A Cast of Cheeky Characters

Andrew Katz and Juliana Léveillé-Trudel’s A Starlit Trip to the Library

A review of A Starlit Trip to the Library by Andrew Katz and Juliana Léveillé-Trudel

Published on July 4, 2022

A Starlit Trip to the Library
Andrew Katz and Juliana Léveillé-Trudel
Illustrated by Joseph Sherman

CrackBoom!
$19.95
cloth
44pp
9782898023217

Book-loving Julia and her woodland friends are back in A Starlit Trip to the Library, which reassembles a cast of cheeky animal characters. Andrew Katz and Juliana Léveillé-Trudel’s first book, How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read, is in regular rotation in my house, and I predict the same for the sequel.

The premise is this: Frieda the skunk, Abigail the gopher, and Scotty the squirrel settle in for a bedtime story on a camping trip. Julia discovers she’s neglected to pack the book, to everyone’s disappointment. Never fear, Bertrand the bear comes to the rescue with a raft and a handy night librarian contact (also, the library is conveniently port-side). The dialogue is humorous, and Bertrand is fond of big words, so young readers can gain vocabulary. The illustrations by Joseph Sherman have an animated feel and are vibrant and engaging.

Kids might enjoy the bonus feature of learning Julia’s camping song, written by Katz and sung by Splash’N Boots’ Taes Leavitt. To encourage a love of independent nature exploration and reading, this book is a worthy addition to any library. In fact, I might suggest borrowing it from your local branch. I am sure Bertrand would approve.mRb

Meaghan Thurston is a Montreal-based arts and science writer, co-editor of the anthology With the World to Choose From: Seven Decades of the Beatty Lecture at McGill University, and mother to two budding readers.