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Let Me Finish!
When our young hero settles in to read, the last thing he wants is for some noisy animals to ruin the ending of the story.
But ruin it they do.
And as it turns out, the boy is quickly approaching a surprise ending of his own! Maybe he should have listened to the animals after all. . . .
This silly, timeless picturebook with a clever meta twist introduces debut author Minh L 's witty text and Isabel Roxas's eye-catching illustrations.
But ruin it they do.
And as it turns out, the boy is quickly approaching a surprise ending of his own! Maybe he should have listened to the animals after all. . . .
This silly, timeless picturebook with a clever meta twist introduces debut author Minh L 's witty text and Isabel Roxas's eye-catching illustrations.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2016
7 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Minh Lê
37 books231 followersMinh Lê is the author of Drawn Together illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat and Let Me Finish! (named an NPR Best Book of 2016) illustrated by Isabel Roxas (both published by Disney-Hyperion). He is also writing Green Lantern: Legacy, a graphic novel (illustrated by Andie Tong) for the new DC Comics middle grade imprint, DC Zoom. As a member of the kidlit consortium The Niblings, he writes about children's literature at Bottom Shelf Books and for a variety of publications, including the New York Times, The Horn Book, and HuffPost.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
December 14, 2019
This is the perfect book for all readers who hate spoilers and who appreciate reading without interruptions or distractions. I identified with the boy.
I loved this book and its illustrations.
Fun, creative story with a great ending, great for book lovers, and I think all ages readers/listeners might be amused. I was. I knew the ending before it was revealed but that didn’t diminish how much I was entertained by it.
The illustrations are tremendous fun and I loved the colors used and the art style.
The only reason I’m not giving this book 5 stars is that it felt a bit slight for that, but the premise and the pictures are 5 star worthy for me. 4-1/2 stars
I loved this book and its illustrations.
Fun, creative story with a great ending, great for book lovers, and I think all ages readers/listeners might be amused. I was. I knew the ending before it was revealed but that didn’t diminish how much I was entertained by it.
The illustrations are tremendous fun and I loved the colors used and the art style.
The only reason I’m not giving this book 5 stars is that it felt a bit slight for that, but the premise and the pictures are 5 star worthy for me. 4-1/2 stars
June 29, 2016
This book would be perfect for the beginning of the year to show students how NOT to give a book talk!
Read
June 26, 2016There is not a reader among readers who has not done this. It can happen almost any time of the day. You move with the stealth of a ninja seeking a place of solitude; a secret of all secret nooks. You have to start this one important book getting lots of buzz or you have to finish the final two chapters of an edge-of-your-seat title. You have no control over this desire. This is simply the way it is.
Since the beginning of the printed word, book nerds and readers, this challenge has been and continues to be an arduous task. Let Me Finish! (Disney Hyperion, June 7, 2016) written by debut picture book author Minh Le with illustrations by Isabel Roxas follows an avid reader on a quest for quiet. We all know how troublesome this can be.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
Since the beginning of the printed word, book nerds and readers, this challenge has been and continues to be an arduous task. Let Me Finish! (Disney Hyperion, June 7, 2016) written by debut picture book author Minh Le with illustrations by Isabel Roxas follows an avid reader on a quest for quiet. We all know how troublesome this can be.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
November 28, 2019
A young boy searches in vain for a spot where he can enjoy a book uninterrupted in this charming debut picture-book from Minh Lê. But every time he thinks he has succeeded, he discovers that nearby animals are ready and willing (eager, even) to comment on his reading selection, and their own reactions to it. Finally, in desperation, he flees before them, only to confront the dinosaur (of which he had been warned) at the end of the book...
In this age of internet book reviewing, in which much attention is paid and concern expressed at the idea of 'spoilers' - here on LibraryThing we use html to hide spoilers - Let Me Finish strikes me as a picture-book response to the current trend of readers demanding that they be protected from any accidental exposure to fore-knowledge of a book's defining episodes or (most importantly) conclusion. For my part, although I strive to avoid 'spoiling' a book for other readers, I do sometimes grow weary of the idea that it is my responsibility to protect others from knowledge that they'd prefer not to obtain, rather than their responsibility to avoid those venues and experiences (such as book reviewing sites) that might lessen their reading pleasure. Howsoever that may be, I found this an entertaining meta-fictional tale, one which amused me with its references (intentional or not, I am unsure) to contemporary book reviewing and discussion culture. The conclusion, in which , was a nice touch, and perhaps a clue as to the author's ideas of how readers should behave (i.e.: simply become absorbed in their book and ignore all else). The accompanying illustrations by Filipino artist Isabel Roxas are just as fun as the story they complement, adding to the madcap sense of fun. Recommended to anyone looking for meta-fictional picture-books in which the reading process is emphasized.
In this age of internet book reviewing, in which much attention is paid and concern expressed at the idea of 'spoilers' - here on LibraryThing we use html to hide spoilers - Let Me Finish strikes me as a picture-book response to the current trend of readers demanding that they be protected from any accidental exposure to fore-knowledge of a book's defining episodes or (most importantly) conclusion. For my part, although I strive to avoid 'spoiling' a book for other readers, I do sometimes grow weary of the idea that it is my responsibility to protect others from knowledge that they'd prefer not to obtain, rather than their responsibility to avoid those venues and experiences (such as book reviewing sites) that might lessen their reading pleasure. Howsoever that may be, I found this an entertaining meta-fictional tale, one which amused me with its references (intentional or not, I am unsure) to contemporary book reviewing and discussion culture. The conclusion, in which , was a nice touch, and perhaps a clue as to the author's ideas of how readers should behave (i.e.: simply become absorbed in their book and ignore all else). The accompanying illustrations by Filipino artist Isabel Roxas are just as fun as the story they complement, adding to the madcap sense of fun. Recommended to anyone looking for meta-fictional picture-books in which the reading process is emphasized.
August 20, 2016
Our young narrator is just settling down with a book when others spoil it for him. Then it happens again! He searches for the perfect reading spot, a place where someone won't come along and spoil the ending for him. Let Me Finish! can spark discussion among emerging readers about their own reading lives and preferences. The ending is particularly clever, but ... no spoilers here!
June 19, 2016
Love this as a mentor text for my kiddos when teaching how to book talk...don't spoil the ending!
February 14, 2017
I really liked this, but I think it would have been better without the surrealish ending (whoops, I hope I didn't spoil the book for you!)...
This book is about a boy who leaves from his noisy home and goes to the nearby forest to enjoy a wonderful story in wonderful silence. But... Three birds have read the same book and they tell him what will happen in the book!! Ah, so tragic! I know the feeling. So the boy goes and gets another book and another and another... But the animals always spoil all the fun.
Luckily this book has a good dose of humour, otherwise it would have been quite irritating. And I would really love to read those stories that they were talking about! :D It actually made me feel like I'd like to read lots of books - right now! - and that's always a good thing. At least for a library. ;)
This book is about a boy who leaves from his noisy home and goes to the nearby forest to enjoy a wonderful story in wonderful silence. But... Three birds have read the same book and they tell him what will happen in the book!! Ah, so tragic! I know the feeling. So the boy goes and gets another book and another and another... But the animals always spoil all the fun.
Luckily this book has a good dose of humour, otherwise it would have been quite irritating. And I would really love to read those stories that they were talking about! :D It actually made me feel like I'd like to read lots of books - right now! - and that's always a good thing. At least for a library. ;)
December 7, 2019
This is a charming picture book about a young reader who desperately wants to avoid spoilers. The story conflict amused me very much, and I enjoyed the meta twist. I won't say anything else about it, though, because SPOILERS.
June 7, 2016
Good outrageous silliness about a young boy's attempt to finish reading a book relentlessly thwarted by assorted critters.
July 29, 2016
This is such a fun book to read aloud to kids.
June 6, 2016
Cute story about a boy loving books and hating spoilers. Everyone hates spoilers. The best part was the illustrations; adorable, colourful, expressive style. The story was so-so, not much going on. Great cover design.
August 11, 2016
As advertised, a great choice for talking about independent reading and sharing with your community of readers without spoiling things. Some good moments for young readers to make predictions too.
September 28, 2016
With its colorfully eye-catching and engaging cover, exuberant endpages, and enthusiastic speech bubbles, Let Me Finish! thrums with an energy that practically propels the book into young readers’ hands.
Our unnamed protagonist is a reader extraordinaire. Sure, his over-sized red eyeglasses are one clue, but so is his broad, contented smile as he settles under a tree to enjoy his new book in peace and quiet. Alas! Three jabbering birds swoop down to chatter enthusiastically about the book’s ending, thus spoiling the surprise for our hero. He politely asks them to hold their commentary next time until he’s done, and heads home to select a different title - one he’s “been meaning to read forever.”
This time it’s a bear who pops in, revealing the ending much to the reader’s consternation. And those pesky birds are back too, chirping in with even more spoilers. “Oh no!” moans our hero, who returns home and joyfully discovers that a new book has just been delivered to his front door. Will he finally be able to read in peace, or does someone spill the beans once again?
Let Me Finish! is a real page turner, enticing us to keep flipping and uncover what will happen next. With increasing text size and ever-bolder page spreads, it cleverly depicts the mounting angst of the young reader who just wants to enjoy his books. The zany menagerie of talking birds and beasts is a color-filled fantasy, unbound by rules of geography, gravity or nature. It’s a wacky, delightful dilemma for the boy, who demonstrates superhero skills and determination to finish his story.
Roxas’ vivid, softly textured images are tightly woven with Le’s text and packed with detail. Words written with a scribbly crayon effect add greatly to the kid-appeal, as does the variety of cartoony chase spreads that never become monotonous. There’s a meta-twist or two at the end to keep young ones musing about the story within a story and invites re-reading from multiple perspectives.
You might want to read Let Me Finish! on your own, but it would certainly be a good one to share with friends. Just don’t give away the ending!
Our unnamed protagonist is a reader extraordinaire. Sure, his over-sized red eyeglasses are one clue, but so is his broad, contented smile as he settles under a tree to enjoy his new book in peace and quiet. Alas! Three jabbering birds swoop down to chatter enthusiastically about the book’s ending, thus spoiling the surprise for our hero. He politely asks them to hold their commentary next time until he’s done, and heads home to select a different title - one he’s “been meaning to read forever.”
This time it’s a bear who pops in, revealing the ending much to the reader’s consternation. And those pesky birds are back too, chirping in with even more spoilers. “Oh no!” moans our hero, who returns home and joyfully discovers that a new book has just been delivered to his front door. Will he finally be able to read in peace, or does someone spill the beans once again?
Let Me Finish! is a real page turner, enticing us to keep flipping and uncover what will happen next. With increasing text size and ever-bolder page spreads, it cleverly depicts the mounting angst of the young reader who just wants to enjoy his books. The zany menagerie of talking birds and beasts is a color-filled fantasy, unbound by rules of geography, gravity or nature. It’s a wacky, delightful dilemma for the boy, who demonstrates superhero skills and determination to finish his story.
Roxas’ vivid, softly textured images are tightly woven with Le’s text and packed with detail. Words written with a scribbly crayon effect add greatly to the kid-appeal, as does the variety of cartoony chase spreads that never become monotonous. There’s a meta-twist or two at the end to keep young ones musing about the story within a story and invites re-reading from multiple perspectives.
You might want to read Let Me Finish! on your own, but it would certainly be a good one to share with friends. Just don’t give away the ending!
November 6, 2016
A fun story about a young reader trying to finish a book without having the ending spoiled. This is a great way to introduce the concept of "spoilers" and clearly shows how frustrating it can be for readers who want to experience the ending independently. But this is more than the obvious lesson. Observant readers will notice the metafiction elements as the boy attempts to flee the spoilers. A clever picture book that will invite rereading.
August 1, 2017
Thumbs up. This book's got adorable illustrations, a possibly Asian main character where the point of the story isn't about his Asian-ness, and a funny, relatable to any book lover story line. There's lots of meta "how books work" books for kids, and this is a nice one in that vein. I could see fans of Elephant and Piggie or Please Open This Book being similarly amused by this. It would be a fun one to read with a first or second grader.
September 22, 2016
Cute little book about a boy who wants to read a book, but the ending keeps getting spoiled by all the animals around him. He has to take drastic measures to finally enjoy a book without being interrupted.
August 21, 2019
Great pictures! It has the opportunity to give children the idea that each person has their own personal experiences with the book they read and to not ruin it for the others! Definitely a book that has the ability to make children laugh. :)
July 24, 2016
Perfect book to share with my students in August. A nice reminder that no one likes someone who spoils a story!
July 7, 2016
Loved this! Another picture book to add to my collection someday.
July 29, 2016
Haha! Should have had Charlotte read this before we wrote our HILO review. ;)
September 25, 2016
Great reminder for those who purposely or inadvertently give away the ending! Be sure to look at the case and jacket flaps for more silly fun.
Read
December 2, 2016Super cute story about a boy trying to finish a book but everyone is ruining the ending.
June 16, 2017
What a charming story! It captures the love of reading and the excitement about reading a new book and have someone give away too much of the plot. Can't wait to share it with my students.
February 26, 2018
In case you don't make it to the end of this book about spoilers, let me spoil it for you: He gets absorbed by the book he's reading. Weird ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2022
I’ve seen this book a bunch of times online, and I finally got it from the library and read it to George. It is a fun story about people spoiling books you read. Like George, my class would have no clue what was going on, so while I like this author and I think it’s a fun idea for a story, I won’t bring this to school.
August 28, 2020
This was pretty clever to both my 5 year old reader and me :)
December 31, 2018
2018 children’s book award finalist from Goodreads reading list. We thought it would be fun to read a few of the books from the award list and deliver our thoughts.
…or not… So, it’s good to really look at the title of the book before just blindly checking it out. Minh Le has a book up for the 2018 Goodreads Award. I went to my library, searched the name, and checked out a book by this author. Turns out it wasn’t the right book. Oh well, I guess live-and-learn?
This is a book my seven-year-old daughter, Jovie, read to me. Her review will follow.
I thought this book was ok. It was short and easy to read for my daughter. It’s cute, I guess. It had some decent words for my daughter’s vocabulary and spelling, but not too challenging. 2.5 stars from me.
Jovie’s rating: 5 stars
Jovie’s review:
What was the book about?
It was about this kid and he wanted to read these books that he gets. But, a lot of animals keep interrupting him.
What was your favorite part of the story?
When he climbed on the dinosaur.
What did you not like about the story?
Nothing.
Tell me about the characters.
A rhinoceros, the kid, the birds, the bear, the dinosaur, a giraffe.
What kind of book is it?
A good book. A picture book.
Tell me about the illustrations/drawings.
They’re good. Really good.
Did you like the book? Why or why not?
Yes. Because the animals didn’t let him finish. It was funny.
Did some parts make you laugh?
Yes, when they kept interrupting him.
What kind of people would like this book?
Everyone.
…or not… So, it’s good to really look at the title of the book before just blindly checking it out. Minh Le has a book up for the 2018 Goodreads Award. I went to my library, searched the name, and checked out a book by this author. Turns out it wasn’t the right book. Oh well, I guess live-and-learn?
This is a book my seven-year-old daughter, Jovie, read to me. Her review will follow.
I thought this book was ok. It was short and easy to read for my daughter. It’s cute, I guess. It had some decent words for my daughter’s vocabulary and spelling, but not too challenging. 2.5 stars from me.
Jovie’s rating: 5 stars
Jovie’s review:
What was the book about?
It was about this kid and he wanted to read these books that he gets. But, a lot of animals keep interrupting him.
What was your favorite part of the story?
When he climbed on the dinosaur.
What did you not like about the story?
Nothing.
Tell me about the characters.
A rhinoceros, the kid, the birds, the bear, the dinosaur, a giraffe.
What kind of book is it?
A good book. A picture book.
Tell me about the illustrations/drawings.
They’re good. Really good.
Did you like the book? Why or why not?
Yes. Because the animals didn’t let him finish. It was funny.
Did some parts make you laugh?
Yes, when they kept interrupting him.
What kind of people would like this book?
Everyone.
August 9, 2020
Each time the main character starts reading, animals gather around and tell about the ending.
July 19, 2016
A good-hearted, hilarious children's book.
I love a good children's book. I was so excited when I got this book. This book may be one of the cutest children's book ever. Yes, I realize I say this every time I review a children's book. I love them, what can I say. This book will keep your child engaged, as well as yourself. Teaching kids early on the spoilers to books are the worst.
When a little boy wants to read, the book has been dying to dive into, he goes out into the woods. Unfortunately, every animal in the world wants to give the ending way! How cruel! Everyone at any age can relate to being spoiled on a book. The book has a good moral, and the ending is dynamite.
That brings me to my favorite thing about Let Me Finish! The illustrations are so good. The colors are so vivid and pop off the page. The pages are full of interesting detail, and will keep a child entertained for awhile.
This book will teach children, good boundaries and learn to respect people. This will teach your child not to spoil books. ( something more people need to do). It also has a range vocabulary that will challenge your child and encourage development.
Disclaimer-I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love a good children's book. I was so excited when I got this book. This book may be one of the cutest children's book ever. Yes, I realize I say this every time I review a children's book. I love them, what can I say. This book will keep your child engaged, as well as yourself. Teaching kids early on the spoilers to books are the worst.
When a little boy wants to read, the book has been dying to dive into, he goes out into the woods. Unfortunately, every animal in the world wants to give the ending way! How cruel! Everyone at any age can relate to being spoiled on a book. The book has a good moral, and the ending is dynamite.
That brings me to my favorite thing about Let Me Finish! The illustrations are so good. The colors are so vivid and pop off the page. The pages are full of interesting detail, and will keep a child entertained for awhile.
This book will teach children, good boundaries and learn to respect people. This will teach your child not to spoil books. ( something more people need to do). It also has a range vocabulary that will challenge your child and encourage development.
Disclaimer-I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 5, 2018
We picked this book out from the library because it is one of the Sunshine State Young Readers books for 2017-2018 school year. I think Let Me Finish! is a fun and very entertaining story. It seems like Spoilers are a big part of the entertainment world these days. It is easy to get spoiled for books, movies and TV shows. I have heard my two girls talk about not trying not to spoil things for their dad when we watch Disney movies we've already seen, but he hasn't. So it is pretty easy to relate to the main character in Let Me Finish!.
This story is about a young boy that just wants to finish reading his books without being told what is going to happen. But every place he goes to read, there is an animal ready to tell him what happens at the end of the book.
Let Me Finish! is laugh out loud funny. My 6 year old couldn't stop laughing. It kept our attention to the very end. This book had an unique twist ending that we didn't see coming. I'm very glad that we read this book, in fact I read it with my 6 year old a few times before we turned it back in to the library. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
This review, as well as, Cutie Pie and Cutie Pie #2's thoughts can be found on my blog: My Bookish Itinerary
This story is about a young boy that just wants to finish reading his books without being told what is going to happen. But every place he goes to read, there is an animal ready to tell him what happens at the end of the book.
Let Me Finish! is laugh out loud funny. My 6 year old couldn't stop laughing. It kept our attention to the very end. This book had an unique twist ending that we didn't see coming. I'm very glad that we read this book, in fact I read it with my 6 year old a few times before we turned it back in to the library. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
This review, as well as, Cutie Pie and Cutie Pie #2's thoughts can be found on my blog: My Bookish Itinerary
Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews