5 Picture Books about Libraries Around the World & Signed Book GIVEAWAY!

Please welcome my guest author today, Joan Schoettler, with her list of 5 Picture Books about Libraries Around the World.

We are giving away a signed copy of Books Travel the World. To enter, please leave a comment.

6 Picture Books about Libraries Around the World

The Book Boat’s In by Cynthia Cotton, illustrated by Frané Lessac

Step into the nineteenth century of American life, where young Jesse sees the familiar long boat, R. Edward’s Library and Bookstore, at the wharf. Jesse finds just the book he wants, and with the hope of earning enough money to purchase it the following week, Jesse sweeps floors, cleans harnesses, and chops wood, along with other jobs, to earn the twenty cents he needs for the book. This book is an invitation into 1835 when boats of all kinds traveled on the Erie Canal, and children’s worlds broadened with opportunities as they read in the stories the Book Boat carried. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Biblioburro, A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter

This perfectly paced story is of a man who loves books and wants to share them with children who have none. Every week, he packs crates with books and, with the help of his burros, Alfa and Beto, they delivers books to children in remote areas. Speech bubbles express the thoughts of the characters in the book and the thoughts the children have in their minds when Luis reads a story to them. Be sure to pause over the last line in the book. It might be my favorite. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra

Told through the voice of a young girl who loves books, this book invites you into the story of a librarian who takes books to children where there are no libraries. He reads to them in the shade of the tree and invites them to take books home to read. This circle story is really a dream of possibilities coming true for Ana, the narrator, and Luis, the storyteller librarian. This book celebrates the joy of reading. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Books Travel the World by Joan Schoettler, illustrated by Helena Pérez-Garcia

What do some children in Thailand, Kenya, and Norway have in common? For children who live in out-of-the-way places where there are no libraries, there are few books for them to read. Throughout the world, dedicated librarians travel to remote areas delivering books to kids by elephant, camels, and donkeys as well as boats, bikes, and buses. Image where books take them: into outerspace, to faraway forests, and concerts in the park. On each page, children ask for “One more story, please!” The vibrant greens, bumblebee yellows, and splashes of red energize each page. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story of Iraq by Jeannette Winter

What a powerful story of a librarian, her love of books, and war that ravages her city! Her heart and soul are in the library. When fires sweep closer to the library, she calls on friends and her community to save the books and hide them in her friend’s restaurant. Exquisite illustrations tell the story of war and destruction, but it is the power of community coming together, believing in books, and building a better world that shines through, celebrating hope. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Signed Copy of Books Travel the World GIVEAWAY!

We are giving away a signed copy of Books Travel the World. To enter, please leave a comment. We can only mail to U.S. and A.P.O. addresses.. To enter, please leave a comment. We can only mail to U.S. and A.P.O. addresses. The giveaway ends in one month.

Art, nature, and the lived experiences of people from diverse backgrounds fascinate Joan Schoettler. Her writing weaves these components into stories, inviting children and adults to step into new insights of our world.

She has written three picture books: Good Fortune in a Wrapping Cloth, Ruth Asawa: A Sculpting Life, and A Home for George. The Honey Jar: An Armenian’s Escape to Freedom is her first middle-grade novel. She began working on this project at the time of the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in 2015. Her interest in the roots of Fresno Armenians led me to this story. When she first heard of this young boy’s trek, she knew that she wanted to share it with others.

Her writing demonstrates a global view as my stories traverse the world: Germany, Korea, Mexico, the United States, Japan, and China, and include a variety of genres. She believes in paying attention to what we love, to those who touch our lives, and to treasured moments to incorporate in our writing, making our stories come to life.

She lives with her husband in California, where we have raised three sons. To learn more, visit her website, and follow her on Instagram: @joan.schoettler, Facebook: @ joan-schoettler, Twitter: @SchoettlerJoan, and Pinterest:@joanschoettler.

p.s. Related posts:

Creating a Diverse & Inclusive Family Library at Tough Talk Tuesday

Picture Book Doll House at My Library

A Perfect Home Library

Visiting the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

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My books:

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

The Traveling Taco: The Amazing and Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite Foods

Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Fortune Cookies for Everyone! (Smithsonian): The Surprising Story of the Tasty Treat We Love to Eat

Junior Library Guild Gold Selection

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court

ALSC Notable Children’s Book
2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
Junior Library Guild Gold Selection