Best-selling author B.J. Novak has a very specific target audience for his latest book — kids three years old and younger.
Novak's The Little Book with No Pictures, is a board book with a similar structure to his book "The Book with No Pictures," which was released in 2014. The original received strong feedback from parents praising it for allowing children the opportunity to see adults acting silly — and gives adults permission to do so.
Following the success of The Book with No Pictures, Novak was inspired to rework the book's concept specifically for toddlers.
"I felt like my book wouldn't work for them," Novak explained in an interview with Morning Edition. "That made me think, I'd love to do the same idea but for really little kids with a different energy."
Novak says this younger audience is more likely to react to connections between language and symbols or art, rather than the words themselves.
"It's a cozier book, it's a sweeter book," Novak said. "It's silly but it's not as outrageous."
While speaking with NPR's Michel Martin, Novak discussed the inspiration behind his children's books, his hesitation to write more and what's missing in modern childhood.
Listen to the full interview by clicking the blue play button above.
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