Module 1 - Bats in the Library

Book
Bats in the Library
written and illustrated by Brian Lies


Citation
Lies, B. (2008). Bats in the library. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.


Summary
A rhyming tale of a late-night visit to the library by a group of bats, this quaint tale depicts activities that regular visitors of the two-legged, elementary variety might do when they visit the library. The evening of book dreaming comes to an end when the first light of dawn appears, sending the bats out the window through which they came, hoping the librarian will leave it open so they can visit again.


Reviews
Kirkus Reviews (August 15, 2010): Previously Lies has given his bats nights at the library and the beach with great success. Now they play night baseball on a ballfield laid out under a circus tent with crowds of bat fans and vendors selling appropriate snacks like “mothdogs.” The game proceeds with swoops and slides and a win for the home team. The action is described in verse with the rhymes in easy, breezy aabb form for setup and denouement and heightened “Casey at the Bat” cadences and couplets for the game itself. Lies’s acrylic illustrations appear as full- and double-page spreads and scattered, unframed vignettes, and all are filled with copious detail depicting uniforms, regalia and play-by-play. The visual effect is quite stunning, with some fantastically disorienting upside-down spreads to reflect the fans’ hanging position, and much of the language is utterly delicious. A broad knowledge of baseball and its place in the American consciousness is assumed, as is an ability to roll with rather sophisticated vocabulary and phrasing. But as a read-aloud by a baseball fan, it’s sure to inspire a love of the game—and maybe of bats as well. (Picture book. 5-8)

Publishers Weekly (July 14, 2008): Lies’s (Bats at the Beach) much-lauded bats are back and the library’s got them—thanks to a window left open by an unsuspecting (or perhaps sympathetic) librarian. Although the young ones initially misbehave (they make photocopies of their bodies and turn the water fountain into a splash pool), Lies cuts them a little slack: “It’s hard to settle down and read/ when life flits by at dizzy speed.” Story time settles everyone (upside-)down, and soon the furry creatures are “completely swallowed up” in books, giving Lies comic license to bat-tify the signature visuals from classics like Make Way For Ducklings; Pippi Longstocking; Goodnight, Moon and Peter Rabbit. As with its predecessor, this book’s richly detailed chiaroscuro paintings find considerable humor at the intersection where bat and human behavior meet. But the author/artist outdoes himself: the library-after-dark setting works a magic all its own, taking Lies and his audience to an intensely personal place. Ages 4–8.


Suggested Use
Introducing the library to new, young users with this books could be magical. Placing stuffed, plush bats all over the library as a seek-and-find after reading this book could send students on a discovery hunt though the library, allowing students to get to know the different sections and areas within the library.


Impression
This book is fabulous with it's rhyming phrases and great ideas about the things that happen in the library. I like the emphasis on what the bats are thinking, written in italics, to help students identify with the bats. I think this book is a great way to start the year off with carpet reading. It also gives me the idea of decorating the library with bats, giving the students something to focus on and identify with throughout the school year.