I am sure I have not written a review of this before, but if I have, I am also fairly sure I have changed my opinion of The Library by Sarah Stewart and David Small.
This book has rhyming text and sweet illustrations. It makes this not only a classic book in feeling but has kept it going since 1995. Making it a contemporary classic in my book.
A story about a reader, the library (or libraries actually) she built, and a swell old gal should be right up my alley. This story has no “traditional adventure” but it is clever and well written. And Small’s illustrations equally fun and clever.
However, this time I was not “feeling it.” It probably was due to the strange journey the book took me on this time. I knew I had read it, remembered liking it, but when I was almost finished, I was convinced I had never read the book. Nothing was familiar. Nothing made me “jump up” and say, “Yup, that’s a good-un!” It was not until I went to count it on GoodReads that I had a previous read before popup.
Therefore, I think this book might be doing what the author wanted. To make you stop, reread and experience the book over. This is something that you sit down to read and digest. It is not something that all the subtleness can be picked up if not in the right mood. It is mature reading and yet, straight forward. It would be an interesting read aloud to a group of students. It could be for the classroom, library or a sibling group. Small’s illustrations also make it something that adults will want to collect if they enjoy a good illustration to a book.