Say it isn't so!

Recently, the New York Times newspaper ran an article about the fading popularity of children’s Picture Books (see: Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children). They blamed not only the economy but the fact that parents and schools are encouraging children to read “big-kid chapter books” earlier and earlier. Bookstores agree that sales are down and that they sometimes have to pack up the Picture Books and return them to the publisher. In turn, the publishers are curtailing the number of Picture Books they produce for market and those wonderful, talented authors and illustrators of Picture Books are feeling the pinch. Please, say it isn’t so!

If I had to choose my favorite type of children’s book, it would be the Picture Book. Most Picture Books are written with a sophisticated vocabulary that children can understand but not necessarily read (until they are school-age) and their bountiful illustrations can help develop sensitivity, humor, critical thinking and imagination. And remember, there are the Picture Books that are written with the older child or even the adult in mind (see books by Patricia Polacco). Oh, the things they can teach and the emotions they can invoke (I’m often seen at the circulation desk with teary eyes after reading a new picture book)! Picture Books are so important to developing a love for reading.

Please say it isn’t so…that their popularity is fading or that parents don't see (as literary experts are quick to say) that Picture Books are not for dummies …

Wait…
one of our patrons just checked out 30 Picture Books!