I recently read the 2008 picture book Bats in the Library, by Brian Lies. This was not sparked by my recent reading of Superbat (though bats do show up in a lot of kids books), but rather by books like The Rough Patch, which impressed and moved me. That book, and the more recent Cat Nap are striking.
This earlier book is less so, and gives a real sense of how Lies has developed as a creator.
Oh, this is pleasant enough. It has a clear and very kid-appropriate premise: when a bunch of bored bats learn someone left a window open at the library, they surge in, and hold “Bat Night at the library!”
The images of bats enjoying the library–in very kid-like fashion, like photocopying themselves–are fun, and the two-page spreads of bats telling stories are well-designed. The whole book plays with darkness and shadow well.
Overall, this is fun, but just fun, unlike the more recent books, which combine fun with something more profound.
