The New Libearian

An unexpected guest shows up for story time in this light, amusing debut by U.K. author Donald. When the librarian fails to appear for story hour, a trail of clues leads the children “through a galaxy, into an ocean, and down a runway” until they find a new librarian—a friendly, if wild looking, bear. “Could you read us a scary story?” they ask, and the bear happily obliges with a book about—what else?—bears. He roars and stomps through the tale (in the book’s funniest detail, he isn’t able to talk, only growl), leaving the children begging for more until their usual librarian appears. “Sorry I’m late,” she explains. “A volcano erupted in the Ancient History section, and there was hot lava everywhere.” She begins to read from “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” but Baby Bear is missing from the tale—and the identity of the “new librarian” becomes clear. In bright, busy digital collages, newcomer Willmore depicts the library as a place where anything can happen, bolstering the story’s unspoken message about the magic that awaits in books. Ages 4–7. [em](Jan.) [/em]