact that the villain of the story, Ms. Vicky (who looks like one of those moms for liberty hags) just shows up in the story by looming in a window being angry about children reading books, it feels very appropriate. It’s a cute and impactful story about why book banning makes no sense and why people should be left to choose for themselves what they wish to read.

I hope to see many more books that present big concepts in simple ways for young kids to grasp. Thank you Jan Zauzmer, Familius, and NetGalley for this ARC, please keep making books like this!

Book banning has become a huge issue in too many areas of our country. So many times children do not understand why adults want a book to be banned. They don’t understand the word “banned”. Zausmer has written a delightful rhyming story to help young children grasp the meaning of banning books. Using a color as the reason for removing the book makes it a logical choice for the young mind. I like the rhyming text, and how the issue is resolved.

I wish all book banning issues could be straightened out in the same manner. It is best for people to realize, if you don’t want to read a book, leave it on the shelf. If you don’t want your child to read it, then tell them not to check it out. Leave it there for someone else to read.

This delightfully gorgeous children's tale is fun, inspiring, and spot on! When a disgruntled adult decides Lime is an unacceptable shade for books, she forms a cabal of townspeople to not just "ban lime books," but actually steal them from the school library! 🥺 (Very reminiscent of a certain Southern Senator, and of Ray Bradbury's stunningly chilling FAHRENHEIT 451.)
But child readers won't take this irrational ban lying down, and inspirationally take immediate corrective action!

Down with lime books, is the what you see is what you get kind of book, this story is about a school where lime books are banned by some crazy mind, just because they do not like the lime hue.
This is an important book, at times likes this we need to stand up and do what is right, just as the little girl in this book.
I expected a bit more text and less illustrations, however the style is cute, I had a particular giggle when I saw Vicky, since its pretty much how I imagine book bans are handled.
Recommended to younglings of around 8 years, ( And to Vickies as well, so they might understand how they look like )

Thanks to netGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The lessons of “1984” and “Fahrenheit 451” are rendered kid-friendly and whimsical in the gem of a little book from Jan Zauzmer. As much a warning about censorship and groupthink as it is, the real treasure here is in teaching kids to believe in the power of their own voices. I LOVED this book!

I REALLY LOVED this book--from the storytelling to the clever rhymes and puns to the hilarious and adorable illustrations (I'm looking at you, page with the protest signs!). It gives children an idea behind the VERY REAL dangers of book banning and how insidious it can be.

While marketed for 3 to 5 years, I think that maybe the concept of book banning might go over some of the younger kids' heads.

I also wish that the book included *some* nuance. I'm not saying I would know how to accomplish that in a book for children so young, but I am saying that book banning is not as clear cut black, white, and lime--if you know what I mean. I wish there was a way to show that it's not just about the color of a book being banned, but more importantly, the censorship or erasure of people's stories, cultures, and experiences and the danger of cancellation without context.

Down with Lime Books! will be published September 23, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Familius, Jan Zauzmer (Author), and Blanca Millán (Illustrator) for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The title initially caught my attention. The illustrations inside were lovely.
Down with Lime Books! is an easy to understand (and enjoy) allegory for banned books.
Great for kids!

Book 132 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

What do we need?

The freedom to read!

The worst thing anyone can do is ban books. What a travesty!

Cleverly told impactful story with fantastic illustrations and such an important message.

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

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Thanks to Netgalley and Familius for the ARC of this!

We're doing a unit on banned books in our homeschool and this was a great introduction for my 8 year old!

A perfect analogy for kids about the ridiculous notion of book banning. The pictures are bright, engaging and it was fun to follow our cast of kids through the story. The words have an easy to read rhyming rhythm that made it fun to read out loud. Definitely one I will be picking up upon release for our home library.

What would happen in a world where books are banned based solely on their cover color? This picture book explores the idea of one person having the power to ban a book based on its cover color and the absurdity of this premise. Implied is how ridiculous it is to ban a book for whatever reason…. But this scathing satire is kid friendly, colorful, and vibrant! What a great way to empower kids and showcase ways to be little rebels against injustice. Highly recommend!

I was not expecting to find a children’s book about book banning but alas as our society is today, we do need to have a way to talk about it with kids. I loved how they approached the topic and used something kids expulsion understand while also including more mature language for all ages to enjoy. My toddler loved it and went to find all his green books afterward. Artwork was fun with good diversity on both sides of the argument. The rhyming made it so much more fun even for a rough topic. It felt like it ended kind of abruptly but otherwise a great conversation starter.

In Down with Lime Books!, Jan Zauzmer crafts a playful yet pointed picture book that wraps a deeply important issue—freedom of expression—inside pages of vivid rhymes, bold illustrations, and spirited resistance. What begins as a cheerful library brimming with books of every shade soon takes a turn, as lime-colored titles become the target of an odd and unsettling ban. But the children? They notice. They care. And they push back.

Blanca Millán’s illustrations burst with life—wide-eyed kids immersed in stories, clueless bystanders, and schemers with grumpy scowls. The visual contrast between joyful curiosity and fearful control sharpens the book’s central message.

Zauzmer's clever use of color as metaphor lets children grasp the concept of book banning without needing to decode heavy-handed explanations. Lime becomes more than a color—it stands in for anything someone decides is "too different," "too strange," or "not for kids." Though the rhyming text bounces with energy, it never masks the seriousness of the underlying theme.

What truly sets this book apart is the way it models resistance. The children don’t scream or fight—they investigate, gather, speak, and act with heart. They rally together to restore not just their books, but their freedom to choose. Educators and librarians, too, are beautifully honored here, portrayed as firm allies who refuse to cave under the pressure of fear and false morality.

A timely, courageous, and heartening read, *Down with Lime Books!* will make young readers giggle, think, and—perhaps most importantly—feel seen. It’s a story that nudges us all, gently but firmly, to stand up when someone says a certain story doesn’t belong.