“The Boy Who Was Raise by Librarians” by
Carla Morris, illus. by Brad Sneed (Peachtree Publishers, 9781561453917,
$16.95, 32 pages, ages 4 to 8)
This brand-new story book with pictures by Kansas illustrator Brad Sneed
tells of Melvin, a young boy who spends all his free time in the library
with his favorite people, the three super librarians who help fill his
childhood with books, lots of information on nearly every subject, and even
more great books!
Librarians Marge, Betty, and Leeola sport cool hair-dos, sassy pairs of
reading glasses, and at least one lapel pin that declares “I *Heart* Cats.”
When Melvin needs information on snakes, they’re right there with good
reference books and Web sites; when he collects insects for a school
project, they have the field guides ready. The trio helps Melvin prepare for
his fourth-grade spelling bee, his sixth-grade science fair, and many more
adventures until the day he graduates and leaves for college. Years later,
when another young boy comes through the library doors, the trio has become
a quartet: grown-up Melvin has joined his favorite people as the library’s
newest librarian!
Author Carla Morris is a children’s librarian herself in Provo, Utah, and
her love of kids, books, and the special power of libraries is evident
throughout her story. But it’s really Sneed’s fantastic illustrations that
make this book shine. His pictures of Marge, Betty, and Leeola make them
emerge as lovely, energetic characters, and he absolutely captures the
real-life look of contemporary libraries. From the book’s title page, which
shows the façade of a perfect, vintage Carnegie library (much like the
beloved one in Girard, Kansas, which enlivened by own youth), to the
skillful interior images of reference desks and recycling bins, he gets the
look just right. Librarians and young readers alike will enjoy scouring the
backgrounds of Sneed’s illustrations for his deft miniature images of
familiar Caldecott winners: I spotted “Jumanji,” “Where the Wild Things
Are,” and “The Polar Express” on my first read, but you’ll find many more.
“The Boy Raised by Librarians” is a good story and a great book to get
youngsters thinking about the rich possibilities to be found in their school
and local libraries.
To learn more Brad Sneed and to check out his very thorough page on
arranging for an illustrator visit to your school, visit his Web site:
www.bradsneed.com
Review by
Mark David Bradshaw, April 2, 2008
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