This Is Not My Story

An innovative and fresh new picture book This is Not My Story is the debut children’s book of Ryan Uytdewilligen and illustrated by David Huyck.

The author of the story keeps putting their character into a story that just doesn’t seem to fit. After a LOT of trial and error, they finally come up with the perfect fit.

Ryan Uytdewilligen has captured everything that we need to remember about reading in this delightful picture book. In a comic style, the story takes readers through science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, mystery and romance in order to find gthe perfect fit for the character. It’s such an inspiring story for readers as we all try different genres to find the right fit. It’s a wonderful reminder that, as readers we are not going to love every book we start. Sometimes we won’t love it and we need to put it down and away. It’s alright to not finish a story if it doesn’t speak to you, just like the character in this book.

The book is a conversation between the character and the author, sort of breaking that fourth wall and inviting the reader into the conceit. It felt inspired by Melanie Watt’s hilarious Chester series.

I particularily loved how Ryan Uytdewilligen includes descriptions of different types of fictional stories as well as non fiction work that young readers will encounter in bookstores and libraries so they can decide which types of stories most appeal to them,

David Huyck’s illustrations bring this concept to life. The lively pictures and fun text bubbles give the story style. He does an amazing job of jumping genres thought out the book and making each little part feel authentic.