Over the past two decades, authors, illustrators and publishers have been countering the move toward online learning and digital-only resources with a variety of books for young children that emphasize the importance of printed books and of libraries as spaces filled with diverse populations and physical copies of books.
In an era where screens often dominate children’s attention, these creators have produced imaginative and visually engaging works that celebrate the tactile, multisensory experience of holding a printed book. This presentation will examine works such as Stacey’s Remarkable Books by Stacey Abrams, Library Day by Anne Rockwell and Give Me Back My Book by Travis Foster and Ethan Long and consider what lessons they might offer adults, too.