The lost library by Jess McGeachin

Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760892715.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Moving house, Oliver takes his most precious possessions, his books. He loves them all, and in his bedroom, he finds a book possibly left by the last occupiers of the house. He wants to keep it but knows that it belongs to someone else, because inside the front cover, is a message to return it to the Lost Library. And so the book becomes a mystery, Oliver must find this place to take back the book. The only one who offers advice about finding the lost library is his new neighbour, Rosie. She knows just the place to start the search. Putting the book into the return chute the two slide down with the book and find themselves in the lost library, a marvellous place full of books about the most exciting and interesting of things. Oliver is worried that they too are lost and will not be able to find their way out, but Rosie takes the lead as they make their way through a host of books. They sail through a storm, Oliver worried until Rosie finds book of knots and can tie up the sails. They come to a deep forest and following a path which peters out but they come across a flight of stairs which turns out to be a dragon. Oliver is worried but Rosie tells him everyone likes a story and reads one until the dragon falls asleep, and they can return to the library and home.
This charming tale of books and the pleasure we gain by reading, will be a favourite amongst librarians and others as they entice children into seeing all the wonders that await them in the library. A host of ideas escape from this wonderful book: the multitudinous subjects that can be found in books, the excitement of reading them for yourself, the wonder of listening to a story being read out loud, exploring the library shelves, the worlds that can be created within one's head, the creatures that exist in reality and imagination, the pleasure of finding out for yourself. Libraries offer these and more to all who enter the doors, and this book will spirit its readers away into worlds of imagination and adventure through the journey of Oliver and Rosie.
Melbourne based author/illustrator, Jess McGeachin loves leaving clues for eagle eyes to find in his work, and readers will find a dragon on each page if they look hard enough. Themes: Libraries, Imagination, Reading.
Fran Knight