The Library (Hardcover)

~ Sarah Stewart (Author), David Small (Illustrator) "Elizabeth Brown Entered the world Dropping straight down from the sky..." (more)
Key Phrases: Elizabeth Brown Walked

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The creators of The Money Tree paint a blithe yet affectionate portrait of a woman whose life centers on reading. Elizabeth Brown's obsession begins in childhood: "She didn't like to play with dolls,/ She didn't like to skate./ She learned to read quite early/ And at an incredible rate." Stewart's nimble verse follows the bibliophile through the years as she fills her home with books. Finally, "when volumes climbed the parlor walls/ And blocked the big front door,/ She had to face the awful fact/ She could not have one more." Elizabeth then decides to share her wealth: she donates her collection to the town, turns her home into a library and-of course-continues to read voraciously. Attuned to the story's humor and period setting, Small's (George Washington's Cows) airy illustrations charm with historical touches and soothing pastel hues. Triple-ruled black borders and filigreed corners suggest a family album of old, while black-and-white spot art highlights details of a singular life. The book's dedication adds a poignant note: "To the memory of the real Mary Elizabeth Brown, Librarian, Reader, Friend 1920-1992." All ages.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4?A story told in witty rhyme, about bookish Elizabeth Brown, who "learned to read quite early/And at an incredible rate." The story follows the young bibliophile from infancy to old age, as she takes her greatest pleasures in life from her literary treats. As an elderly woman, she donates her house and all of her treasures to the town for a library, and moves in with a friend. Framed watercolors give the book an old-fashioned, scrapbooklike appearance, in keeping with the details and dress of a time gone by. Books topple over beds and line her halls and walls, taking over every inch of space in her spacious home. Elizabeth is never seen without a tome, whether vacuuming or exercising. Small black-ink line drawings decorate the verses below and often add an additional touch of humor. This is a funny, heartwarming story about a quirky woman with a not-so-peculiar obsession. Cheers for Elizabeth Brown, a true patron of the arts.?Trev Jones, School Library Journal
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (April 10, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374343888
• ISBN-13: 978-0374343880
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,509 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend., August 9, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Certain books recognize a niche and run at it full throttle. If you've ever known a librarian personally (everyone should be so lucky) then you know that this particular profession is obsessed with itself. Librarians love to seek out librarian related movies ("Party Girl", for example), music (Tori Amos's, "Songs of the Librarian"), and best of all... books! So when Sarah Stewart sat down and wrote a book entitled, "The Library", she basically guaranteed that it would be a success with at least one group of people in the world. Fortunately, the book is a hit with another group as well. Kids.

Our heroine is Elizabeth Brown and our heroine's method of entering the story is to fall from the sky into her mother's outstretched laundry linen. Says the text, "Elizabeth Brown/ Entered the world/ Dropping straight down from the sky/ Elizabeth Brown/ Entered the world/ Skinny, nearsighted, and shy". From the beginning the girl is an avid reader. With her constant companions at her side (a stuffed teddy bear and a continually serene housecat) we watch as Elizabeth Brown goes to school and breaks her own bunk bed with the weight of her books. She lends them to friends and eschews the lure of the opposite sex. Older still, she starts tutoring and lives on her own, reading all the while. Then one day there's no denying it any longer. "She had to face the awful fact". There are just too many books in the house. Without further ado her house becomes a library and she moves in with a female friend. To the end of their days they continue to read, "And turned page... after page... after page".

For readers (especially shy nearsighted ones) who have turned their lives over wholeheartedly to the reading of literature, this book is the ultimate compliment. As a Horn Book Magazine review once said, it shows a woman, "whose life is graceful and meaningful". Reading it myself, I love it. No question. But there is that nagging little voice at the back of my head that questions whether or not Elizabeth Brown did, in fact, lead a "meaningful" life. I suppose she did in the sense that she brought books to other people by opening her library. But her own life was, in a sense, squandered in books. Though she did have a friend at the end, she had no close relationships or fellow human companionship for quite some time. Then again, it's a good children's book that makes you ponder the meaning of what constitutes a rich and full life. Such big questions for such small packages.

As for the illustrations by David Small... they are without fault. I've read a lot of David Small books in my day, and to my mind this one is his best work in terms of skill. I've heard mumbles in the bookselling community that Small (married to the book's author Sarah Stewart) tends to make her the star of his illustrations on a regular basis. Just check out "The Money Tree" if you don't believe me. In this case, Small's somewhat choppy style has been tamed and given a great deal of depth and feeling. There are tiny evocative details in this story that charm as often as they impress. In a section that describes the seasons, a small blue colored bird grasps a flowering tree's branch between its little clawed feet. Delicate line drawings of leaves and snowflakes fall on either side of the text. And on each and every page the corners of the illustrations are held within beautiful cornerpieces. For kids, there's the added fun of trying to find Elizabeth Brown's teddy bear and cat in almost every illustration.

The book takes a love of reading to a safe extreme. It teaches children the joy of the process while, at the same time, being a fun and friendly book in and of itself. It's a little peculiar to read a book about reading (especially if you're a child) but I don't think they'll mind. In the end, it's so filled with a love of literature that even the most die hard television couch potato who happens to see it will be charmed. Altogether, a wonderful little work.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's okay to be solitary!, June 15, 2000

By	Anja "college librarian" (Alamosa, CO United States) - See all my reviews

As a librarian, I loved Sarah Stewart's description of books and reading. But as other reviewers have covered this aspect, I won't mention more.

In addition, I found her portrayal of Elizabeth Brown refreshing. Although Elizabeth has friends, she spends much time alone reading. She grows up to be a single woman who lives alone and who never marries. It's okay to be solitary! It's okay to be single! Most books are about forming relationships with others. This one is about being yourself in solitude.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!, August 12, 1999

By A Customer

My mother met Sarah Stewart, author of THE LIBRARY and sent me an autographed copy of the book. When I read it to my four year old daughter she laughed and laughed at the humor that is sometimes subtle in the text and brought delightfully to life in the illustrations. What fun this book is on my daughter's level and also on mine. And who hasn't walked into a wall trying to vaccuum while reading?

So, I'm so greatful this book made its way into my ever growing cases and closets and piles of books. We will be reading it and recommending it to everyone for years to come.

So, as my autographed copy says, "Good books are friends for life!"

Heidi ("Lucky daughter of [the author's] new friend Jane" Yolen)