Banning books is downright dangerous—and if you manage to make it to the end of this book, you might just find out why.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of P Is for Pterodactyl Raj Haldar comes a delightfully silly and irreverant new picture book that underscores the importance of sharing ideas.

This is a book about dinosaurs. No it’s not. Dinosaurs are not allowed.

Oh. This is now a book about avocados! Sorry. We deleted those too.

FINE. This book is about—nope! Forbidden! BANNED!

Maybe you shouldn’t even try reading this book…But what could possibly be inside?

Discover just what happens when ideas are erased instead of expressed with this hilarious picture book romp that kids (and grown-ups) will want to read over and over again

"Well done and adorably funny... a really great introduction to the subject of banned books for little ones." -- Youth Services Book Review, STARRED review

"Haldar and Patton employ absurdist hijinks to explore the practice of book banning... By story's end, readers will likely have had at least one beloved subject ousted--potentially prompting conversation about real-world events." -- Publishers Weekly

"A zany, fourth wall-breaking exploration of book banning." -- Kirkus Reviews

Raj Haldar is the author of the #1 New York Times Bestselling picture book, P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever. But, for close to a decade, he has been better known as Lushlife, the rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. In that time, he's amassed a fervent global fanbase and released award-winning viral music videos that highlight his erudite lyrics. The Sunday New York Times describes his work as "an intoxicating mix of captivating rhymes with audacious, gorgeous production." So it should come as no surprise that Haldar has made the leap into the world of children's literature. His latest book entitled, This Book is Banned gives young readers a lighthearted entrypoint to begin understanding the dangers of book banning and censorship. His work has been featured by The Washington Post, Interview Magazine, VICE, Pitchfork, Village Voice, Mental Floss, BBC, SPIN and more!

Raj currently lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife and two young daughters.

A Note from Raj Haldar

While book bans are nothing new, according to the ALA, the number of attempts to challenge or ban books quite literally doubled in 2022. Seeing educators on the frontlines, defending our communities against this growing threat to our fundamental rights, is why I was compelled to create This Book is Banned.

In recent years, we’ve seen an alarming number of picture books in the crosshairs of folks who want to control the diversity of perspectives available to kids. I felt like it was more important than ever to make a picture book that gives young readers a light-hearted entry point to understand and conceptualize book banning and its effect on society.

I hope you’ll find that the odd-ball humor and kooky, fourth-wall breaking style of This Book is Banned has you instantly hooked. From there, the surprise ending presents a terrific opportunity to engage in a dialogue with kids (and adults!) about the very serious dangers of book banning and censorship on their own lives.

As we know, picture books can be a valuable tool to start important conversations with children about difficult or uncomfortable topics. By removing these books from shelves, we are effectively preventing these conversations from taking place and perpetuating ignorance and intolerance. I’m hoping This Book is Banned can play a small part to help spark discussion in homes and classrooms around the country (and a whole lot of giggles, too!).