Abuela's library

PreS-Gr 1--A sweet story about the power of building community and creativity around literacy. Alfonso and his abuela love to read books under the protection of a towering oak tree in their neighborhood. But when the tree is dying and must be cut down, Alfonso comes up with a plan to give the tree a second life and promote literacy in his community. Working together with family and friends, Alfonso creates a little free library out of the tree stump and offers his and his grandma's book recommendations to neighbors. A particularly effective scene breaks down the nine steps he and his family and friends take to build the library, which gives adults and children the chance to discuss sequences of events. Driving home the importance of community are the compelling illustrations--strong cartoon faces, in a digital style, with broad shapes--represent individuals of all abilities and ethnicities. VERDICT A story teaching the valuable lesson of making lemons out of lemonade. Recommended.--Maria Bohan

When a beloved neighborhood tree is cut down, a child decides to create a little library in its place. Alfonso and Abuela, a former school librarian, love to curl up beneath an old oak tree and read. "She says books hold the world together and you can never have too many," Alfonso tells us. But the tree is sick and in danger of knocking over a power line. It must come down. After it's been cut down, Alfonso realizes that the remaining stump can be turned into a minilibrary; they'll call it Abuela's Library. Alfonso's friends are skeptical, but with help from Papi, Mami, Abuelo, Abuela, and others, Alfonso's dream becomes a reality. The resulting structure has windows, a painted door, and even fairy lights. While it's smaller than a public library, it's larger than most little free libraries; children are able to step inside. People gather and ask Alfonso for recommendations, and the little one happily obliges. "This is how my love for matching people with the perfect book begins," Alfonso explains. "It's how I know I will be a librarian one day too." Norman's upbeat tale shows how a sad event can be turned into a community project and a source of happiness. It's a love letter to trees, to reading, and to the librarians who inspire others to learn and grow. Gómez's round-eyed, round-headed characters are endearing. Alfonso's family is cued Latine; the community is diverse. A tender tribute to libraries and librarians. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.