Check It Out! Reading, Finding, Helping

by Patricia Hubbell, Nancy Speir (Illustrator)

Overview

Librarians love to read and share books. But they also like to plan book parties and look up fun facts. They help with schoolwork. They tell stories that make people giggle. They even dress up for book parades. Librarians love their jobs and that’s why children love them. This book takes the reader inside the life of a librarian and shows all the wonderful things she does all day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761458036
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	01/05/2012
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD450L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Author Patricia Hubbell is the author of ten books of poetry for children, including Boo! Halloween Poems and Limericks as well as Trucks: Whizz! Zoom! Rumble! Her poems appear in numerous anthologies. She lives in Easton, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—A picture-book ode to librarians. The protagonist, an energetic and versatile young woman, conducts storyhours, repairs damaged books, retrieves the perfect selection for each young patron, and rushes about ensuring that her charges are educated and entertained. The minimal text is a job description in verse—"Straightens shelves, finds DVDs./Finds books on snakes and bumblebees....Uses computers, reads reviews,/finds out what books are in the news." With its cheerful cartoon illustrations, this book will serve as an adequate introduction to the library. If additional resources are needed, it might also be useful for primary-grade units on community workers, but overall the child appeal is limited.—Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

School Library Journal

This passionate librarian may not possess any actual superpowers, though her limitless energy suggests otherwise. The unnamed professional gaily prowls her shelves to connect the right read with each of her young students. She balances a tower of books, prepares art projects and shelves materials without assistance. The fun of reading is the emphasis in this succinct selection, while research's valuable role receives only a brief nod. There's no conflict or nuance to be found in the upbeat story, but the positive message and its brief rhyming text remain unforced throughout. Short phrases merrily clip along, "books with pictures, books with none, / books about the moon and sun." Smiling youngsters against cheery, solid backgrounds are all sunny smiles. Creative activities encourage classmates to participate; children march along in an exuberant parade with tomes from Harry Potter to Peter Rabbit. There's a glimpse into the school's physical space (the technology appears more prehistoric than cutting edge), but the focus is on the career and not the library's location. While there's no denying the idealism beneath this book, it does shatter the unflattering stereotype haunting librarians ("Shh!") and replaces it with one wonder of a woman. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews - Kikus Reviews

This passionate librarian may not possess any actual superpowers, though her limitless energy suggests otherwise. The unnamed professional gaily prowls her shelves to connect the right read with each of her young students. She balances a tower of books, prepares art projects and shelves materials without assistance. The fun of reading is the emphasis in this succinct selection, while research's valuable role receives only a brief nod. There's no conflict or nuance to be found in the upbeat story, but the positive message and its brief rhyming text remain unforced throughout. Short phrases merrily clip along, "books with pictures, books with none, / books about the moon and sun." Smiling youngsters against cheery, solid backgrounds are all sunny smiles. Creative activities encourage classmates to participate; children march along in an exuberant parade with tomes from Harry Potter to Peter Rabbit. There's a glimpse into the school's physical space (the technology appears more prehistoric than cutting edge), but the focus is on the career and not the library's location. While there's no denying the idealism beneath this book, it does shatter the unflattering stereotype haunting librarians ("Shh!") and replaces it with one wonder of a woman. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews