In 1973, Billout's first children's book, Number 24 was reviewed by New York Times Book Review author Selma G. Lanes, who called it "a surreal work, as mysterious as a roomful of René Magritte paintings."
In 1973, Billout's first children's book, Number 24, was reviewed by New York Times Book Review author Selma G. Lanes, who characterized it as "a dreamlike creation, just as obscure as a room with René Magritte artworks."