Module 1: Bat Night at the Library

"Can it be true? Oh, can it be?

Yes! -- Bat Night at the library!"

indiebound.org

Citation

Lies, B.  (2008).  Bats at the library.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Company.

Summary

Excitement builds in the bat colony as the news spreads:  a window has been left open at the public library!  Eager for something to break the boredom, they flock toward the library.  The older ones seek out favorite books and the youngest explore and play in the library.  They are finally settled down and soon discover the magic of books during their first "Bat Night at the Library" storytime.  

My Impressions    

The friendly little bats come to life in Lies' detailed and playful illustrations.  The richer tones both lend the book a cozy, slightly eerie autumnal feeling and entice the reader to image his or her own library after hours.   I also enjoyed the "bat-ified" details on many pages, my favorites being references to popular children's books (for example, Alice confronting a Cheshire Bat). The rhyme of the text gives the story a lyrical flow without overtaking the story.  It is an imaginative and entertaining tale sure to capture the interests of 4- to 8-year-olds.

Review    

Publisher's Weekly

"Starred Review. Lies's (Bats at the Beach) much-lauded bats are back and the library's got them—thanks to a window left open by an unsuspecting (or perhaps sympathetic) librarian. Although the young ones initially misbehave (they make photocopies of their bodies and turn the water fountain into a splash pool), Lies cuts them a little slack: It's hard to settle down and read/ when life flits by at dizzy speed. Story time settles everyone (upside-)down, and soon the furry creatures are completely swallowed up in books, giving Lies comic license to bat-tify the signature visuals from classics like Make Way For Ducklings; Pippi Longstocking; Goodnight, Moon and Peter Rabbit. As with its predecessor, this book's richly detailed chiaroscuro paintings find considerable humor at the intersection where bat and human behavior meet. But the author/artist outdoes himself: the library-after-dark setting works a magic all its own, taking Lies and his audience to a an intensely personal place. Ages 4–8."

[Review of the book Bat Night at the Library by B. Lies]. (2008). Publishers Weekly, 255(28), 65. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com.

Suggested Library Uses

•  Read to children to set the stage for a children's library orientation at a public or school library.  Ask the children what they like to do at the library.  Talk about the images depicting popular children's books and see if they can identify any.
• Read during a children's Halloween festival.  Include other bat-themed books.  Ask children what they would do if they could go to the library after it was closed.  Have bat-themed crafts and activities.

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Notes
Nominee for Wyoming's Buckaroo Book Award (grades K-3) for 2009-2010.