The best children’s books about libraries and librarians

As a book-loving child who grew up poor in rural Utah and who eagerly awaited the bi-monthly visit of the bookmobile to our little farming community, Waiting for the Biblioburro sings to me. Set in the mountains of Colombia and inspired by the mission of real-life teacher and librarian Luis Soriano, Waiting for the Biblioburro tells the story of little Ana who looks forward with great anticipation to the arrival of Luis and his two burros, Alfa and Beto, who carry books to her little mountain village. The colorful folk-artsy illustrations by John Parra perfectly bring to life Brown’s story.

According to the author’s note: “This book is a celebration of Luis and all the teachers and librarians who bring books to children everywhere—across deserts, fields, mountains, and water.” 

The spare lyricism of both the text and illustrations of That Book Woman tug at the heartstrings without being overly sentimental. Young Cal works hard with his Pap on their Appalachian farm. Unlike his sister, an avid reader, Cal thinks he was not “born / to sit so stoney-still / a-starin’ at some chicken scratch.” But his grudging admiration for “that book woman” who just keeps coming and coming, rain, snow, or shine, eventually leads him to a love of books.

I love the gentle way that That Book Woman pays homage to the WPA Pack Horse Librarians of the 1930s.

This is the remarkable true story of Alia Muhammed Baker, a librarian in Basra, Iraq. When war threatened to destroy her library in 2003, Alia, who considered books “more precious than mountains of gold,” made the heroic effort to transfer 30,000 volumes to safe locations just days before her library was burned to the ground. Author/illustrator Jeanette Winter tells this story in a way that is not traumatizing to young children but also doesn’t sugarcoat the horrors of war. Ultimately, it is a triumphant celebration of books, of courage, and of the human spirit. 

I love books that are both beautiful to look at and beautiful to read. Planting Stories is the gorgeously illustrated and delightfully told story of Pura Belpre’, New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian. Belpre’ was also a puppeteer and a storyteller who charmed children and adults alike with stories of her homeland. 

My grandchildren love this story about a loveable lion who shows up one day at Miss Merriweather’s library. Though he’s careful to follow the strict library rules, the day comes when he must help everyone understand that sometimes rules are meant to be broken. Featuring captivating illustrations by Kevin Hawkes, Library Lion is a joyous marriage of image and text.