Inside the Books

K-Gr 2—Beginning with an American library in which many children would feel at home, this rhyming book introduces six other libraries around the world. Side panels show a stack of books with the topmost one indicating the continents where featured libraries are located. Traditional boats are converted into floating libraries in Bangladesh, and libraries in Santiago, Chile, can be found in old train cars. Donkey carts bring books to Ethiopian children, helicopters deliver books to ice-bound Antarctica, and semi-trailer trucks pull mobile libraries to distant places in Australia. The lines "I love to look/inside the books" begin each section, pairing the place with a fanciful or realistic adventure. A boy, a girl, and her teddy bear fly past the Statue of Liberty. Children at the beach in England read about "A fearsome knight,/a castle bright,/a kingdom sparkling in the snow," and Australian children learn about green power, gardening, and protected species. Delicate, detailed illustrations capture both the uniqueness of these libraries and the evident pleasure of their young patrons. This title can introduce longer stories, such as Monica Brown's Waiting for the Biblioburro (Tricycle, 2011) or spark discussions about books and reading. A good choice for most libraries.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN