I'll Build You a Bookcase (Mandarin-English bilingual edition)

by Jean Ciborowski Fahey, Simone Shin (Illustrator)

In this charming bilingual picture book, children and their caregivers work together to build home libraries and discover the magic and wonder of reading books. Told in simple, sweet rhyme in English and Mandarin, I'll Build You a Bookcase celebrates the joy of reading and discovering new stories. Early literacy specialist Jean Ciborowski Fahey has crafted a story that celebrates literacy and inspires parents and caregivers to read to their child every day. Reading for even ten minutes a day has proven to build important language skills, curiosity and memory in young children, and encourages a positive association with books and reading later in life. Coupled with charming and vibrant art by award-winning illustrator Simone Shin, I'll Build You a Bookcase makes a wonderful addition to every bookshelf.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Books About Books, Family, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2021

About the author

In my early career, I held the position of Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, while assessing children with reading problems at Boston Children’s Hospital. Later, I consulted with the Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium and the Reach Out and Read pediatric initiative. I taught at Lesley University’s language and literacy graduate program, authored Textbooks and the Students Who Can’t Read Them, and created and produced the film: Raising Readers. I was honored as a “Mass Literacy Champion,” directed an early literacy program for expectant parents and other adults who live and work with young children, and in 2016, won Toyota’s Teacher of the Year Award. I wrote and published Make Time for Reading: a story guide for parents of babies and young children, translated to bilingual Spanish and Portuguese. In 2019, I won the $20,000 Book Challenge Award for top manuscript I’ll Build You a Bookcase from the William Penn Foundation and OpenIdeo.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance]

"I'll build you a bookcase..."

Parents make bookcases for their children, imagining that their reading times together will be a time of imagination and learning.

Then the parents make bookcase for other kids, imagining that other children will get to have the same experiences their own children have had.

A hopeful, positive story that might inspire parents to spend time reading with their children.

[Mother Goose Librarian]

This is a sweet board book about families building a bookcase and reading to their young children.

[Rachel]

I love this book! I love that it is bright and colorful, with a diverse cast of characters, and is short but to the point. The book has the text in English on one page and in Spanish on the next. It celebrates reading, and especially reading between parents and kids. The book starts out talking about creating a bookcase library for a not-yet born baby  and reading to babies, and toddlers, all the way up to age 3. It's got mentions of nonfiction books, grandparents reading to grandchildren, going on adventures while reading, and then constructing little free libraries so everyone else can enjoy books too! It even has tips for "How to Read to Your Child" in the back. I'm using this one for a Book/Reading storytime this weekend. Highly recommended for ages 3-6, 5 stars. 

[Margaret]

A+ book :) I like the art; it reminds me of cut paper style. There is a lot going on in the illustrations for kids to notice and point out / ask about.
Bonus points for being (in part) about community libraries / little free libraries!

This is a dual language book with English and Arabic. I can't speak to the Arabic part of it, but the English is simple language, and the rhythm of syllables works well for reading aloud.

This book has some "how to read with your child" tips for adults at the end.


... Reading other reviews, I see that there are other dual language versions of this book, at least Spanish/English. The cover image used here is the Arabic/English cover.

[Pam]

I received an electronic ARC from Lee & Low Books through Edelweiss+.
Ciborowski Fahey celebrates the love of reading in this short rhyming book. Families of all sorts build bookcases for their growing child and take time to read together and encourage reading on their own. I love that the first bookcase is built before their child is born. It sets the tone that reading is important from birth. A lovely celebration of family connections and encouraging children to read and grow. Told in English and Spanish to reach a broader audience.

[Israa]

Thank you Edelweiss for an advanced copy. I read the Arabic/English version. This a beautiful preschool book, fostering the love of reading. The full page illustrations are colorful and full of detail. The different settings and places to read books take the reader on a trip as well. I appreciate the diversity in characters shown, including Muslims in hijab and people of all backgrounds. Our dual language teachers will appreciate the Arabic text, and if a board book, I will purchase a copy for our pre-school.

[Bruce]

Loving parents promise their children a home library and the delightful comfort of reading their books together in this colorful rhyming picture book by reading advocate Fahey. It’s brightly illustrated by Shin with a parallel Spanish text translated and adapted by Canetti.

The book is a pure delight!

[Ray Quirolgico]

Cute simple children’s book that highlights the magic of books and stories through bilingual text and nice illustrations that include a global perspective on families, creativity, nature while celebrating reading.

[Liz]

In rhyming text, the book tells how grownups prepare for a new child by building a bookcase out of shoe boxes. As the children get older, they continue their love of reading with other bookcases and other books. It also gives tips for grownups as they read with children.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Denicemarcell]

very sweet.

[Angie]

Hmm. I wanted to like it more than I did. 🤔😬🤷🏻‍♀️

[Jo Oehrlein]

A story about bookcases for babies, one-year olds, two-year olds, and three-year olds, showing that books are important for the youngest of kids.

[Cindy]

Beautiful culturally diverse book about cultivating and sharing a love of reading.

[Jamie]

Sweet rhyming text, not too many words.

[Kim]

Lovely illustrations for a lyrical, engaging, and inclusive narrative that celebrates sharing the love of books and reading.

[Kellyanne]

Read English-Spanish edition on 2/7/22, read English-Chinese edition on 3/29/2022

[Molly]

A wonderful picture book about the joys of reading. I love that the illustrations show diverse people and many different types of families.

[Cymiki]

We should all be so lucky to have a bookshelf filled with lots of books!

[Hanine]

“And let’s build a bookcase for others too— in parks and the laundromat, even the zoo. On sidewalks, at bus stops, all books will be free.” ♥

[Emma Fultz]

A lovely little bilingual book with English and Arabic text. Lots of racial diversity and lgbtq+ representation in the illustrations as well.

[Laura]

Lovely little book about parents/guardians and kids reading together. Nice inclusive array of illustrations, including different kinds of households (queer, grandparent, single parent) and individuals (different races, cultures/religions, disabilities, etc). I like how there are tips in the back for reading with your kid. They seem simple, but they're really important and helpful! So many parents are never taught how to read to their kid to maximize their enjoyment & build literacy.

[Maura]

This book made it into my faves from the first read. I love the different family structures represented in this sweet story about the love of reading and sharing it. Fantastic diverse representation or ethnicities, abilities, religion etc. the rhythm that the rhymes provide is very nice too.