Nia and the New Free Library

by Ian Lendler, Mark Pett (Illustrator)

Overview

This picture book tells the story of one girl who reminds an entire town of the joy of books.

When the town's old library is destroyed by a tornado, the people are left wondering: What should they do with the space where the library used to be?

The characters in Nia and the New Free Library all want different things: the builder wants there to be a new skyscraper, the grocer wants a new parking lot, but Nia just wants a new library . . . but how can one person build a whole library?

• Explores the power of community and what a group can accomplish
• Teaches the importance of working together toward a common goal
• Reminds readers of the important role libraries play in community, and how they work

Sometimes the biggest things can start with almost nothing at all.

Ian Lendler and Mark Pett bring humor and heart to this clever twist on the classic "Stone Soup" folktale.

• This triumphant ode to the magic of sharing stories is sure to strike a chord with bibliophiles of all genres, ages, and stripes.
• Resonates year-round as a go-to birthday or holiday gift for book-loving kids
• Perfect for children ages 5 to 8 years old
• Great gift for parents and grandparents, as well as librarians, teachers, and educators
• Add it to the shelf with books like Stone Soup by Marcia Brown, Delivering Your Mail by Ann Owen, and Seeds and Trees by Brandon Walden.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452166865
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	356,406
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ian Lendler is the author of many picture books, the Stratford Zoo graphic novel series, and several works of nonfiction. His most recent picture book, The Fabled Life of Aesop, won the American Folklore Society Aesop Prize. If he could build his own library, it would include a room filled with puppies and free pizza. He lives in San Rafael, California.

Mark Pett is the author and illustrator of Lizard from the Park, The Boy and the Airplane, and The Girl and the Bicycle, as well as the coauthor and illustrator of The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Editorial Reviews

05/10/2021

A brown-skinned, noodle-limbed child named Nia unites Littletown by reminding it of libraries’ importance in this “Stone Soup”–inspired tale. When the Littletown Library, already old and abandoned, is carried away by a tornado, the town’s residents wonder what to do with the empty lot. Nia, apparently the library’s sole visitor, crafts a selection of tales from memory, calling the collection the New Free Library and offering it to residents. When her fellow citizens complain about errors, clever Nia merely hands them a pencil and paper to fix things. Lendler relays the tale in rhythmic, dialogue-heavy prose, offering allusions to classics (“What exactly is a rumpus?”). Pett illustrates in warm washes of color, with comic-style panels featuring a cast of figures of varying ages and skin tones. An entertaining narrative extolling the community-building virtues of libraries. Back matter includes an author’s note. Ages 5–8. (June)

Publishers Weekly

An entertaining narrative extolling the community-building virtues of libraries.”—Publishers Weekly

Nia and the New Free Library 

"Inspired by how his grandfather got his town to build a library, Lendler cleverly tells his own version of this story through a fresh variation on 'Stone Soup.'. . . A heartening tale of community and perseverance."-Booklist

"Ian Lendler (The Fabled Life of Aesop) deftly concocts a tale of kid-friendly activism, demonstrating how one small person might achieve outsize results by giving the whole diverse community a stake in the dream. . . . The sketchy line work and pastel washes of Mark Pett (This Is My Book!) bring to mind the picture book art of David Small. . . . This inspired reimagining of the classic 'Stone Soup' story shows how a positive project can bring people together. Nia and the New Free Library demonstrates how spreading the love of reading might well elevate an entire community. . . [A] charming, kid-friendly take on grassroots activism."-Shelf Awareness

From the Publisher

2021-06-02
Waiflike Nia convinces Littletown to rebuild its library after a tornado carries it away.

The opening double-page spread mimics an album of photographs, starting with the earthbound library in a horse-and-buggy era and ending years later, with the building spun aloft in a tornado’s funnel. Simple text asserts that the library had been there so long that “people stopped paying attention” and no one noticed when the librarian retired. Townspeople do notice the space left by the tornado; preliminary suggestions for projects are a skyscraper and a parking lot. Nia’s suggestion is met with negative reactions from people who think that libraries are never used and are a waste of money. There is one stumbling moment when readers learn that decidedly young Nia had been checking out books weekly. How long ago had that librarian retired? Nevertheless, text, art, and layout combine to create a tale that is distinctive, whimsical, funny, and a pointed reminder about public libraries’ value. Nia gathers some items in her red wagon: a desk, a chair, pencil and papers, and “a plate of orange slices for energy.” She uses clever humility to lure townspeople into her scheme that readers familiar with the tale of “Stone Soup” may recognize. Tongue-in-cheek humor includes witty metafictional references. Warmly informal line-and-color art imbues the diverse inhabitants of Littletown with a sweet humanity—even in moments of disagreement. Nia has beige skin and wears her hair in a brown pageboy.

A keeper. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews