Picture Books That Celebrate Libraries and the Joy of Reading

by Nikki Giovanni; illustrated by Erin K. Robinson

In this ode to libraries where everyone who loves stories is welcome, a world-renowned poet captures the magic of these places for imagination, exploration, and escape.

by Lydia M. Sigwarth; illustrated by Romina Galotta

With nowhere to call home, Lydia finally finds a place she belongs when she visits the library and befriends the librarian who introduces her to a world beyond their walls. 

by Puck; illustrated by Violet Lemay

Book-loving toddlers gather at the local library to enjoy favorite activities, from story time and puppet shows to getting a first library card and traveling into other worlds through reading. 

by Julia Liu & Bei Lynn; translated by Helen Wang

Leilong’s friends are taking him to story time at the library. But it’s difficult for a large, clumsy brontosaurus without a library card to follow all the rules. Especially when enthusiastic Leilong gets caught up in the story and joins in, threatening to flatten the library. Is Leilong too big for the library, or is the library too small?

by Anna McQuinn; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Every Tuesday Lola and her mother visit their local library to return and check out books, attend story readings, and share a special treat.

by Kazuno Kohara

Once there was a library that only opened at night. Step inside and meet the little librarian and her three assistant owls.

by Lissette Norman; illustrated by Jayri Gómez

Alfonso and Abuela love to spend Saturday afternoons finding books at the library and reading them together beneath their favorite oak tree. But when their beloved tree is cut down, can Alfonso transform the stump into something magical for their whole community—their very own neighborhood library?

by Lisa Katzenberger; illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr.

Children in the community express gratitude for their local library's fun activities and inclusive space.

by Carla D. Morris; illustrated by Brad Sneed

Melvin discovers that the public library is the place where he can find just about anything—including three librarians who help in his quest for knowledge.
 

by Charise Mericle Harper; illustrated by Anna Raff

A quirky ode to spirit, identity, and the joy of having a library card follows the adventures of Little Card, who delightedly anticipates going to school to become a birthday card only to trade jobs with Big Card and embark on a life at the library, where he struggles to use his exuberant gifts in a quiet environment.

by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark; illustrated by Chuck Groenink

A picture book inspired by the authors' hit song follows an exuberant youngster and her growing menagerie of friends, who navigate the challenges of a boring, gloomy day by going to the library and picking out books that will take them on exciting imaginative adventures.

by Judy Sierra; illustrated by Marc Brown

A librarian named Mavis McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake.

by John Schu; illustrated by Lauren Castillo

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. 

by Alyssa Satin Capucilli; illustrated by Gladys Jose

When Mr. Hughes finds a fish all alone in the library and names her Library Fish, she knows she’s found her true home. Library Fish, who lives on the librarian's desk, makes friends in the library and on the bookmobile, checks that books are returned, and absolutely loves story time, when she can listen to all kinds of stories and poems, meet unforgettable characters, and travel around the world and even to other planets! But one day, everything outside is covered in snow and no one comes to the library. Will Library Fish be brave enough to venture outside her fishbowl for the very first time and explore the library she calls home?

by Caroline Crowe; illustrated by John Joseph

This library book is very special. It's been hugged, lost, torn, chewed by a dog, and soaked in the rain. It's been read in apartments and in tents, by children wearing costumes and pyjamas, reading alone and with family. Each time it returns to the library it's a little more worn, but a lot more loved. For every rip, scribble, or stain there's a child who has found adventure or escape, comfort, or excitement in its pages. That's the magic of a library book!