This Book Is Banned: A Hilarious Picture Book about Censorship and Free Speech

This article first appeared in the NY Journal of Books on 26 Sep 2023.

Raj Haldar, author of the #1 New York Timesbestselling picture book P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever has released his next picture book entitled This Book Is Banned; and it is sure to make everyone but the most hardened book banners chuckle with appreciation.

Let’s face it. Without their caretakers' insistent input, most children do not know that books are being made unavailable to them at their schools. It’s debatable whether adult caretakers who oppose book bans even want them to. But the adult-child combination who reads This Book Is Banned together will have fun discussing the issue of “banning” in the hypothetical, thanks to the busy and engaging illustrations and text that await them.

Strongly reminiscent of The Monster at the End of This Book — which was written in 1971 by Jon Stone, illustrated by Mike Smolin, published by Golden Press, and sold 2 million copies during its first year of publication—This Book Is Banned entices the reader and young listener to turn each page with playful taunts and “turn here” (or don’t) signs that encourage reading.

As with The Monster at the End of this Book, which School Library Journal now ranks number ten among its "Top 100 Picture Books,” children and adults alike will get a kick out of This Book Is Banned. Young children will want you to read it to them over and over again. What’s more, they’ll be happy to flip through the busy sketches by themselves, every time exposing themselves to the words on the signs therein.

Like Duck for President by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin or syndicated comic strips like Bil Keane’s Family Circus, parents who purchase This Book Is Banned will enjoy the (often rare) feeling of being engaged as adults while engaging their young children.

Raj Haldar is not shy with his intentions. A brief and simple introduction before the book’s title page explains that “banning books is downright dangerous and if you make it to the end of this book, you might just find out why.”