This is Not My Story by Ryan Uytdewilligen

Abstract

Reviewed by: This is Not My Story by Ryan Uytdewilligen April Spisak Uytdewilligen, Ryan This is Not My Story; illus. by David Huyck. Kids Can Press, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781525303432 $19.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 1-3 In this clever book that successfully plays around with dismantling the fourth wall and exploring all the best bits of metafiction, a boy and an author grapple with whose story is actually being told. The author has what they are sure are fantastic ideas for the boy's role, such as dragon-slayer, vampire victim, or kid going on a date. The unnamed boy has entirely different opinions about all of the ideas as they are presented rapid fire—no, absolutely not, gross, too weird, and most importantly, not the right story for our protagonist. The illustrator gets a nod for their key work in building this narration, and the visual impact of pages being crumpled or panels being ignored, wildly different color choices, and characters from other concepts creeping across into new plot ideas all add significant fun and depth. It's a happy ending for all involved, but this is a quintessential example of the journey being far more important than the destination. The pace is quick and bouncy, as the two discard topics and bicker about who should have more say in the story: the author or the main character? An accessible and engaging author's note explains what genres are in general, and which ones are represented in this book; the genre descriptions will likely inspire some literary deep dives into the ones most appealing to the listener. [End Page 309] Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois