The Lost Library
Written and illustrated by Jess McGeachin
Verdict:
A delightfully atmospheric read-aloud adventure about a very strange library. Expect repeat readings: there is a dragon hiding on every spread.
What is it about?
This picture book is about an unexpected visit to a mysterious library unlike perhaps any library we’ve seen before. A book finds a boy and the boy follows it to an underground realm filled with boats, stormy waters, forests full of books, and even a book dragon, that just might be dangerous – or maybe not, if you’ve got a good story to tell him. In the predicaments of finding their way out, the characters find solutions in books.
Our take:
You will want this captivating story in your home or classroom library. The illustrations are atmospheric and imaginative, if not especially intricate, and there is just enough tension to pull listeners into the adventure without being too scary. There are flying books, books on trees, and books on a dragon. And there is a dragon to find on every double-page spread. Some are very tricky to spot, so it may take several readings to discover them all.
Perfect fit for:
This is an excellent read-aloud book for children from about three years to about eight years old. In fact, if our test readings are anything to go by, it may just become an obsession, as young listeners will want to read it many times to spot all those dragons.
Conversation Starters
Have you ever been lost? Were you worried or did you think it was an adventure, like Rosie?
If we are safe, can we make an adventure out of discovering new places?
Why is it important to try new things sometimes?
When something different happens to you, what should you do?
Why is a friend who is different from you sometimes a good thing?
What kind of book adventures you do you like best?
Would you like to meet a book dragon?
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