Literary Critters: William Shakesbear’s Journey for Inspiration is a fun read for literature-loving families. William Shakesbear is short on inspiration for his newest writing endeavor, so he sets out to solicit ideas from his literary critter friends.

This journey is rich with puns, as each critter’s name is a play on a famous writer’s name. There are also numerous references to the specific writings and/or the types of writing each author is known for.

This is probably one of those books that will be appreciated more fully by Mom and Dad than by the young reader, since the average picture book reader probably isn’t yet familiar with most of these writers. However, it’s a fun and playful way to introduce young readers to them, preemptively creating some familiarity that will result in delighted recognition down the road.

It also provides subtle encouragement to the reader to write.

The illustrations in this particular book are not what I would describe as “beautiful,” but they have a whimsical quirkiness that’s well-suited to the style of the story.

Find it at Zonderkidz and/or Amazon.