Bats at the Library

"Another inky evening's here - / the air is cool and calm and clear. / We've feasted, fluttered, swooped and, soared, / and yet... we're still a little bored" begins this engaging picture-book about a colony of bats that visit the local library one night. Whether reading selections that seem tailored to their interests - an insect guide is described as a guide to "fancy food" - playing with the photocopier, or settling in for story-hour, these bats know how to get the most out of their library visit, and how to really sink into a story!

With its rhyming narrative and appealing acrylic illustrations, Bats at the Library would make a good story-hour selection, although I'd be careful of the lighting conditions, when reading - the artwork show more is rather dark, and doesn't show up well in bright light. That said, there were many little details here that I found charming, from the upside-down vista in the first scene (a rooftop hangs from the top of the page), to the copy of "Goodnight Sun" that a few of the bats are seen reading. And, of course, the idea of getting lost in a good book is always one that will appeal to me! All in all, this was a charming little tale. I think I'd like to read about the bats' first adventure, in Bats at the Beach. show less

Wonderful, yes, fans of libraries will not be disappointed. But also frustrating - I did not recognize all the references. Goodnight Sun is easy, of course. And the bat version of Pippi Longstocking is cute. Peter Rabbit, Alice, etc... but who is riding a horse & escaping from a mob? And who says from bed No more melted cheese for me," perhaps because of nightmares? A bibliography or answer key would be perfect."

I loved this book, and I only wish it had been around when I was a child. The paintings are magnificent, I don't know how to describe them, but the bats seem so lifelike. The story is about a large group of bats who are excited to hear that the library window has been left open one night. The bats then swoop in and have the run of the place. They read, play games, chat about books, and get lost in storytime. They are sad when the sun starts to rise and they must leave, but they look forward to the next trip to this fantastic world of fun filled fantasies. This book is perfect to get children excited about going to the library and about reading in general.

This charmingly-illustrated book tells the story of what happens one night when a bunch of bored bats find a window ajar at the library. The bats – cutely drawn by author and illustrator Brian Lies – are thrilled by the discovery and spend the night exploring the library and having fun. They make photocopies of themselves on the copy machine, play in the pop-up books, conduct a family storytime, and use the drinking fountain as a swimming pool. The illustrations are richly detailed and funny. On one page, some bats are described as studying a guide to "fancy foods" and they are shown examining a guide to insects. This is a delightful picture book that will entertain readers of any age and is perfect Halloween reading. This is also a show more wonderful follow-up to Lies' first bat book, "Bats at the Beach," also highly recommended. show less

Cute and very creative, the bats rest in the day and during the evening, they find a window opened in the library. Having a great time reading they stay until the break of dawn. Again, I'm laughing out loud at the funny details incorporated in the illustrations. The bats are dressed like fairytale characters, and one bat reads a book Called Good Night Sun, instead of the popular Margaret Wise Brown Good Night Moon.

I think just the subject matter alone of Brian Lies' picture book, “Bats at the library” would entice many young readers of the ages of about 4 to 8. Thus the story is about a group of bats who sneak into a library at night time, when no one else is around to read the books. “Bats at the library” has been written as a rhyme and it contains quite a bit of alliteration, so children would enjoy reading it aloud. Lies' magnificent, detailed and comical paintings fill up every page and depict the text perfectly. Mostly darker colors are used, which suits the bat and night time content. “Bats at the library” is great for developing reading skills and imagination.

It's library night for bats when the librarian leaves one of the windows open. This somewhat strange, unknown, omniscient narrator explains, in rhyme, what the bats do at night in the library: play games, read books, copy themselves in the photocopy machine, swim in the drinking fountain, etc. The book is fun and playful, if a little bit creepy at times. The bats have such a good time in the library that they lose track of time and must hurry to leave when they realize the sun is coming up.

The story is done in rhyme, which is cute without being cutesy. The illustrations are dark without being eery and are light enough to capture the playfulness of the text. Illustrations span the full spread across both pages and there is no white show more space.

Highly recommended for elementary school libraries. show less