This week’s Children’s book of the Week is… Luna Loves Library Day by Joseph Coelho and Fiona Lumbers.
It’s a story that proves that with good writing and beautiful illustrations, children’s books can handle difficult topics in sensitive ways without them feeling too heavy or moralistic.
This book is about a little girl’s visits to the library with her Dad. I love the illustrations of all the children sitting in their reading positions on the inside covers and how the contents of these amazing books are spilling out over the shelves, creating a magical wonderland, full of exciting adventures. But books rarely just contain one story and this one also has a powerful message that could help any young person whose parents are going through a divorce or a separation or who see someone they love only sporadically. It’s also useful for children not experiencing these things. Reading about the experiences and lives of others helps them to grow in compassion and understand that normal looks different to everybody.
Little Box of Books exists to get inclusive and representative children’s books into families and schools. We want more children and families to see themselves in books so to see a mixed-race protagonist, diversity in family set ups and a Dad who loves books and reading, makes this one we’ll keep sharing, and is one of the reason why it’s a favourite in our schools’ boxes.