By Selena Giovannelli

A few weeks ago, as I walked into ImaginOn for a meeting, I felt giddy. I love and am excited about all libraries, but children’s libraries or the children’s section of any library branch have a very special place in my heart. We are incredibly fortunate in Charlotte to have an entire library uptown focused solely on children. In addition, we have a group of dedicated librarians all over Charlotte Mecklenburg who bring the best of children’s literature and programming to our county.

As a child, my grandmother, Lola, would take me to the library every week in the summer. She ensured that I was always was able to participate in the summer reading program. My grandmother was a prolific reader. Some of my earliest memories are of her reading her Bible or some book or another. I still remember the excitement building on my first visit to the library with her. I couldn’t believe I was able to go into the library and choose books to read – and then take them home! The next week would be just as exciting as I discovered new titles, interests, and authors each visit.

It’s all I can do at ImaginOn to not just find a book that I loved growing up, pull it from the shelf, find a cozy chair and just read. I love the smell of books and libraries and the serene feeling they leave me with even today.

I credit my grandmother for introducing me to the library, but it’s countless libraries and librarians over the years who have only added to my passion for reading by suggesting new titles or books and giving me free, unlimited access to the books I chose to read.

My favorite young children’s book growing up was The Picnic Bear by Ruth and Latrobe Carroll. The Picnic Bear has been out of print for many years, but I have been able to secure a few expired library copies to hold for (hopefully) future grandchildren.

The Picnic Bear is the story of a young bear cub and his mom trying to “share” food with picnickers visiting their area. The book’s illustrations are black and white but incredibly vivid. The bear cub is simply adorable. In the story, the bear cub gets in a little pickle (its hand stuck in a pickle jar) trying to “borrow” some food while its mother is elsewhere. Of course, the mother rescues the bear cub from the situation, and they go on to live happily ever after.

I remember my own mother reading this book to me over and over as it was always my reading request. I checked it out of our library over and over and over. Just seeing the cover gives me such overwhelming feelings of the joy of sitting next to my mother while she read my favorite book and the joy it gave me to read that same book to my son when he was small.

Great children’s books continue to be published and obtained by our Library, and even though you won’t find The Picnic Bear, the librarians at ImaginOn or your local Library location will be able to help you find the perfect book for reading and re-reading with your own special little people.

P.S. Did you know that Ann Patchett writes children’s books? Check out her three titles: Escape Goat, Lambslide and The Verts at the library! They are so entertaining and beautifully illustrated by the fabulous Robin Priss Glasser, illustrator of the Eloise series.

P.S.S. Some other more recent favorites you can check out at the library: Big by Vashti Harrison, Hot Dog by Doug Salati, Outside In by Deborah Underwood, The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung, Except Antarctica by Todd Sturgell, Wild Symphony by Dan Brown, and Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev.