(3) K-3 Illustrated by Lauren Castillo. Realized through pithy prose, this ode to the power of stories follows two children and their dad during a day at the library, and highlights the vistas that open up through the “world of reading.” Schu pinpoints the capacity of reading to cultivate the (young) human person as a field of possibility. Underscoring the text’s message that stories can endlessly grow our minds, hearts, and connections with other people, Castillo’s ink, watercolor, and pastel illustrations provide ever-expanding views of the inside of a library filled with diverse children, presided over by a dedicated librarian (who resembles the author himself).

Reviewer: Summer Edward