I’ve been out of the library this past week - many thanks to my coworkers who helped cover and keep things running! - so I think this ode to libraries hit even harder than it would have normally. Giovanni’s poetic text has a jazz-inspired rhythm; after all, a library can be a place “to be blue, to be jazz.” Robinson’s illustrations are best appreciated in person, and are reminiscent of stained glass and cathedrals, a reminder that the public library is its own place of worship, where books, knowledge, and community reign supreme. 

In the author’s note at the end of the book, Giovanni shares memories of her first librarian, Mrs. Long, who “always knew what she needed.” I hope that my library kids remember me with the same fondness someday.