"This is a book.
This is a reader.
Here are some more readers
with minds full of questions ...
with ideas to explore ... "
A little girl with a library card is talking with her dad on the title page of this new book about story. The dedication page shows her again walking along the street, book bag over her shoulder and card in hand, with dad and brother following close behind her.
Sea is the introduced word. A turn of the page and the readers finds a book about the word sea, with a magnifying glass zeroed in on sea horse. The book's double page spread shows an underwater habitat lush with fish and fronds, and more words.
On the library shelf that holds that particular book, there are many other books. It is shelved in the 597 section of the library - a number in the Dewey system that denotes cold-blooded vertebrates - and includes sharks, sea horse, swimmers, blobfish, toad, salamanders, puffers ... and more. Those books are there waiting for someone to come and check them out.
In a world full of humans, the little girl and her family meet a very approachable human. He's a librarian, willing to help her make a connection with a book that is just right for her. She is not the only reader, and each of the others have found the books they need, too. The world those books represent is full of wonder, hope, imagination and a stirring of the heart. What a truly wonderful world can be found at the library!
Using ink, watercolor, and pastel, Lauren Castillo fills pages with delightful, meaningful images. She creates a diverse neighborhood that will be familiar to many young readers and a public library that is open and welcoming for all. This book is a perfect collaboration from two creative and caring artists. What a powerful statement it makes!
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