In this lyrical picture book, world-renowned poet, New York Times bestselling author, and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni and fine artist Erin Robinson craft an ode to the magic of a library as a place not only for knowledge but also for imagination, exploration, and escape.
In what other place can a child "sail their dreams" and "surf the rainbow" without ever leaving the room? This ode to libraries is a celebration for everyone who loves stories, from seasoned readers to those just learning to love words, and it will have kids and parents alike imagining where their library can take them.
This inspiring read-aloud includes stunning illustrations and a note from Nikki Giovanni about the importance of libraries in her own childhood.---from the publisher
32 pages 978-0358387657 Ages 4-8
Keywords: library, reading, power of words, Language Arts Curriculum, African American author, African American and Black stories, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
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“I'm writing 'bout the book I read
I have to sing about the book I read
I'm embarrassed to admit it hit the soft spot in my heart
When I found out you wrote the book I read”
– Talking Heads (1977)
That’s the song that popped into my head after delighting in the words and images in A LIBRARY by Nikki Giovanni and Erin Robinson. With that thought in mind, and a few keystrokes, I retrieved the online song lyrics, copied a snippet, and pasted the lines into the Google doc in which I’m typing this. It’s one of a billion examples of how thoroughly the world has been transformed by personal computing, the Internet, and the small, portable computers, disguised as cell phones, that can complete a mind-blowing number of tasks with a few clicks.
Things have also changed in the picture book art world. A LIBRARY is illustrated digitally, an art form that did not exist when I was a young picture book consumer at the library. It is an art form that has now come into its prime.
A LIBRARY is a prime example. The compositions, shapes, and digital texturing employed, contribute to making this notable picture book art. Every digitally-created spread in this book is exceptional. As is Ms. Giovanni’s poem:
“A library is:
a place to be free
to be in space
to be a cook
to be a crook
to be in love
to be unhappy
to be quick and smart
to be contained and cautious
to surf the rainbow
to sail the dreams…”
A LIBRARY is a book for young book lovers. Today’s young dreamers and doers. It’s a book that wowed me with its great poetry, stellar illustrations, and its pitch for encouraging today’s kids to employ the valuable and expansive 21st century array of services provided by public libraries and hard working librarians.
So, check it out!
Recommended by: Richie Partington, MLIS, California USA
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