This is a story

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This is a story

Title:

This is a story

Author:

Schu, John, 1981- author.

Castillo, Lauren, illustrator.

Summary:

"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. With a warm, lyrical text and tenderly expressive illustrations, John Schu and Lauren Castillo invite us to imagine the myriad ways that books can foster connection and understanding -- and how they can empower children, through their own passions, to transform the world."-- Publisher marketing.

Audience:

004-008.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 26 x 27 cm

Genre:

Picture books.

Subject Term:

Books and reading -- Juvenile fiction.

Libraries -- Juvenile fiction.

Imagination -- Juvenile fiction.

Books and reading -- Fiction.

Author(s):

Castillo, Lauren,

Publisher:

Candlewick Press,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9781536204520

Publication Information:

Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2023.

Call Number:

P SCHU

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003608745	New Picture Books	SCHU	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Children's literacy advocate John Schu and Caldecott Honor recipient Lauren Castillo celebrate the power of finding the perfect book--in a story that's more relevant than ever.

This is a word on a page.
This is a page in a book.
This is a book on a shelf . . . waiting.

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. With a warm, lyrical text and tenderly expressive illustrations, John Schu and Lauren Castillo invite us to imagine the myriad ways that books can foster connection and understanding--and how they can empower children, through their own passions, to transform the world.

Author Notes

John Schu is the author of This Is a School , illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison. He is also a children's librarian at Bookelicious and a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University. He was previously the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs and has worked as a classroom teacher and school librarian. He travels all over the world visiting schools and meeting with students, teachers, and administrators as he advocates for the people and things he cares about most: kids, books, schools, and the libraries--and librarians--that connect them. John Schu lives in Naperville, Illinois. You can find his popular blog, Watch. Connect. Read. , at www.JohnSchu.com and follow him @MrSchuReads.

Lauren Castillo is the award-winning illustrator of many books for children, including Kirkus Prize finalist Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera, Happy Like Soccer by Maribeth Boelts, and Yard Sale by Eve Bunting. She is the author-illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Nana in the City . Lauren Castillo dreams and draws in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. You can find her online at www.laurencastillo.com and on social media @studiocastillo.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2--An homage to book and library lovers everywhere, Schu and Castillo's book takes readers on a journey that shows how words can lead to human connections. The main character is a young girl whose love for seahorses leads her to the local library. There she meets the librarian, who looks a lot like Schu, and other children who love books. The sentences are simple, often with just one word per page. The main character is depicted as white, but a diverse group of children and adults are included in all other aspects of the story. Castillo uses ink, watercolor, and pastel to create a beautiful and vibrant library setting that invites everyone into the spreads. Those in the know will have fun spying illustrated covers of actual picture books. VERDICT A valentine to reading, books, the love of books, and the rooms that house them, this charmer will find a home in every heart.--V. Lynn Christiansen

Publisher's Weekly Review

Starting in close and pulling back, this love letter to libraries foregrounds their gift for connecting each reader with just the right story. Schu (This Is a School) starts with books' basic element--"This is a word"--then widens out from word to page, page to book, book to shelf, and to the world, "full of humans," who sometimes need help "connecting." In thick-lined ink, watercolor, and pastel art from Castillo (The Ramble Shamble Children), the first book shown--Chris Butterworth's Sea Horse--is just right for a pale-skinned child who totes an unwieldy seahorse kite into the library after visiting a New York City park. A light-skinned librarian knowingly proffers the title, and the child is soon belly down with it on the round rug. Subsequent pages introduce variously diverse "readers/ with minds full of questions," whose visits lead to finding a book that aligns with their interests. Realistically drawn, recognizable book jackets cover the pages, creating jumping-off points and sparks of recognition in a title that's both the next best thing to an actual library visit and fine preparation for a first foray. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Molly O'Neill, Root Literary. Illustrator's agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Mar.)