""Censor bars gradually fill the pages of this bleak, self-referential exploration of book banning.... Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones." (Publishers Weekly) (!!!) [Censor bars: Places where censors go to wind down after a long, hard day of censoring.]
"This new book is a dark and honest parable about book banning.... Sadly, this is not a book for classroom or school libraries." (Children's Literature Review) (Compare this sentiment to removals of books from classroom and school libraries in Florida....)
"'Banned Book' radiates a kind of cold fury. Gary Kelley’s social-realistic artwork, combined with Jonah Winter’s text — dramatically redacted, with words blacked out as if by a government censor—combine to present a picture of absolute evil in the motives of anyone who wishes to limit access to any book, for any reason." (Wall Street Journal) Read the review
From my letter to the editor in response to WSJ review: "Those who wish to protect children from that which is 'harmful' are the people I call 'censors'— whether they’re on the right or the left. Children don’t need to be protected from books. They need to be protected from guns, poverty, disease, social media and censorship." Read my letter to the editor
"The uptick in picture books about books being banned this year has been notable.... This latest from Winter & Kelley is a bit different. I found it particularly interesting since this is definitely the first time Winter has ever worked with the publisher known as The Creative Company." (School Library Journal, A Fuse 8 Production) Read the review
