Kids love defying the rules. So a book that tells them not to do something is sure to be a hit! We had the opportunity to check out this fun new book from B.C.R. Fegan about a magical hotel with tons of rooms that you can look in….and just one that you can’t.

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Don’t Ever Look Behind Door 32 was written by B.C.R. Fegan and illustrated by Lenny Wen. The magical Hotel of Hoo has rooms that are filled with all kinds of interesting creatures and mysteries. Nicholas Noo is the hotel’s mysterious host, and the narrator taking readers on a tour through all of the rooms. The illustrations show him escorting two young guests around the hotel, introducing them to all kinds of curious things as they count up the room numbers. However, he often reminds them that they should never look behind door 32.

The rhyming text is paired with colorful and imaginative illustrations, which bring to life the oddities housed within the hotel rooms. The increasingly odd inhabitants of the rooms leading up to 32 definitely entice the reader to find out what crazy thing might be found behind the forbidden door. This makes the simple conclusion even more entertaining.

What’s inside?

What’s Behind the Door? – This game is a simple one that leads to lots of laughs, while also encouraging kids to use their sense of touch. Cut 3 sides of a square into the side of a cardboard box, leaving a flap that you can put your hand through. Place an item inside the box, and encourage kids to put their hand through the flap. They have to use their sense of touch and their critical thinking skills to figure out what the item is. You can start with simple objects like a ball or a shirt, then move on to weirder textures such as cold spaghetti or play dough.

Creative Writing – Have kids use the odd inhabitants of the Hotel of Hoo to inspire their own ending to the story. Read the story up to room 31, then have kids write about what they think is hidden behind Door 32. With all of the magical inhabitants in the story, the sky is the limit when it comes to figuring out what is hidden behind the door. You could also have kids write about staying in the Hotel of Hoo themselves. What room would they want to stay in? Which of the creatures would they want to become friends with?

Can you find a match?

Counting Behind the Door – This book provides a fun way to practice math and counting skills. Create a deck of cards for a game of memory using this printable, or a stack of index cards. If you choose to use index cards, color one side to look like a door. Using the blank sides of the doors, make sets of cards that go together. These can be numbers and a matching amount of dots, or easy math problems and solutions. Change the game up depending on the skill level of your kids. Have kids take turns flipping doors over and attempting to make a match.

This book is a fun way to encourage kids to use their imaginations, make predictions and practice math skills. The creative story and imaginative illustrations also make it a fun book to read aloud!