Jolabokaflod - My Thoughts on a Icelandic Tradition

It's that time of year again, where I usually do a round up of the books that I gave and received this Christmas, but funnily enough this year was not so book heavy! Unusual for our house. Maybe it was because we'd done a lot of reading already this year, what with lockdown! Or maybe it was because we gave and received more practical, or even more indulgent presents, because of the kind of year we've all had! I for one, got lots of cosy socks and PJs, which says a lots really! But what about books? Aren't they an indulgent gift, don't they go hand in hand with the cosy socks and the PJs? Well yes, I would agree with that! But, I also now feel well equipped to snuggle down and read all the books on my to-read pile! So maybe I didn't need any new books this Christmas, just the accoutrements to enjoy what I already had, which seems pretty fitting for 2020. 

That being said though, I have just discovered a Icelandic tradition that I have 100% fallen in love with! Jolabokaflod! Or the Christmas book flood! It's no surprise to anyone who knows me, that I have taken another Nordic tradition to heart! I love a bit of Hygge and Fika, so why not Jolabokaflod!? Let me explain... 

So on Christmas Eve it is tradition in Iceland to give each other books as presents. This started in the 1940s when paper was one of the only things that wasn't rationed in Iceland during the war! Thinking it sounds like a good tradition good so far? It gets better! Once you have received your book (or books if you're lucky!) the rest of the evening is spent snuggled up reading them, in the warmest, cosiest, place you can find! With, of course, a compulsory hot chocolate and even a roaring fire! What's not to love!!??

I reckon this is a tradition we could all embrace! Not only is it the loveliest way to spend an evening with your loved ones, it also encourages people to switch off their phones, other devices, televisions, stop worrying about what time the turkey needs to go in the oven the next morning, or whether you've bought enough booze for the festivities! It just allows for us to be present in the moment, and frankly we all need a bit of that these days! If this year has taught us anything, it's that if we slow down, linger a little longer, open our eyes, then the world has so much more the show us and for us to experience, and the best thing is, it's right under our noses. So why not incorporate an element of Jolabokaflod into our lives? It could be as simple as recommending a good book to a friend! Or in true Jolabokaflod style why not gather up all your cosiest things, a snuggly blanket, and a hot drink of your choice and get lost in the pages of a book. You'll find that it's very good for the soul, but then I think you already knew that...

Thanks for reading, L x

No.59 - Guess How Much I Love You

 

This book really doesn't need any introduction! It's a modern classic, a feature of nursery's everywhere, an national treasure, it's words implanted into our psyche; 'I love you this much', 'I love you to the moon and back'. It is of course the wonderful Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, with gorgeous illustrations by Anita Jeram. 

I didn't actually realise how old this book was! If you'd asked me I would have put it's publication date at around 2008 or 2009, but in fact it was published in 1994 and last year it celebrated it's 25th birthday! I would say that anybody born in the last 25 years probably had a copy of this book, and apparently it is still one of the most popular books to gift for a new baby, along with the crazy amount of merchandise available! 

To give you an idea of just how big the Guess How Much I Love You brand is, I hopped onto their website, guesshowmuchiloveyou.com for the facts. 

• It's sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.
• The story has been translated into 57 different languages.
• There are board books, paper backs, fabric books, finger puppet and hand puppet books, spin-off seasonal editions, baby books and milestone markers. 
• There is a new story starring Little Nutbrown Hare, that came out in September, called Will You Be My Friend.
• The story is quickly becoming a popular wedding reading with couples. 
• There are different editions for valentine's day and wedding presents. 
• In 2011 it was adapted for television and shown in 60 different countries.
• The brand has been licensed to shops like Sainsburys, Matalan and Next to be used on their baby clothing.
• There is a beautful gold and silver jewellery range, including engagement and wedding rings!
• The famous pottery, Moorcroft, have a Guess How Much I Love You range, so you can have your favourite hares on a vase if you like!

That is by no mean as an exhaustive list of all the Guess How Much I Love You facts and merchandise, but it shows you just how big this book is! Big Nut Brown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare have a huge place in our hearts. 

Now to the story. It is basically the tale of two hares who are trying to put into words their love for each other. Originally intended as a parent and child, many people have interpreted this book as a way of showing anyone, be it a relative or a partner, just how much you love them! Little Nutbrown Hare starts by asking the big hare, who I've always presumed was his Daddy, to guess how much he loves him? Then they start trying to describe their love for each other in ever increasing distances; as wide as their arms can stretch, as high as they can reach, as high as the little hares toes, as high as they can hop, all the way down to the river, across the hills, right up to the moon, and back. As much as Little Nutbrown Hare tries, he can never beat the distance that Big Nutbrown Hare loves him, because you can't get a greater love than that of a parent for their child. 

I would thoroughly recommend that everyone reads this book, buys it for their own baby, gifts to a friend having baby, even gifts it as a wedding! Why not! This book celebrates love, with it's simple, touching phrasing and it's effortlessly beautiful illustrations. It is surely an enduring classic that I hope will never fade. Sadly the author, Sam McBratney died in September, but he has left behind a truly special legacy in Guess How Much I Love You.

Thanks for reading, L x

Next time, we're closing in on the half way mark, with another classic, Anne of Green Gables. 

Halloween Treat - Funnybones!

"This is how the story begins.

On a dark dark hill

there was a dark dark town.

In the dark dark town

there was a dark dark street.

In the dark dark street

there was a dark dark house.

In the dark dark house

there was a dark dark staircase.

Down the dark dark staircase

there was a dark dark cellar.

And in the dark dark cellar....

... some skeletons lived."

 This is by far, in my opinion, one of the most iconic openings to any children's book EVER! But then I am a little bias! Although 40 years on it is still a much loved story and I would bet has been read to most of the people in this country at some point in their lifetime. And if you're anywhere near my age, you probably grew up watching the brilliant animated series too (hop on Youtube if not!). It is of course the wonderfully spooky Funnybones by Janet and Alan Ahlberg! 

 As it is Halloween I thought I'd throw in a themed post this week, and so I raided my collection for something suitably scary! And when I say scary, I mean downright adorable! What's not to love about these skeletons and their dog? They have all the hallmarks of a classic comedy double act, one's little, one's big, they share a bed like Morecambe and Wise or Bert and Ernie, and of course one wears a silly hat! It's perfect! 

I'm sure you all know the story of Funnybones, but i'll give you a little reminder. The skeleton's decide to take the dog for a walk and scare someone while they are out. They end up in the park, where unfortunately the dog has a little accident and ends up as a pile of bones! Cue my favourite scene, where they have to try and put the dog back together, with hilarious results! I've always loved the set of illustrations here, and the idea that the bark depends on how the dog is assembled!

After they have successfully put the skeleton dog back together they go off looking for someone to scare. But the problem is everyone's asleep! Everyone except the skeleton animals in the zoo. Obviously. So they have a bit of fun there riding an elephant and chatting to the parrot.

But what's a good night out without scaring someone?! Probably very dull, if you're a skeleton! The few pages that follow are fab! Big and Little decide to scare each other, for lack of victims! They jump out from behind bushes at each other, hide in washing, and the dog chases them! It turns out they're massive scaredy-cats! 

I just want to say how much I love the illustrations in this book! They are absolutely charming, much like all of the Ahlberg's picturebooks. They are simple, playful, and vibrant. They make use of framing so well, and you get the feeling of reading not only a picturebook but also a comic. In Funnybones in particular their choice of colours is really effective. As we are told at the start, this story takes place in the dark, at night. Therefore a lot of the text is set against a black background. The use of white text, not only matches the colour of the skeletons, but also shows us what writing looks like in the dark! For the child reader this is probably not that obvious, but as an adult reader I see it as a lovely little nod to the way a child thinks. How else would your story show up!? These bold contrasts and brightly coloured illustrations make it an excellent books for all ages, from something that is visually stimulating for younger listeners, to the clear simple text and repetition for the early reader. This book has it all! 

Happy Halloween! 

Lx

Ps. Back to the list next time for the classic modern picturebook Guess How Much I Love You

No. 60 - The Little White Horse

Hello!  

Today I want to talk to you about Elizabeth Goudge's book The Little White Horse. The reason this post has taken so long for me to write, is because it has taken me since June to read this book!! The Little White Horse has both confused and delighted me!

    Not being a lover of fantasy stories as a child I think The Little White Horse had passed me by. To my shame, I had no idea what a classic it was; it won the Carnegie Medal in 1946, quite the accolade in the children's book world! Once I knew this, I set out with quite high hopes for this book, but found it a lot like Marmite! It seems you either love this book, or it's not to your taste! I'm in the latter camp I'm afraid, although it has had it's moments! 

    Now, the premise, as I understand it, (and bear with me here!) is that Maria, our heroine, has been sent to stay with her Uncle, Sir Benjamin Merryweather, because she is orphaned. She is accompanied by her stuffy governess Miss Heliotrope, and her faithful canine chum Wiggins. Although a nice change from London, there is another reason for her visit, which Maria must discover as her time as Moonacre Manor plays out. Something to do with moon maidens, a particularly nasty Frenchman, and lots of pink Geraniums! It's safe to say that I found this story really quite confusing, and if I'm totally honest, I'm still not quite sure about the finer points of the plot! What I can say though is that this book is truly bizarre, and for that reason it wasn't all bad!

    For a start it reeks of the Gothic and other classic genres! I found it channeling everything from Wuthering Heights to Dracula, with hints of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Secret Garden, and the Chrestomanci series, not to mention Five Children and It! It also has a time slip fiction feel to it too, which had me rather confused about what time period it was set in. It feels Victorian, yet there is an older vibe too (it took me way too long to work out that Maria's friend Robin wasn't a ghost!). Maybe the time period is undisclosed, who knows! It is fantasy after all! Or is it...

    This was something else I struggled with! I felt as though it was never fully committed to being a fantasy novel. Sometimes it was just normal, everyday life, and then there would be crazy moments, like when the cat shot great big, green beams of light out of his eyes! Yes, that really did happen! This book was full of surprising moments like that. Just when you think you're getting the hang of the story, Goudge springs another thing on you! 

You know Wrolf, the big old dog? 

Yeah..? 

Well he's actually lion, but no one ever notices!

What!? How can you not notice a lion walking about next to you, FOR MORE THAN HALF THE BOOK! 

    And then there was the unexpected, and frankly excessive use of the word cock!! The Men of the Black Cock (no laughing please!) are the Merryweather's sworn enemy, and their emblem is a big black cockerel. Whilst reading I came across cocks on people's shoulders, cock shaped swords, cocks on boxes, on boats! At NO POINT does Goudge use the word cockerel, and honestly, I think she did it on purpose! Let's just hope that her particular choice of vocab goes over the heads of the intended audience! It made me laugh though!! 

    The characters in The Little White Horse are wonderfully stereotypical. Maria is a spoilt child from a London household, used to the finer things. Miss Heliotrope the governess is the archetypal Victorian old maid and school mistress, and she's always getting Maria to practice her needlework, or read poetry. Although we do discover that Miss Heliotrope had an exotic past! Sir Benjamin is the usual big, blustery, jolly, aristocrat. He's not so keen on women, but dotes on Maria. And then there's dear old Digweed, the coachman/man servant, who scuttles around in the background like so many versions of this trope before him. The Old Parson feels like he is straight out of a Jane Austen novel! And the children of Silverydrew are always bursting into song like the chorus of children in an am-dram production! It's all very strange! The only characters that seem to break this conventional mould are Robin and his mother Loveday Minette. They are otherworldly, magical, and I'm not sure whether this is intentional or not. They almost feel like they've stepped out of another novel completely! It's safe to say that they were my favourite characters.

    But, despite the confusing plot, bizarre, if not slightly stereotypical characters, Goudge finishes the story quickly and neatly with 3 weddings. Long lost loves are reunited, Maria and Robin are married (despite Maria being, by my calculations, only 14!), and peace is restored to Moonacre Manor, the village of Silverydew, and the Merryweather estate. Goudge makes sure all loose ends are tied, and it's wonderfully predictable after the confusing chaos of the rest of the book! Everyone lives happily ever after! Hooray! 

    Overall, I found this book a confusing read! It's weirdness baffled me, but strangely this in itself was quite enchanting! If you think you have the patience then I suggest you try this book, but I think it appeals only to a certain kind of mind. I'm not a lover of fantasy and I think this may have been why I struggled with the plot so much. Even after writing this, I'm still not sure I totally understand what I've just read! 

Thanks for reading, L x

Next up, a book that I'm sure is on bookshelves everywhere, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Where the Wild Things Are

Hi everyone!

I have news, there is now an Instagram page for The Little Bookworm! Check it out @the.littlebookworm

I'm hoping to post all kinds of interesting things there, and maybe even do some live story times too! 

This post has been inspired by my lastest Insta post, which was to celebrate the birthday of the marvellous Mauric Sendak! His picturebook Where the Wild Things Are really ignited my passion for picturebook analysis, and my interest in the relationship between words and images in the picturebook format. There is so much more to a book than meets the eye and I find this so incredibly exciting! Once you know all the little codes and tricks you never look at another picturebook in the same way again! 

So for this post I thought i'd do something a little bit different and share some of my academic writing with you, on the subject of Sendak's Wild Things. The extract I want to share with you is all about the 'Picturebook Codes' as created by William Moebius. It is all about how the positioning of images on the page help to tell the story, and how text and image can work together, or indeed against each other, to create a narrative. I hope you find it an interesting insight into what it's like to study children's literature at a higher level. 

The centre spread (above) of Maurice Sendak’s celebrated picturebook Where the Wild Things Are (1963) is a clear example of what Moebius terms as ‘semic slippage’. This occurs when the images and text presented to the reader contradict each other, creating differing perspectives (Moebius, 2009, p.313). The image shows Max’s first encounter with the mythical creatures of his imagination (Sendak, 1963). The accompanying text says ‘they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws’ (Sendak, 1963). This creates a frightening image suggestive of other magical or fairy tales, in which the monster is a threat to the child protagonist. The emphasis placed on the frightening physical features of the creatures is not unlike the dialogue between the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood in the classic fairy tale. The text takes the conventional stance expected of a fantastical tale, but the illustration presents a contradictory image. Max is actually greeted by four friendly looking monsters that appear to be smiling and waving. They are not ‘terrible’ at all, and it is clear that Max is not scared of them. This juxtaposition between classic fairy tale text and the surprising imagery creates irony.

The text tells us that Max has arrived in ‘the place where the wild things are’ (Sendak, 1963). But as William Moebius points out, ‘What is a wild thing?’ (Moebius, 2009, p.313). By not capitalising ‘the wild things’ Sendak creates confusion around this phrase, sending ‘contradictory messages about the ‘who’ or the ‘what’ of the story’ (Moebius, 2009, p.313). On one hand it implies that the creatures are the wild things, but on the other it could be referring to Max whom the creatures later name ‘the most wild thing of all’ (Sendak, 1963). In the illustration the creatures look quite tame despite their fangs, horns and claws, and have big wide yellow eyes. Angry looking Max seems more of a threat to the creatures, than they are to him, despite their frightening textual descriptions. In fact Max looks rather unimpressed with their appearance, particularly as they are figments of his own wild imagination. By applying ‘the code of position’ as set out in Moebius’s essay Picturebooks Codes, it can be suggested that Sendak’s placement of the image in the top two thirds of the page is indicative of a ‘dream-vision’ (Moebius, 2009, p.316-17), a world from Max’s imagination. This imaginative quality is suggestive of the fairy tale or legend that the text seems to embody, but again creates confusion as they do not correspond.

The illustration shows us a more complex story of arrival than that of the text, which simply tells us ‘he came to the place’ (Sendak, 1963). The ‘code of position’ can again be applied to the image, in reference to the direction in which Max and the creatures are facing on the pages. Max has arrived from the left hand side, indicating that his journey has finished and that he is ready to continue his adventure across the page to the right. His left hand arrival also suggests that he has come from the stability of home and is continuing into the unknown. The stability of home, however, is tainted by Max’s anger and frustration, which is signified through the turbulence of the sea. This is contrasted with land, which is solid and much calmer. The monsters approach from the right hand side, indicative of their wild lifestyle, and move towards the stability of the left hand page and Max whom they will soon appoint as their King. Max wants to escape from the confines of home and become a true ‘wild thing’, whereas the monsters want some stability in their wild lives. These ideas are not conveyed at all in the text, which focalises Max as the child protagonist of a conventional fantasy. Whereas it could be argued that the illustration focalises the creatures and their emotional needs. The contrast between the text and image of this double page spread creates two varying perspectives.

So, as you can see, what seems to be a conventional fairytale story has a lot more layers once you know where to look! If you're interested in finding out more about William Moebius's 'Picturebook Codes' there's a great slide show here outlining all the codes in an easy to understand format! Or, you could track down the original essay 'Picturebook Codes' and give it a read.  

I hope you've enjoyed this little insight into the study of picturebooks, and can understand why I find it so interesting!!

I challenge you to pick up a picturebook and have a look for a few of Moebius codes, and see how it transforms your reading! 

Thanks, L x 

---

The Summer Reading Challenge 2020 - The Silly Squad!

The Summer Reading Challenge starts today and I am so pleased that it's still on! 

This year join the Silly Squad, a madcap gang of animal friends, brought to life by Laura Ellen Anderson of Amelia Fang fame! The theme is humour and silliness, and so it's all about celebrating books that make us laugh! My favourite! All you have to do is sign up (as a child or a parent or carer) online at www.sillysquad.org.uk 

Like usual, the challenge encourages children to read as many books as they can in a set time period, earning badges and achieving goals along the way, except that this time it's all done online. This unfortunately means there will be no access to library books, so what will children be expected to read? Well, your local library service should have a selection of eBooks to choose from, and there are some wonderful platforms that these can be read on. For example I use a great app called Borrowbox, which I would strongly recommend. All you have to do is sign up using your library card and you can start borrowing. You can get both eBooks and audiobooks on Borrowbox, which is brilliant! Children can also re-read books that they already own, so why not get them picking out their favourites and revisiting them! Every book they read needs to be logged on their profile so that it counts towards their Silly Squad journey. 

Today, 5th June, is the start date, and if you're quick you can get in on the launch party action this afternoon on Facebook! Here's the schedule!

4.00pm - Sam & Mark (as seen on CBBC) launch the Summer Reading Challenge 2020 and introduce you to the Silly Squad - telling you how you can sign up and start your seriously silly summer

4.10pm - Comedian, author and presenter, David Baddiel, reads from his children's book The Taylor TurboChaser

4:15pm - Author Gareth P Jones reads from his book Dinosaur Detective: Catnapped! and takes us on a real adventure

4:20pm - Drawing with award-winning author and illustrator Rob Biddulph

4:30pm - Poet and author Joseph Coehlo reads Funny Fish from his book Poems Aloud

4:35pm - President of Libraries Connected, Carol Stump, reads a book from the official 2020 Summer Reading Challenge booklist - You Can't Call an Elephant in an Emergency by Patricia Cleveland-Peck & David Tazzyman

4:40pm - Crafts, colour and creativity with the original queen of colouring, Johanna Basford

4:45pm - Authors Katie and Kevin Tsang read from their book Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Zombies - including some super silly dress up!

4:50pm - Let's Get Silly with longest-serving female BBC Blue Peter presenter and author Konnie Huq

4.55pm - Presenter, author and adventurer, Ben Fogle reads an extract from his Mr Dog book series

5:05pm - The British Library shares content from their Discovering Children's Books website where you can find a whole range of creative activities. In this video, Viviane Schwarz shows you fun ways of developing silly characters

5:10pm - How to Build a Super Silly Reading Den with BBC's Katie Thistleton and Hacker T Dog

5:20pm - Children's author Philip Ardagh reads from his book Bunnies on the Bus

5:25pm - Arts Council England's Director of Libraries, Sue Williamson, reads her favourite poem

5:30pm - Silly Squad draw-along with author and illustrator, Laura Ellen Anderson, who is the Summer Reading Challenge 2020's official illustrator!

5:40pm - Award-winning comedian, actress and writer Samantha Baines reads from her novel Harriet Versus The Galaxy

5:45pm - Konnie Huq gets super silly with the Silly Squad

5:50pm - Shed School Magic with the nation's favourite teacher, Mr Bates

6pm - The nation's favourite comedian and presenter Paul O'Grady will read an excerpt from his favourite children's book, The Borrowers

6:05pm - Author Jennifer Killick reads from her book, Alex Sparrow and the Zumbie Apocalypse and shows us how to do a very silly dance - join in!

6:15pm - Children's author (and game designer!) Gabrielle Kent reads from her book, Knights and Bikes

6:25pm - Actor Owen Teale (Game of Thrones) reads from his favourite book, A Child's Christmas in Wales by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.

6:30pm - Jokes with our Ambassadors! Including Quick Reads 2020 author Milly Johnson, Samantha Baines, and Konnie Huq

6:35pm - Actor and writer Shobna Gulati (Dinner Ladies, Coronation Street) will read Tiny Ant from the Official Book Collection

6.40pm - Author and illustrator Laura Dockrill shares her favourite poems including her own poem My Mum's Growing Down as well as one by Benjamin Zephaniah from Talking Turkeys and a Carol Ann Duffy poem!

6.45pm - It's time to hear the official 'Let's Get Silly!' theme song! Written and performed by Harry Baker and Chris Read

6:50pm - Closing the Launch Party with a bedtime story, actor Charlie Condou (Holby City, Coronation Street) reads This is Gus from the official Summer Reading Challenge book collection

7pm - End

Personally, I'm loving the sound of a draw-along with Rob Biddulph! Has anyone been watching and joining in with Draw with Rob during the lockdown? And Paul O'Grady reading from The Borrowers will no doubt be magical! Plus, you can't have silly without Hacker T. Dog! 

Although it's a real pity that the Summer Reading Challenge wont be taking place in our libraries this year, the online version has a lot of great added extras! For a start it will be running for a much longer period, from June to September! So there is loads of time to get silly! There are also puzzles, games, quizzes, bonus content and an online book discussion forum too! There is even a book sorter to help children choose their next read. So, although it is a little different to what we are used to, this year's Summer Reading Challenge looks set to be a good one! 

I'm really glad they've chosen humour as the focus for this years challenge, I think it's what we all need right now! And on the theme of silliness I'd like to leave you with one of my favourite quotes from the great Roald Dahl, and something we should never forget. 

Thanks for reading, L x

Gosh, I Miss The Library!

Oh Hermione, I really wish I could! 

So, one thing that I've missed during lockdown is going to the library. The library has always been a constant for me. Where ever I've lived I've belonged to the library, and trips have been part of my weekly routine for as long as I can remember, especially growing up. I rely on the library to help me find the books for this blog, and for my own personal reading. I love hunting down a book I'm after either on the shelf, or online on the library catalogue. It's like being a detective! And one of the nicest feelings is knowing I have book waiting for me at the library, like a long lost friend. I love books, I just can't help it! But what happens now we can't go to the library? In the biggest time of doubt I've ever experienced in my life! Hermione's advice just doesn't cut it anymore! 

I rarely buy books theses days, and if I do I generally buy secondhand real, paper books. Call me old fashioned, but I love the tangible nature of a real book (and they smell nice too!). As well as libraries being out of action, I've obviously been unable to visit any bookshops, so I've had to begrudgingly embrace the world of the eBook. I rarely buy eBooks because they baffle me somewhat. You can't see how far you are through a book and I find it hard to measure my progress any other way. I like to sit down with a book and see that I've read a few millimeters or a centimetre on a good day! I can't get my head around a percentage! Numbers are not my thing! So, very reluctantly I've been buying kindle books for this blog over the past few months in order to keep the blog up and running, and it's been a very strange experience. Luckily children's books are never too expensive (no cheeky VAT), but not having the convenience of free books at the library has been very weird indeed! In some ways I resent having to buy these books, but what I resent more is having to read them electronically. You loose out on the full book experience, it just becomes another screen you have to engage with during your day, which is frankly, rubbish!

I don't know what the fate of our libraries will be after COVID-19. I can understand why there is no way they can reopen yet, but with budget cuts and popularity reducing the number of libraries in the UK anyway, I worry that COVID might be the end of libraries as we know them. What will happen to them now? Will they become entirely obsolete? I really hope not! Will the only people using them be me, and an old lady who enjoys a large print Mills and Boon? Probably... Will they become online catalogues, where you order up what you want, in a click and collect style shopping experience? Or will they go online entirely? 

And libraries are not just about books you know! If we loose the physical library building we loose baby and toddler groups, story time session, computer access, lego clubs, repair shops, and all those other lovely things that happen in our local libraries. I so, so hope that in the post-COVID world we still retain some of what makes a library so special, even if it has to change a bit. 

Thanks for reading, L x