NEVER GIVE A BABY A LIBRARY CARD

A library card is the most powerful card of all, especially in a baby’s hands.

It’s a momentous day; a little tot, drooling in a stroller, is about to get his very first library card. But the appropriately nicknamed “Shouty Man” tries to halt the proceedings. His loud “STOP!” reverberates across the page, and he pontificates on the potential dangers: “Ideas come from books, and too many of those / can lead to big problems, as everyone knows!” He spins various scenarios: What if babies learned how to cook? (Booth’s artwork depicts cheery adults sipping from bottles as infant waiters in bow ties crawl by balancing baby back ribs and baby carrots on their heads.) What if they studied fashion? (Adults would be clamoring for the latest diapers.) The world would be in chaos! Luckily, another youngster bellows her own loud “STOP!” as she shows Shouty Man the error of his ways. After all, where would we be if young people weren’t allowed to read? Married duo Sandberg and Booth strike a humorous tone as they convey a serious takeaway—no one, not even a Shouty Man, should limit access to knowledge. In Booth’s airy cartoon illustrations, the main characters are pale-skinned; the library’s patrons and staff are diverse.

A rousing message to embolden library users everywhere.