This Is a Story
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Children’s literacy advocate John Schu and Caldecott Honor recipient Lauren Castillo celebrate the power of finding the perfect book—in a story that’s more relevant than ever. This is a word on a page. This is a page in a book. This is a book on a shelf . . . waiting. With a sea-horse kite in hand, a child heads out with Dad to the library. On the way they stop at a park, joining lots of people, some of whom are flying kites, too. At the library, a person toting a big pile of books hands over a story on a favorite subject: the sea horse. All around, there are readers poring over books, each with their own questions, ideas to explore, hopes for the future, and imaginations ready to spark. With a warm, lyrical text and tenderly expressive illustrations, John Schu and Lauren Castillo invite us to imagine the myriad ways that books can foster connection and understanding—and how they can empower children, through their own passions, to transform the world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Starting in close and pulling back, this love letter to libraries foregrounds their gift for connecting each reader with just the right story. Schu (This Is a School) starts with books' basic element—"This is a word"—then widens out from word to page, page to book, book to shelf, and to the world, "full of humans," who sometimes need help "connecting." In thick-lined ink, watercolor, and pastel art from Castillo (The Ramble Shamble Children), the first book shown—Chris Butterworth's Sea Horse—is just right for a pale-skinned child who totes an unwieldy seahorse kite into the library after visiting a New York City park. A light-skinned librarian knowingly proffers the title, and the child is soon belly down with it on the round rug. Subsequent pages introduce variously diverse "readers/ with minds full of questions," whose visits lead to finding a book that aligns with their interests. Realistically drawn, recognizable book jackets cover the pages, creating jumping-off points and sparks of recognition in a title that's both the next best thing to an actual library visit and fine preparation for a first foray. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Molly O'Neill, Root Literary. Illustrator's agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management.
