The library

When Alasdair was a baby, we used to all visit the library quite often.  We would pile in the car together, and once or twice we even took the bikes. But, since the cold, dark of winter and fall arrived, and since I returned to work, Alasdair and I haven't been back.  Until a couple of weeks ago that is.  We all went in search of books about choo-choos, firetrucks or buses, and murder mysteries.

The murder mysteries were for the adults, they don't seem to make this type of book for infants.  I suppose they do make mysteries for infants and toddlers.  Books like Where is Spot? have you searching for the whereabouts of that little puppy so that he can have his supper, but that's as close as it gets.  We did get a Spot book, I believe it was Spot's Treasure Hunt.  Alasdair figured that it followed the same format as his previous lift-the-flap Spot book, which went something like "Is Spot behind the door?" to which Alasdair would say "No!".  However, this book had several "Yes!" answers throughout but Alasdair stuck to what he knew, lifting the flaps and saying "No!".


We also got a book called The Little Red Fire Engine by Lois Lenski, copyright 1946.  I think this one must have pre-dated attempts to teach kids about fire safety.  While the firefighters are battling the blaze, the family works together to carry their furniture out of the house.  They're so busy, they don't notice that their daughter is trapped upstairs inside the house.  However, lack of fire sense aside, it also has what my husband termed a surprise ending.  "The fire is over!" says Fireman Small. "Move right back in again!"  Wow!  I didn't see that one coming.