Library Day

October 19, 2015
Over the years, the mother-daughter Rockwell team has collaborated on books about the first day of school, numerous holidays, and other notable occasions. Getting a library card is a worthy milestone, and a boy named Don gives a matter-of-fact rundown of his day at the library with his father, which begins with story time and later sees the boy perusing books, movies, and magazines. The Rockwells put Don’s independence front and center—he takes in the sights and makes a friend on his own, with his father reappearing only later in the book. Lizzy Rockwell’s tidy watercolors create an inviting environment buzzing with activity; one scene shows children reading, using computers, playing chess, and working on crafts (the illustrator also can’t resist tucking in a well-worn copy of the Rockwells’ 2011 book, Apples and Pumpkins). Don’s narration exudes a cool confidence and competence, his relationship with father is tender without being clingy, and readers will certainly finish the book with a solid sense of the opportunities that await at the library. Ages 4–8.