Libraries Are Cool!
A summer reading program you'll actually want to participate in
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) for a private tour for illustrators hosted by children’s book author and illustrator K-Fai Steele. I’m not an illustrator or an author, but thankfully, K-Fai assured me that even though they were calling it an “illustrator’s tour,” it was for anyone who loves books, art, and libraries—which meant I was more than welcome. I’m a big fan of K-Fai’s work, so getting the chance to meet her in person was my primary motivation for going, but I was also interested in learning how, as someone who writes about and researches children’s literature, I could maximize the SFPL’s offerings. It did not disappoint, and by the end of the tour, I decided that K-Fai and the SFPL were undoubtedly The Coolest.
Some of the highlights of the tour were the library’s oversized reference stacks (so many great comics!), the photo archive, the Marjorie G. and Carl W. Stern Book Arts & Special Collections Center, and the Effie Lee Morris Collection. Morris was the San Francisco Public Library Children’s Services coordinator in the ‘60s and ‘70s—and a pioneer in the industry. In her private collection are rare and first-edition children’s books and amazing bound periodicals like Ebony Jr., Cricket, and Sesame Street. There’s also a Beatrix Potter collection—and my favorite—a huge Alice in Wonderland collection (although it was missing Tove Jansson’s gorgeous contribution).
Since 1997, the SFPL has hosted an annual Effie Lee Morris Lecture Series with distinguished, diverse authors and illustrators of children’s books to speak about their lives, work, and creative inspirations to SFPL audiences. You can watch many of the past lectures online. Here are a few of my favorites:
The SFPL’s Summer Stride program (June-September) is another great offering for children and adults, and this year, K-Fai Steele is the Summer Stride artist. This means that if you are in San Francisco, you will see her playful, lively artwork posted around the city. And all summer, San Francisco residents (but also anyone in California with an SFPL library card) can participate in the library’s summer reading challenge, attend author events, and listen to audiobooks. By doing so, you qualify for the highly coveted READ tote illustrated by K-Fai! You can’t buy this thing. You gotta do the work, which is way more gratifying.
It had been years since I visited the SFPL, but after my tour, I was convinced I needed to take advantage of it more. I immediately signed up for a library card—and got a fancy Christian Robinson edition. Again: SFPL is cool!
But K-Fai didn’t just make one super rad tote bag; she made two! Her limited-edition, B-side “Friends of the San Francisco Public Library” tote is available for members of FSFPL and supporters of the library. I was lucky to be gifted one from K-Fai, along with one of her custom-illustrated buttons from an FSFPL Block Party Sale (a fun event for children and adults with used books, music, a Kids Zone, and more!).
While K-Fai was in San Francisco, we also met for lunch, where talked all things picture books, but mostly about revered authors and illustrators of the past like Arnold Lobel, Maurice Sendak, Richard Scarry, Wanda Gág, and James Marshall. While eating deliciously gooey sandwiches, we gossiped over the interesting histories of these beloved artists (especially the spicy James Marshall) and how underutilized libraries are for children’s book research. Thankfully, K-Fai is hoping to change that. I mentioned how I’m always searching for more audio recordings of my favorite artists—things like lectures, but also radio shows and performances. How can someone like me listen to Margaret Wise Brown interviewed on the radio or hear old LPs of Ruth Krauss’s books? The free digital library, the Internet Archive, is fantastic, but the uploads are messy and often get removed. Can libraries get access to these things and share them not only with fellows but also with writers, artists, or, better yet, everyone? When I wrote my article on James Marshall, his lectures weren’t available to the public, but thankfully, they’re now online at the University of Connecticut. I highly recommend listening to them.
Listen to James Marshall’s lectures (1976-1990).
While browsing the amazing SFPL picture book collection, I was tickled to come across this illustration in Marshall’s Mother Goose (1979). Is Betty Botter not K-Fai?! Look at that hair! And the little girl with the little curl right in the middle of her forehead who, when she’s good, she’s very, very good, but when she’s bad, she’s horrid—well, let’s just say, I can relate.
Moonbow Recommendations
Here are a few of the books my family and I are reading this summer:
The Brilliant Ms. Bangle
written by Cara Devins and illustrated by K-Fai Steele (2023)I Made These Ants Some Underpants!
written by Derick Wilder and illustrated by K-Fai Steele (2023)The Skull by Jon Klassen (2023)
Stuntboy, in the Meantime
written by Jason Reynolds and illustrated by Raúl the Third (2021)Fox in Love
by James Marshall (1985). We’re rereading all the Fox books. They’re hilarious.There’s a Party at Mona’s Tonight
written by Harry Allard and illustrated by James Marshall (1981)Maurice
by Jessixa Bagley (2023)Investigators
by John Patrick Green, a graphic novel series (2020—). My 6-year-old son’s current favorite.Dork Diaries
by Rachel Renée Russell, a graphic novel series (2009—). My 9-year-old daughter’s current favorite.
Check them out from your local library!
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Damn thats a cool library!!! K-Fai rules ❤️
Wait, we need a James Marshall sequel! Give us all the spicy Marshall history!