Eagle Rock Branch Library

Children’s author and Los Angeles resident, Andrea J. Loney, visited the Eagle Rock Branch Library for part of the Summer Author Program. We were so excited that we got to attend! (Eagle Rock is branch #32, so we have not officially visited their children’s section. . . but we will get there!)

After talking to all of us, playing with the kids, blowing bubbles, and passing around puppets — Andrea read her book, Bunny Bear. Bunny Bear is illustrated by Carmen Saldaña.

It is a very sweet story about a bear who does things that bunnies do – then meets a bunny who does things that bears do. . . the kids and adults in attendance (including my daughter and my mother) had so much fun.

Andrea then read her Lee And Low New Voices Award Winner – and Junior Library Award Winner: Take A Picture of Me, James VanDerZee! It is illustrated by Keith Mallett. Wow. What an amazing picture book biography.

I want to see all of VanDerZee‘s photographs of ordinary people during Harlem Renaissance now. Besides the wonderful illustrations and story of his life and art, there is a great afterword where you learn even more.

This is definitely a book I will be reading more at home and at work with kids. Thankfully, I got to take a signed copy home! Thank you, Andrea and LAPL!

I can’t wait until Andrea’s next book comes out. You should be excited too – it’s a picture book celebrating music and family!

Now, I just need to know — when does the LAPL acquire copies of Andrea’s books? (I looked to see if the two she read were available, and they were listed as Not On Shelf on the LAPL Catalog search). How does a library make choices in the books that are available; are all books added to a giant ‘Books That Need To Be Added’ list? When books are published, do libraries get notified immediately and the books get added to a purchase list? I am sure it takes some time to process depending on a book’s publication date. . .  Just wondering!

Oh, and speaking of a library system for allowing new books to be added — Eagle Rock Branch Library has the best floor rug I’ve ever seen. The kids were all sitting on, wait for it, a DEWEY DECIMAL rug!!

Look for more great book suggestions to check out at your public library from sites such as, We Need Diverse Books!