Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies
(Preschool - Grade 1)

Bats at the Library is the latest offering from author Brian Lies. This picture book is a visually stunning sequel to the wonderful Bats at the Beach. My family only recently discovered both books and are hoping for even more bat adventures to come. In Bats at the Library, a community of bats is bored one dark evening and is thrilled to discover an open window at the local library. They swoop towards the brick building, baby bat clinging to its mother with a parachute on its back. Once inside, the bats flutter off into their favorite shelves to read about fancy food, play games with the copier, explore a pop-up book gingerbread house, or listen to storytime. Each bat imagines themselves as a book character, riding a horse or pulling the famous sword from its stone. The detailed illustrations amaze and delight with silly bat references like a reading of Goodnight Sun instead of Goodnight Moon. The rhyming text is clever and lyrical; it flows easily and would make a fun read aloud. We took both books on a trip to the beach this summer. Lies had us laughing at the sunbathing bats on the sand and the bookish bats gathered around a storybook.

To find these books at our library, visit www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Amanda L., Children's Staff