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.

I really love the message of this book. As an avid reader, it is an important message. The artwork is great. I love the diversity of people and the vibrant colors. The rhyming in the story got a bit twisty in some places and maybe hard for young children and young readers to follow. Overall, I think this book may be a little hard for children to follow.

An unfortunately very timely picture book to help children understand book bans. In ways as it is kind of a bit fun as it displays how truly ridiculous most of these book ban crusades have been, based off little to no reason. The book fully captures the insanity of the reality of these situations.

This is a timely and lighthearted, while not trivial, introduction to the concept of book banning for kids; something which they may likely already have some experience with in their schools and/or libraries, and at younger ages. The use of distinctively colored books as a target makes the subject accessible for young readers while also serving as an open-ended metaphor for a myriad of topics. Scenes of the children completely engrossed in the books that they read and their determination to fight back against the violation of their library (literally taking the situation into their own little hands) will encourage young readers. I love the book's positive portrayal of educators and librarians, who stand up for the children's right to access what they want in the library and refuse to back down in face of the book banners' loudness.


Even in its short length, the book does exceptionally well in showing the stubbornness and irrationality of those in favor of book banning, particularly in the way that the bullies invade the library space and make a mess. Even when other adults offer a compromise of allowing people to make their own choices about what they do and don't want to read, this isn't good enough for the bullies, as they want EVERYONE to follow their ideas whether they like it or not. In this way, the book also shows the importance of choice, as well as the difference between making decisions that help people versus forcing others to do something just because. This is an insightful storytelling choice as it shows children that there are some people who simply can't be reasoned with because they simply aren't interested in working with others and playing fairly. Parents and caregivers can also talk with their children about why they think the angry lime-haters don't want these books available, or why their presence makes them so upset, as well as how this mindset is wrong and that ALL colors of books are important and should be made available in the library.

Although the rhyming scheme can help move the story along, I don't think that it was absolutely necessary for this book and believe it would have worked just as well with plain text. Nonetheless, this was an engaging read, and the depiction of these happy bookworm kids warmed my heart. This is a good way to jumpstart conversations with children about what they're witnessing around them, and to remind them that what they feel about the books that they love matters, because they have a voice, too.



Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Familius, for this DRC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved this lively picture book. This new spin on book bans that gives us an example that makes it easy to draw parallels for little readers to other forms of discrimination and persecution.
The rhyming text and colorful illustrations will have littles laughing while learning about why we should not judge a book by its color.

This is a simplistic view of book bans. The sing-songy rhyming text makes this book appealing to young readers. The theme of peacefully standing up for your beliefs results in a happy ending where book bans are overcome. Although I like the message of this book, the language feels divisive as the people on the opposite side of the argument are drawn with angry, mean faces.

Down with Lime Books! highlights just how silly book banning is and how one person's opinion shouldn't affect the freedom to read for everyone else. This is an easy to understand book for kids to help them understand why books might be disappearing from their schools. I think the real heroes in this story, and in real life, are the librarians standing up for the kids, but this book shows that kids' voices matter too. I will be recommending this to every librarian I know.

This was an enjoyable read for me. I felt that this is such a great way to introduce the concept of book banning for kids. The story itself is light and a little silly, but it allows parents, caregivers, and educators to lead into a more important discussion of book banning (which is a silly thing anyway!).

The story is about Paige and her book-loving friends facing the threat of censorship from a group that wants to ban lime-green books. It covers censorship, protests, and the importance of speaking out. The book itself would make a great read aloud. The illustrations are fun, vibrant and even engaging. I love how the book integrates a mini search-and-find when the kids are looking for all the lime green books to return to their library.

What I appreciate most about this book is its empowering message. It encourages kids to stand up for their right to read and to appreciate the diversity of stories available to them. The theme of defending freedom of expression is particularly relevant today, making this book not only entertaining but also educational. I personally thing it would be a great addition to any library.

Down With Lime Books! is a children's picture book that I was able to read an ARC version of, thanks to NetGalley.
This book is a great age-appropriate way to introduce children to book-banning. The plot revolves around how Paige and her class have fun picking books. Then having to team up as a class with some adults to recover the lime coloured books hidden by someone who thinks lime coloured books shouldn't be on the shelf, because "they are weird" and removing them helps "control what you think". The story shows how even a small act of defiance can win and keep books on shelves.
I 100% love this book and find it's a great way to introduce children to book banning and would re-read it!

I really enjoyed this book and its message. I think books like these are so important for children to read, especially in a time of such controversy and issues arising regarding book banning and censorship in schools, as well other topics such as LGBTQ+ rights or Black Lives Matter. I think that while this is meant to explain book banning to kids, I think it can be viewed a metaphor for many other things. I know for myself, it's mention of the rainbow and not wanting the colour lime green because it's "weird" made me think immediately of the ongoing issues across North America with pronoun policies and anti-LGBTQ rules being put into place in schools that prevent children from talking, reading or learning about any LGBTQ+ content/topics. While it doesn't explicitly suggest that, I do think that it can help kids be more accepting of things that are "different" from them and recognize how important it is for them to be included and allowed a space within the school environment. Furthermore, while kids may not understand the deeper meanings and the book's metaphor of lime books, the message of standing up for fair treatment and rights is very evident and can help to create a generation of kids who stand up against people who try to silence, marginalize or censor others. The illustrations were also great and helped to convey this message. As a teacher, I would definitely be interested in having a physical copy of this book to read in my classroom!

The only thing I would say is that there is a lot of text on the pages that can be daunting to them, so only older children would likely read this on their own or children who have an adult to help them.

Thank you to the publishing company Familius and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own!

"What do we need? Freedom to read!"
A surprisingly bold and timely book—presenting a very adult issue through the lens of a children’s story. What if someone decided that all books with green covers were dangerous, unhealthy, and had to be removed from libraries? It's a clear metaphor, and the message hits hard: today’s “green covers” could mean anything—or anyone. A powerful way to start age-appropriate conversations with young readers about censorship, human rights, and the troubling direction some societies (including America) seem to be heading.

This was super adorable and a great way to begin teaching kids about banned books! My 2.5 yo liked it. The illustrations were vibrant and interesting- this is most ideal for ages 3-5 I’d say, it lost my toddler a bit at the end! Very cute though and definitely worth adding to your shelf!

An approachable story about lime books being stolen from a local library, and what Paige and her friends do to stop it.
The illustrations in this book are lovely and you'd notice something new with each re-read. I like that the book made children the hero, encouraging them to stand up and be activists. It also showed that there are adults in their corner fighting alongside them, something that some children's books completely ignore. It would be a great conversation starter with young children about the topic of book bans and why it's important to have a range of different books in libraries.
Might be nit-picking, but to me it wasn't clear if there was ever an official ban put into place, as Vicky's group stole the books overnight and Vicky isn't said to be a politician or working at the school, and yet Paige says they were banned later in the book and the Mayor "ended' the ban. To me it seems more like a group taking things into their own hands rather than an outright capital-b Ban. (But this could also be a difference between UK and US politics).
Overall a very relevant and hopeful book for children to learn from and ask questions about.

This is a great book that is an age-appropriate way to teach kids about book banning. The number one thing that I like about this book is I truly believe that it will inspire young readers to take action against book bans and stand firm in their right to read. The way the author translated a real-world issue into a kids' book was impressive and utterly flawless. I have no doubt that this story will make total sense to its entire audience. Lastly, the detail of the illustrations was phenomenal! They were so impressive and vivid that they pull readers into the story, and readers feel completely involved in the book that they're reading. This is an all-around perfect and impressive book; bravo!

Thank you so much to Jan Zauzmer, the author, Blanca Millan, the illustrator, Familius, and NetGalley for the opportunity to be able to read Down with Lime Books. I will share my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble upon release.

In this important tale told in whimsical rhyme, a group of citizens who hate "lime colored books" heads to the local school to express their discontent with the presence of these books in the school library. Considering the relevance of book banning in our schools and society, this is a great way to introduce children to activism, standing up for their rights to free speech and free press, and organizing for collective action for change. I loved the way the book ended, and I really liked the adorable art and full page pictures of the town. This story will definitely encourage children to stand up for themselves and others in ways that are positive and effective, and protect education and access to information for everyone. The cover is definitely attention grabbing, with the bright yellow caution tape across the front and the blurb "A Story About Book Banning," which gives you a clear indication of what the book is focused on. I would recommend this book for any child's library, but I think would also make great additions to school libraries, class libraries, etc., considering all children may not have access to these kinds of messages at home, depending. I loved it!

Major themes:

- Activism/Collective Action/Protesting
- Book Banning
- Expressing Yourself Clearly and Respectfully
- School library
- Access to free education and information

4.3/5 stars!

Remember kids, make sure you read the books they don't want you to read, because that's where the important stuff is!

I love the message and the rhyming. The illustrations are bright and colorful. Some of the text was a bit hard to read due to the lack of contrast, but in print this may not be an issue.

This was a good introduction to the concept of book banning. I liked the rhyming cadence of it, which will make it a nice read-aloud. The illustrations were also nice and colorful. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley!

A very important message in Down with Lime Books by Jan Zauzmer. I enjoyed the rhyming text and how it handles the intensity of book bans and talks about the importance of kids having the choice to read what age-appropriate book they want to read. The illustrations by Blanca Millan are bright, beautiful, expressive and show much diversity throughout the spreads. I really liked reading this book and would recommend librarians, teachers and parents to pick it up for their kids!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.