Heather Pisani-Kristl, Librarian

Keats’ legacy

I was pleasantly surprised the other day when a colleague handed me a copy of the new picture book, “Last Stop on Market Street,” written by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson. With its colorful collages and clear narration, I thought I was looking at a book by Ezra Jack Keats, author of “The Snowy Day” (1962) and other stories about a boy named Peter and his friends in New York. The Library of Congress named “The Snowy Day” as one of the most influential 20th-century American books, and Keats is credited with introducing both multiculturalism and urban settings into children’s literature.

Like Keats, de la Peña and Robinson illustrate another cityscape — San Francisco — where the rough edges of reality are softened by playfulness. “Last Stop on Market Street” explores questions of gratitude and giving from a child’s point of view, providing answers through a loving dialogue between CJ and his grandmother as they ride the city bus together. If you would like to open up a kid-appropriate discussion about community and possessions, I highly recommend this book. Place your online request for this popular title at sdcl.org.

Food for Thought Festival

La Mesa Library invites you to Food for Thought, our first annual festival celebrating food, culture and health in La Mesa. On the afternoon of Saturday, March 14, guest speakers will explore Moroccan cuisine and meals made easy with Trader Joe’s. Free Spirit the Clown will entertain children outside, and teens will learn how to make and decorate delicious onigiri (Japanese rice balls). For more details, call the library at 619-469-2151 or check our pagina de Facebook.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

In this column last month, we mentioned our new program to get families and young children reading every day before the kids enter kindergarten. We had a great kickoff event in January with Mayor Mark Arapostathis and County Library Director José Aponte reading to our toddler storytime crowd; since then, several kids have passed the 250 mark, receiving a backpack and reading their way to the next level. Area preschools and child care centers are also joining the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program. If your child’s school, Sunday school or day care center would like to enroll, give the library a call and ask to speak to one of the librarians. We’ll supply each child with colorful reading logs and stamps to show them how much progress they’re making.

News from our Friends

With the help of generous year-end donations from our members, the Friends of La Mesa Library have funded several orders of new books and movies for the library’s collection. Customers will find how-to titles and cookbooks for adults, as well as children’s non-fiction books about animals (always a favorite). The library will also receive one hundred copies of movies nominated for the Oscars, Golden Globes and Independent Spirit awards. If you would like to become a member, forms are available in the library lobby and at friendsoflamesalibrary.org/membership.

—Heather Pisani-Kristl is librarian at the La Mesa branch of the San Diego County Library. Call the library at 619-469-2151, visit in person at 8074 Allison Ave. or get information online at sdcl.org.