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Bat Books #2
Bats at the Library
Frolic through the library with Caldecott honor winner and New York Times best-selling creator Brian Lies’ adorable bats. This nighttime escapade is part of the award winning Bat Book series, perfect for bedtime reading as well as budding book lovers on Halloween and all year round.
Can it be true? Oh, can it be?
Yes!—Bat Night at the library!
The enchantment of story time is near—come bats, come one and all, and gather around for the tale of the night.
Roam the book-filled halls on this inky evening as the bats wander around the library and cause all sorts of mischief.
Brian Lies’ joyful critters and their nocturnal celebration cast library visits in a new light. Even the youngest of readers will want to join the batty book-fest.
Can it be true? Oh, can it be?
Yes!—Bat Night at the library!
The enchantment of story time is near—come bats, come one and all, and gather around for the tale of the night.
Roam the book-filled halls on this inky evening as the bats wander around the library and cause all sorts of mischief.
Brian Lies’ joyful critters and their nocturnal celebration cast library visits in a new light. Even the youngest of readers will want to join the batty book-fest.
32 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2008
26 people are currently reading
1547 people want to read
About the author
Brian Lies
44 books147 followersI was born in 1963 in Princeton, New Jersey, which back then was a quiet college town, surrounded by old farmland slowly giving way to housing developments. I spent a lot of time building dams and forts in the woods across the street with my best friend, inventing things, and writing and drawing with my older sister. At various times during my childhood, we had newts, gerbils and rabbits as pets. When I was in fifth grade, an author and illustrator visited my school, and I was amazed that one could have a job writing and drawing. I wished it could be my job! But I didn’t think I was good enough at either writing or drawing to even try.
I had always liked to draw, though, and kept doing it just for fun. During high school, I also painted with oil paints and made stained glass windows. I actually sold some, too—my first taste of self-employment. I went to Brown University after high school, where I studied Psychology and British and American Literature. I began to think about what I really wanted to do for a career, and what I really wanted was something that involved art. So after graduation from college in 1985, I moved to Boston to study drawing and painting at the Boston Museum School (also known as the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston).
At the Museum School, I started getting paintings in exhibitions and won a few prizes, and then was able to get political illustrations published in the Christian Science Monitor and the Boston Globe.
Suddenly I had a career as an editorial and political illustrator, working with a lot of magazines and newspapers. In 1989, I illustrated my first book, Flatfoot Fox and the Case of the Missing Eye, with Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston.
Since then, I've illustrated some twenty books, including my newest one, Bats at the Library, which I also wrote. My other three written-and-illustrated books to date are the New York Times bestseller, Bats at the Beach, Hamlet and the Enormous Chinese Dragon Kite, and Hamlet and the Magnificent Sandcastle.
I also get lots of work published in Cricket, Spider, Ladybug and Babybug magazines, and I enjoy visiting schools to work with students on writing and illustrating stories.
I live in a seaside town in Massachusetts with my wife, my daughter, two cats and a hamster. My hobbies are bicycling, woodworking, and tending a big vegetable garden behind the house. I’m very interested in old-fashioned food preparation, too, and sometimes make my own cheese, kimchi and other things (including a drink called switchel, which I kind of liked but which everybody else in my family thought was nasty).
I also read a lot, which I think is important—it keeps my imagination going, and leaves me feeling much more relaxed than television does!
I had always liked to draw, though, and kept doing it just for fun. During high school, I also painted with oil paints and made stained glass windows. I actually sold some, too—my first taste of self-employment. I went to Brown University after high school, where I studied Psychology and British and American Literature. I began to think about what I really wanted to do for a career, and what I really wanted was something that involved art. So after graduation from college in 1985, I moved to Boston to study drawing and painting at the Boston Museum School (also known as the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston).
At the Museum School, I started getting paintings in exhibitions and won a few prizes, and then was able to get political illustrations published in the Christian Science Monitor and the Boston Globe.
Suddenly I had a career as an editorial and political illustrator, working with a lot of magazines and newspapers. In 1989, I illustrated my first book, Flatfoot Fox and the Case of the Missing Eye, with Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston.
Since then, I've illustrated some twenty books, including my newest one, Bats at the Library, which I also wrote. My other three written-and-illustrated books to date are the New York Times bestseller, Bats at the Beach, Hamlet and the Enormous Chinese Dragon Kite, and Hamlet and the Magnificent Sandcastle.
I also get lots of work published in Cricket, Spider, Ladybug and Babybug magazines, and I enjoy visiting schools to work with students on writing and illustrating stories.
I live in a seaside town in Massachusetts with my wife, my daughter, two cats and a hamster. My hobbies are bicycling, woodworking, and tending a big vegetable garden behind the house. I’m very interested in old-fashioned food preparation, too, and sometimes make my own cheese, kimchi and other things (including a drink called switchel, which I kind of liked but which everybody else in my family thought was nasty).
I also read a lot, which I think is important—it keeps my imagination going, and leaves me feeling much more relaxed than television does!
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 560 reviews
December 4, 2023
I love this bats. If you know me, you know I think bats are the cutest. I had a bat box at one point, but I don't think I had bats living in it. They are the most interesting, so I scooped up this book when I saw the title. Guess what chickadees? there are more in this series about bats. I'm so excited, I could spit.
First off, the author's name is either the perfect last name to be an author or very unfortunate. Lies. But, I thought I knew that name and it turns out, I do. He did the book, 'the rough patch', which was nominated for a Caldecott and it was one of my favorite books last year. It was amazing.
This book is great for bat lovers and library lovers, so you can see why I gave it 5 stars. We see bats flying in the dark night sky heading for a window that was left open. The bats take over the library and read and tell stories all night long. They play with the projector and the copier. Mostly, they read and tell stories.
The artwork is amazing, truly. The bats are extra cute and there is so much detail. There is also so much play with light and shadow. I love that aspect of it. It makes the library this wonderland and who wouldn't want to go to one. This is Brian Lies and I've come to quickly trust him. He knows his way around art and story and how to shape them. I am going to look for more in this series.
This is not a Halloween book, but it easily can set a creepy mood for some people. I have read all the Halloween books for this year pretty much so Halloween November is over for 2020.
First off, the author's name is either the perfect last name to be an author or very unfortunate. Lies. But, I thought I knew that name and it turns out, I do. He did the book, 'the rough patch', which was nominated for a Caldecott and it was one of my favorite books last year. It was amazing.
This book is great for bat lovers and library lovers, so you can see why I gave it 5 stars. We see bats flying in the dark night sky heading for a window that was left open. The bats take over the library and read and tell stories all night long. They play with the projector and the copier. Mostly, they read and tell stories.
The artwork is amazing, truly. The bats are extra cute and there is so much detail. There is also so much play with light and shadow. I love that aspect of it. It makes the library this wonderland and who wouldn't want to go to one. This is Brian Lies and I've come to quickly trust him. He knows his way around art and story and how to shape them. I am going to look for more in this series.
This is not a Halloween book, but it easily can set a creepy mood for some people. I have read all the Halloween books for this year pretty much so Halloween November is over for 2020.
February 10, 2016
Someone leaves the window open at the local library, and the bats seize a chance to have a 'bat night at the library.'
It's hard to settle down and read
when life flits by at dizzy speed.
But storytime is just the thing
to rest a play-exhausted wing.
And if we listen, we will hear
some distant voices drawing near -
louder, louder, louder still,
they coax and pull us in, until...
everyone – old bat or pup -
has been completely swallowed up
and LIVES inside a book instead
of simply hearing something read.
The bats also enjoy non-book library activities, such as making photocopies of themselves and bathing in the water fountain.
This book's pictures are a bit lighter and easier to see than Bats at the Beach, so I enjoyed this book a bit more. And it celebrates a love of reading.
http://storysailor.files.wordpress.co...
Tl;dr - This is a perfect book to read to children if you are a librarian doing reading-time or if you are a parent of a kid who loves the library, or if you are a teacher. Very cute and book-positive.
It's hard to settle down and read
when life flits by at dizzy speed.
But storytime is just the thing
to rest a play-exhausted wing.
And if we listen, we will hear
some distant voices drawing near -
louder, louder, louder still,
they coax and pull us in, until...
everyone – old bat or pup -
has been completely swallowed up
and LIVES inside a book instead
of simply hearing something read.
The bats also enjoy non-book library activities, such as making photocopies of themselves and bathing in the water fountain.
This book's pictures are a bit lighter and easier to see than Bats at the Beach, so I enjoyed this book a bit more. And it celebrates a love of reading.
http://storysailor.files.wordpress.co...
Tl;dr - This is a perfect book to read to children if you are a librarian doing reading-time or if you are a parent of a kid who loves the library, or if you are a teacher. Very cute and book-positive.
March 30, 2020
I loved the first book in this series -- Bats at the Beach -- so much that I just had to read the next book! The bats are excited -- a window got left open and they all get to spend a night at the library! And they have a great time reading and playing until daylight comes and they have to return to their cave.
I checked out both the print and audio version of this cute children's book from my local library's digital site. I just felt like having a cute story read to me! :) And this series is so cute! Brian Lies' artwork is wonderful as well!
This book would be great to read in a classroom setting, or at home. The pictures are colorful and the rhyming text is entertaining. The story would definitely keep kids' attention! The audio book is just over six minutes long. Chris Sorensen does an excellent job as narrator. He has a pleasant, easily understandable voice and reads with an upbeat tone. Definitely a fun listening experience!
My favorite illustration is one where the bats are hanging on a lamp talking about books. Just too cute!
I checked out both the print and audio version of this cute children's book from my local library's digital site. I just felt like having a cute story read to me! :) And this series is so cute! Brian Lies' artwork is wonderful as well!
This book would be great to read in a classroom setting, or at home. The pictures are colorful and the rhyming text is entertaining. The story would definitely keep kids' attention! The audio book is just over six minutes long. Chris Sorensen does an excellent job as narrator. He has a pleasant, easily understandable voice and reads with an upbeat tone. Definitely a fun listening experience!
My favorite illustration is one where the bats are hanging on a lamp talking about books. Just too cute!
April 30, 2017
Very cute! I loved the pictures of those bats! They're all excited because someone left the window open in the library and they can get in. They read the books, which they place upside down while they hang upside down, play with the computer, photocopier, water fountain, and overhead projector, and listen to stories. Brian Lies' illustrations are beautiful and filled with humor. On the first page of text, if you look carefully, the bats on the page are actually hanging upside down. My favorite picture is the 2-page spread where they're all listening to a story. So cute! Library lovers HAVE to read this one!
July 19, 2010
This was a book where I wished I had someone read this to me so that I could listen and simultaneously look at the illustrations.
The rhyming story is very good.
The illustrations are marvelous, with lots of smart and amusing touches. I especially liked the “Goodnight Sun” book cover and the bat that wears glasses, but there is much to look at and enjoy.
The love of books and the ability to immerse oneself in them is communicated well.
You don’t have to be a fan of bats to appreciate this book, but it probably helps a bit to have at least mildly fond feelings for bats. They’re so cute in this book, those who are fearful or otherwise think they don’t like bats may be won over.
The rhyming story is very good.
The illustrations are marvelous, with lots of smart and amusing touches. I especially liked the “Goodnight Sun” book cover and the bat that wears glasses, but there is much to look at and enjoy.
The love of books and the ability to immerse oneself in them is communicated well.
You don’t have to be a fan of bats to appreciate this book, but it probably helps a bit to have at least mildly fond feelings for bats. They’re so cute in this book, those who are fearful or otherwise think they don’t like bats may be won over.
April 23, 2009
Cute!!! Much to enjoy for fans of both libraries and bats. The poetic story is a nice change-of-pace from most picture books, good for read-aloud. My favorite part was when the bats go "into" the stories--bat-themed tributes to "Goodnight Moon," "Red Riding Hood," "King Arthur," "Peter Rabbit" and "Alice in Wonderland"--the bat Whinnie the Pooh is priceless!!!! ;->
January 12, 2022
Absolutely wonderful, creatively detailed illustrations, and Brian Lies appears to have known (from personal observation?) what scientists are just now "discovering" -- that mother bats carry their little ones along with them when they fly -- to teach them to navigate, the scientists say -- to bring them to story hour on Bat Night at the Library, Brian Lies says. This is my personal favorite (so far) of Brian Lies' darling and clever Bats picture book series, no doubt because of its setting, although Bats at the Ballgame is probably the cleverest from a punny perspective. I love that the bats hang upside down and many of the pictures are reoriented to that perspective. I love that one of the bat-centric bedtime story books at the library is Goodnight Sun (with a cover very similar to Goodnight Moon).
childrens-books
January 15, 2022
October 9, 2013
Bats at the Library is a story told in rhyme by a bat . The bats are bored until one of them hears that a window was left open at the library. The bats are very excited and do lots of fun things in the library like making shadows on the wall using an overhead projector, copying themselves on the copying machine, and of course the highlight of the night, storytime. All the bats gather around and listen to the stories being told until the sun starts to come up and they have to leave without finishing their books, hoping they will get another chance to return and experience the amazing world inside the library.
The illustrations of watercolor are dark throughout because of it being nighttime but are very realistic and detailed in the scenery and what bats really look like. The illustrations show the bats reading books in the forefront and in the background they show the bats dressed up and imagining themselves as the characters in the books they are reading like Little Red Riding Hood, Aladdin and Winnie the Pooh.There are so many details that students may not notice everything after the first reading. This is really a book that is better read on your own to explore the pages. One book the bats are reading is called Goodnight Sun and is the same boardbook colors as Goodnight Moon. There is an old black and white drawing from Make Way for Ducklings however there are a mother bat and her little bats following and crossing the road in the ducklings place.It would also be interesting to see what books they have read or recognize that are referenced in the pictures but not explicitly stated.
Although this would be a good book to pair with a nonfiction bat book and compare what these bats did in the story and what real bats do, I think it would also be a good story to use to write our own rhyming verses. There is one wordless two page spread that shows the bats as characters from different stories and I would like to see what the students could come up with to describe what is happening in the story at that point.
The illustrations of watercolor are dark throughout because of it being nighttime but are very realistic and detailed in the scenery and what bats really look like. The illustrations show the bats reading books in the forefront and in the background they show the bats dressed up and imagining themselves as the characters in the books they are reading like Little Red Riding Hood, Aladdin and Winnie the Pooh.There are so many details that students may not notice everything after the first reading. This is really a book that is better read on your own to explore the pages. One book the bats are reading is called Goodnight Sun and is the same boardbook colors as Goodnight Moon. There is an old black and white drawing from Make Way for Ducklings however there are a mother bat and her little bats following and crossing the road in the ducklings place.It would also be interesting to see what books they have read or recognize that are referenced in the pictures but not explicitly stated.
Although this would be a good book to pair with a nonfiction bat book and compare what these bats did in the story and what real bats do, I think it would also be a good story to use to write our own rhyming verses. There is one wordless two page spread that shows the bats as characters from different stories and I would like to see what the students could come up with to describe what is happening in the story at that point.
December 4, 2019
"Another inky evening's here - / the air is cool and calm and clear. / We've feasted, fluttered, swooped and, soared, / and yet... we're still a little bored" begins this engaging picture-book about a colony of bats that visit the local library one night. Whether reading selections that seem tailored to their interests - an insect guide is described as a guide to "fancy food" - playing with the photocopier, or settling in for story-hour, these bats know how to get the most out of their library visit, and how to really sink into a story!
With its rhyming narrative and appealing acrylic illustrations, Bats at the Library would make a good story-hour selection, although I'd be careful of the lighting conditions, when reading - the artwork is rather dark, and doesn't show up well in bright light. That said, there were many little details here that I found charming, from the upside-down vista in the first scene (a rooftop hangs from the top of the page), to the copy of "Goodnight Sun" that a few of the bats are seen reading. And, of course, the idea of getting lost in a good book is always one that will appeal to me! All in all, this was a charming little tale. I think I'd like to read about the bats' first adventure, in Bats at the Beach .
With its rhyming narrative and appealing acrylic illustrations, Bats at the Library would make a good story-hour selection, although I'd be careful of the lighting conditions, when reading - the artwork is rather dark, and doesn't show up well in bright light. That said, there were many little details here that I found charming, from the upside-down vista in the first scene (a rooftop hangs from the top of the page), to the copy of "Goodnight Sun" that a few of the bats are seen reading. And, of course, the idea of getting lost in a good book is always one that will appeal to me! All in all, this was a charming little tale. I think I'd like to read about the bats' first adventure, in Bats at the Beach .
November 11, 2012
This is a fantastic children's book with rhymes and beautiful artwork.
Bats. Lots and lots of bats. They discover a window left open at the library and fly in at night when the library is closed. Inside they find wondrous things to see and do. Normally I would think that bats would be a kind of creepy subject for a kid's book but this is not a creepy book at all.
Funny thing, I found this book at the local public library. While at the check out desk the librarian told me a story of bats that lived at this particular building. Who would have guessed there would really be bats at the library!?!
Bats. Lots and lots of bats. They discover a window left open at the library and fly in at night when the library is closed. Inside they find wondrous things to see and do. Normally I would think that bats would be a kind of creepy subject for a kid's book but this is not a creepy book at all.
Funny thing, I found this book at the local public library. While at the check out desk the librarian told me a story of bats that lived at this particular building. Who would have guessed there would really be bats at the library!?!
September 7, 2018
Not to my taste. Wordy, with a rhyme that seems forced (but other reviewers praise it, so you decide for yourself). Too much time spent outside the books, even outside the library, for me. Though I do like the effort to desensitize those who are squeamish about bats (like spiders & coyotes, they are valuable members of our ecosystems).
And I do like the author's bio in which it's said that Lies visits local libraries when he travels... I do too! Do you?
And I do like the author's bio in which it's said that Lies visits local libraries when he travels... I do too! Do you?
January 12, 2023
This book is great! Super cute and so nostalgic with favorite childhood classics featured in adorable fashion! It encourages reading and imagination.
October 27, 2020
I love bats. I love libraries. The two page mural in the middle is awesome and I want it as a poster. These bats are just so cute.
January 30, 2009
Bryan Lies does not disappoint with his sequel to Bats at the Beach. From the picture on the cover where a bat cradles a book like it is his prized possession, Lies shows the power of books to entrance the reader. The bats are jubilant at the chance to spend the night in the library and to find books that feed the "universe inside each head." The rhyme and heavy rhythm throughout the book adds to the mood of celebrating learning.
The acrylic illustrations capture the rich texture of dark and night, but also illuminate each bats' unique personality. And little details like the bats playing within a picture in a pop up book and flying paper airplanes out of bat images adds spunk to the story. And when the bats are shown participating in the story being read, Lies demonstrates the visual power of books and imagination.
This is a great book that will allow children to find nuances in the story and pictures through multiple readings.
The acrylic illustrations capture the rich texture of dark and night, but also illuminate each bats' unique personality. And little details like the bats playing within a picture in a pop up book and flying paper airplanes out of bat images adds spunk to the story. And when the bats are shown participating in the story being read, Lies demonstrates the visual power of books and imagination.
This is a great book that will allow children to find nuances in the story and pictures through multiple readings.
February 20, 2009
So many fun details! Bats wearing reading glasses, bats studying a field guide to moths, bats playing in a pop-up gingerbread house, bats at storytime getting pulled into almost-familiar stories with bat twists - such as "Goodnight Sun" looking very much like "Goodnight Moon." If you read and liked Bats at the Beach, you need to read this one, too.
November 1, 2014
Loved this! Bats waiting for that special night, when they can explore the library! I wish I could join them, to have free rein all night long in a library...how wondrous! What I loved about this book is that it captured that feeling of excitement and discovery for kids. And the pictures are all fun and utterly perfect for this book. This is one I don't mind re-reading.
Read
December 31, 2024This is the cutest!!!! Bats!!! Reading books!!! What more could you want?!
Any child reading this, or adult to be fair, should want to pick up a book and get lost in the adventure, just like these lil bats did 🦇 📖
Any child reading this, or adult to be fair, should want to pick up a book and get lost in the adventure, just like these lil bats did 🦇 📖
October 14, 2022
Bats enter the library at night: yoooooo
me, hunched over my book like a goblin:
bats:
me:
bats:
me: so do you like Dickens?
me, hunched over my book like a goblin:
bats:
me:
bats:
me: so do you like Dickens?
November 14, 2021
Featured in a grandma reads session.
Bats are everywhere in this beautifully illustrated picture book! But the one my guys loved the best was the weensy baby bat with the "floaties" on his wings. . .beginner bat paraphernalia we suppose. . .
Flying focused on a fancy, lovely old library with a handy stained-glass window left open - very opportune - the bats have a night with books, and it is a mixed age community. Hilariously, it mirrors human mixed age communities - the Educators, the Willing Students, the Loners, the Oh-so-Boreds, the Here-for-Social-Only-Reasons, the Reachers. . .so funny. The kiddos said there are more books by this author and so we seek more: the best vote, really.
Bats are everywhere in this beautifully illustrated picture book! But the one my guys loved the best was the weensy baby bat with the "floaties" on his wings. . .beginner bat paraphernalia we suppose. . .
Flying focused on a fancy, lovely old library with a handy stained-glass window left open - very opportune - the bats have a night with books, and it is a mixed age community. Hilariously, it mirrors human mixed age communities - the Educators, the Willing Students, the Loners, the Oh-so-Boreds, the Here-for-Social-Only-Reasons, the Reachers. . .so funny. The kiddos said there are more books by this author and so we seek more: the best vote, really.
June 6, 2012
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies is a super rhyming adventure that takes us through a night at the library with bats who love to read! The illustrations in this book are fabulous--there is so much to look at on each page. I love the middle section with no text and bats acting out scenes from different classic books. This book would appeal to boys and girls and really pulls them in with the wonderful rhyming story. It looks like a book I would read in the fall around October because it is night time, but not too spooky. The book has won seveal awards including: New Hampshire Ladybug Award, 2009 California Young Reader Medal, Grand Canyon Reader Award (AZ), Volunteer State Book Award (TN), Buckaroo Book Award (WY), Arizona Young Readers Award, 2011 LYRC Grades 3-5 Consideration list (LA), SCC Picture Book Award , Bill Martin, Jr. Award (Kansas) , 2010 Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award, Nebraska Golden Sower Book Award (2009-2010), Keystone to Reading Award (PA), 2009-2010.
It is just that good!
Lies, B. (2008). Bats at the library. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
It is just that good!
Lies, B. (2008). Bats at the library. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
March 10, 2017
Big board book format, perfect for showing off the antics of a bunch of bats who hangout :) in the library!
It's Bat Night!!
Rhyming text throughout moves this tale along nicely.
Artwork is clever, perfectly darkish for a bats' night out and the pages are illuminated with golden glows from the windows and library lamps (where young bats hang to read the books, duh?! :)
The bats themselves are pale with fine webbing friendly features and characteristics, and the baby bats cling safely to their moms with preservers on the wings, like swim rings little kids wear in the pool, nice!
There's lots of fun at Bat Night: Wingtip-tag, books to browse, making shapes on the xerox, storytime.
Now, storytime for the wee bats is a hoot, a centre page spread that will surely delight! Here is the essence: how each of us is pulled into a story, me, you, a bat or two: pure magic the power of the story.
Soon, 'breathless, lest within the tale, no one sees the light grow pale.'
And they're all off in a hurry, Bat Night at the library ends. What fun it was!
A joyful book celebrating reading, books, bats, and community.
I highly recommend it.
It's Bat Night!!
Rhyming text throughout moves this tale along nicely.
Artwork is clever, perfectly darkish for a bats' night out and the pages are illuminated with golden glows from the windows and library lamps (where young bats hang to read the books, duh?! :)
The bats themselves are pale with fine webbing friendly features and characteristics, and the baby bats cling safely to their moms with preservers on the wings, like swim rings little kids wear in the pool, nice!
There's lots of fun at Bat Night: Wingtip-tag, books to browse, making shapes on the xerox, storytime.
Now, storytime for the wee bats is a hoot, a centre page spread that will surely delight! Here is the essence: how each of us is pulled into a story, me, you, a bat or two: pure magic the power of the story.
Soon, 'breathless, lest within the tale, no one sees the light grow pale.'
And they're all off in a hurry, Bat Night at the library ends. What fun it was!
A joyful book celebrating reading, books, bats, and community.
I highly recommend it.
October 12, 2011
A fun book about a visit to the library - by bats!
"Then word spreads quickly from afar:
a window has been left ajar.
Can it be true? Oh, can it be?
Yes! - Bat Night at the library!"
The bats swoop through the open library window and have an evening to remember. They read, they play with the photocopier and the water fountain, they enjoy a story time.
"And if we listen, we will hear
some distant voices drawing near -
louder, louder, louder still,
they coax and pull us in, until...
everyone - old bat or pup -
has been completely swallowed up
and lives inside a book instead
of simply hearing something read."
What follows are some exquisitely illustrated pages of what it's like for those bats to live inside the books. Characters from classic children's literature inhabit the pages and should bring a chuckle to adults or older children. The rhyme, the rhythm, the enchanting illustrations all add up to a wonderful book about the pleasures to be found in a library.
"Then word spreads quickly from afar:
a window has been left ajar.
Can it be true? Oh, can it be?
Yes! - Bat Night at the library!"
The bats swoop through the open library window and have an evening to remember. They read, they play with the photocopier and the water fountain, they enjoy a story time.
"And if we listen, we will hear
some distant voices drawing near -
louder, louder, louder still,
they coax and pull us in, until...
everyone - old bat or pup -
has been completely swallowed up
and lives inside a book instead
of simply hearing something read."
What follows are some exquisitely illustrated pages of what it's like for those bats to live inside the books. Characters from classic children's literature inhabit the pages and should bring a chuckle to adults or older children. The rhyme, the rhythm, the enchanting illustrations all add up to a wonderful book about the pleasures to be found in a library.
October 14, 2016
I used this book the first or second week of library classes this year. It was a great lead in to talking about being excited about the library and all the great things it has to offer. It also gave me the change to review what we don't do in the library: run or fly wing to wing. The illustrations are intriguing with plenty of opportunity for inferring and connecting. This was a great book.
Library Lessons
I specifically used the illustrations of bats as Winnie the Pooh, Red Riding Hood, a Hobbit, etc. to connect my students with the idea that good readers imagine themselves into the story.
Library Lessons
I specifically used the illustrations of bats as Winnie the Pooh, Red Riding Hood, a Hobbit, etc. to connect my students with the idea that good readers imagine themselves into the story.
January 16, 2012
I know I'm not the only person who loves bats and books but this book feels like it was written just for me!
I love this story about the bats sneaking into the library because a librarian left the window open. The bats are charming (as all bats are) of course, and they imagine themselves in some of the most beloved children's books.
My kids and I love the picture where the bats are making copies of themselves on the copy machine and then folding them into paper airplanes.
We borrowed this from the library and then had to have our own copy.
I love this story about the bats sneaking into the library because a librarian left the window open. The bats are charming (as all bats are) of course, and they imagine themselves in some of the most beloved children's books.
My kids and I love the picture where the bats are making copies of themselves on the copy machine and then folding them into paper airplanes.
We borrowed this from the library and then had to have our own copy.
March 31, 2020
A delightful book about bats excitedly rushing to the library when they hear a window has been left open. Rich and whimsical illustration blended with upbeat rhyming makes this a delight for the eyes and ears!
Check this book out from the Villa Park Public Library!
Check this book out from the Villa Park Public Library!
September 4, 2009
Very beautiful book about bats invading a library to read, play, and have a great time. The illustrations are rich and vivid. The text is bouncy verse.
The best part is the hints of other literature all through the illustrations including a Velveteen bat, a Winnie the Pooh bat, a hobbit hole, and many more. The titles of some of the books are fun too like Goodnight Sun.
Great fun for little ones and the adults that will read to them.
The best part is the hints of other literature all through the illustrations including a Velveteen bat, a Winnie the Pooh bat, a hobbit hole, and many more. The titles of some of the books are fun too like Goodnight Sun.
Great fun for little ones and the adults that will read to them.
June 5, 2012
This book would be for grades kindegarten to 4th grade. I love that the story rhymed. It was a very cute story and the pictures were also great. I think this would appeal to children because it is a clever story and flows really well. This book is from the Golden Sowers Award list from 2011 in the primary category.
October 14, 2014
An adorable story about the love of reading and libraries. Really great illustrations (even if the bats in the story are a lot cuter than they are in real life). The last page mentions that maybe a librarian will leave a window open for the bats to visit again. As much as I enjoyed this story, I wouldn't like to get to my library in the morning to see bats everywhere. Ha!
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