“No Books for Benjamin?” by R.G. de Rouen

No Books for Benjamin?

R.G. de Rouen
Globetrotter Stories (2025)
ISBN: 978-1965873014
Reviewed by Elizabeth Upshur for Reader Views (01/2026)

R.G. de Rouen’s No Books for Benjamin? is an absolute delight. I was hooked from the very first page! I’ve read hundreds of books for kids, and it is always a pleasure to see them spoken to with narratives that are relevant, humorous, and drawn in such striking detail. Our story opens with Benjamin the bookworm, who lives at a library. That’s a good thing, because he loves reading books, especially the new books that come to the library. He loves reading about strange and wonderful places and having all sorts of adventures through reading.

But one day, there are no new books. Purple Dots–a thinly veiled disease akin to Covid-19–has shuttered the library, which means there are no books coming in, and no books going out to entertain children. Can the insects in the library band together and help sanitize and deliver books to the children in town? Finish this fantastic story and see if they do!

Uliana Barabash’s illustrations are wonderful! Her vivid purples and greens are eye-catching, and her line work is delightfully reminiscent of childhood favorite, Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. All of the insects are rendered with care, attention, and come across as sweet characters you’d want to meet, from the ladybug to the ants to our hero Benjamin, and the lovely librarian Ms. Nicolas.

I love how de Rouen showed that everyone who is willing to help in a situation can be helpful, regardless of their size or strength. He manages to do this without being preachy and instead offers a moment of humor in demonstrating this. There is such a love for reading that permeates this book, from the ants reading as they walk with books, to each and every adventure that Benjamin goes on in space, underwater, on safari, etc.

As an avid reader throughout my childhood, I would have loved this book, and I’m excited to share it with the littles in my life aged 4-7, although I think this could absolutely be read to younger ages, and read by any age. No Books for Benjamin? is the second book in the Benjamin and Friends series, and a must-read for children who love insects, libraries, and the worldbuilding power of literature. One of my favorite books of 2026 so far!